Hi all
Now onto my third attempt at sealing these damn cam covers!! First attempt was a disaster when I used only instant gasket (the clear stuff from Halfords). Second attempt was only slightly better when I re-used the existing gaskets and then I learnt I should have used a combination of both. So my third attempt I very carefully set down a nice neat bead of black Loctite flexible sealant then carefully put the old gaskets on top of this then waited the prescribed time to set then even more carefully put the covers back onto the engine and fastened everything up. Fired it up and after about 10 minutes I get drops of oil running down the back of the engine from probably just the back cover this time.

What is the secret?.....what am I doing wrong?? I've read other posts about the size of gap that needs to be filled due to the design of the covers not being able to be over-tightened but then I read about the risks of too much sealant and the possibility of chunks of it getting in among the oil spray bars.

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1999 GTi-6 (china blue)
1999 Rallye (black)

I did also notice that the black sealant seemed to be still really soft after it had been on the car for a few days. Is this normal or does it just get soft when the engine heats up? (by soft, I mean I was able to wipe the squeeze out with a rag)

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1999 GTi-6 (china blue)
1999 Rallye (black)