So I was putting on my new valve cover gasket on and was scraping the gasket surface on the cover with a gasket scraper when a bunch of paint scraped off to reveal rust on the lip, there was a few minor spots on the inside but now it's worse, should I paint it or just leave it as is? There is also some rust on the outside but I don't really mind that. So any ideas on what to do about this?

 

If it was me. I would clean it really well and just paint the out side. If you try to paint the in side, The paint won't stay unless you wave it baked on. The rust on the in side could be caused be condensation.

 

What do you mean by wave it back on? And so your saying that I should paint the outside after cleaning it but I shouldn't paint the inside gasket lip?

 

Sorry, I'm a dumb ***!
That should be have not wave.

 

Ok so even if I just paint the inside gasket lip it won't work if it's not baked on?

 

I'd suggest you just use a fine or medium wire brush to clean up the rust. Paint the outside if you like, but the gasket surface should be clean.. I wouldn't paint the gasket surface.

 

I wouldn't paint it. Just clean the inner lip really well before you put it back together.

 

Brush it clean, use a stove paint or heat paint on the exterior.
I have used wire brush and oven cleaner (rinse well with water between applications and brushing and rinse well when complete) removes grease, oil, carbon etc. I've used on both steel and Alum covers.

 

It's the inside edge of the bolt holes that do most of the sealing, so not that big a deal. just clean the rust off good. Paint the outside if you feel the urge, but don't paint the gasket surface. If there deep, I might put a little gasket sealer in them to fill them up. But they'd have to be real deep.

 

I had no idea that HO valve covers are steel.... hmm, interesting..... Sand it down (220+ grit) a bit and use RTV on your gasket.

Or, http://www.quadratec.com/products/51104_07_07.htm

 

Haha ya I can't justify paying 100 for a new cover, I could have it sand blasted and powder coated cheaper then that. I guess I'll just clean it real good and put it back on. And from everything I've read I'm not going to use rtv on the rubber felpro I got

 

Now that is great thinking. I have seen people try to put RTV on rubber gaskets and all it does is make them slip and pop out when you tighten down. You never want to put rtv on a rubber gasket.

 

You read my mind haha, but while we are talkin bout gaskets what would y'all recommend to clean the gasket with before I install it? It's been in the back of my heep for a while so its got some junk on it. I was think brake cleaner but that might be to harsh

 

Yea, I wouldn't use break cleaner or anything like that. If you got greasy just use a little soap and water to clean it off. Also if it had stuff stacked on it check it really good to make sure it didn't crack it deform it.