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Looks like you are going to spend the rest of your life chasing ghosts. Why don't you just enjoy driving the car? Is this the first car you have owned that has an analog temperature gauge? You need to go back over all the posts and skip the posts where people are trying to help you troubleshoot an overheating engine and pay closer attention to the posts that relate to what is normal. I'm not saying that the troubleshooting tips won't help someone figure out a problem with an overheating engine. I am saying that it looks like you don't have a problem at all. How did we ever drive cars without hand held IR temperature sensors?

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Owen I can't believe this thread is still going either. Could it be that a heating problem does not exist? Maybe the temp gauge should be removed and a light installed? Maybe it's things like this that caused auto manufacturers to quit using gauges in favor of what some people refer to as an "Idiot Light"

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Yes there is. It is called a step stud. The end that screws into the block is the next size up and the rest of is made the same diameter and thread as the old stud so you can use the original size nut. If you can't find one any machinist can make you one. BTW Helicoils are OK, We used them in the NAVY, however they are a little hard to use properly and tend to back out easily when you don't want them to. The step stud is, by far, the best solution.

I would chase the threads on the remaining studs and use new hex nuts. Helps to obtain the proper and uniform torque.

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Anyone who posts such a question may not take the above quote for the tongue in cheek one that it is. He has probably already deformed the valve covers beyond repair by trying to stop the leaks by over tightening the bolts.

To answer the original question I would remove the valve covers, clean off all the old gasket and sealant, and try to flatten the flange around where the bolts go through. The mating surface should be as flat as possible. Use a straight edge to check it. Then, if you must, a little Permetex "B" ( non hardening type ) on the surfaces will do. Be sure to use a new gasket. Check the repair manual for the torque required and don't exceed that spec. I have not looked up the correct torque however it should be in inch pounds not foot pounds. If it still leaks the valve cover is still not flat enough or you have over torqued the thing again and deformed the metal. Remember that saying " if a little torque is good then a lot is better" is not a true statement.

BTW I only use sealant on the side of the gasket that faces the valve cover. Mostly to hold the gasket in place wile the cover is installed. This way you can remove the cover without making a mess for serves. If the gasket comes off with the valve cover in one piece you can most likely just reinstall it without leaks.

Maybe a previous owner had a trailer hitch mounted that used those holes.

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As things go the word "slightly" should be changed to excessively. If you look at your Chinese chain you will find that the problem is that when the chain is curved around the crank gear the links spread too much making them too wide to properly fit the gear. Remember the kid thing with the church, the steeple, open the door and see all the people?? Place your fingers together with your finger tips facing you. Open the door all the way and note what happens to your finger tips as you close it. Your finger tips get farther apart. This is what happens to the effective size of the teeth that have to mate with the gear teeth when you wrap the chain around. At that diameter the chain teeth do not correctly match the crank gear teeth. The teeth will wear off very rapidly possibly dumping metal particles down into the oil pan( not a good thing). Seems I remember in the past the set was referred to as a matched set.

The timing set I bought was a mixed set. The chain and the cam gear were Chinese. The crank gear looked to be NOS. The chain seemed to fit the chinese cam gear but not the NOS crank gear. Maybe the Chinese chain will fit a chinese crank gear?

To Fred, It has been so long since I bought the timing set I can't remember who I bought it from. That doesn't matter anyway. What I am talking about is the quality of Chinese made parts. I have had everything from Chinese made galvanized water pipe that sprung leaks through the wall of the pipe in less than 5 years to wheel cylinders in a TRW box where the casting said "made in China" leaking after about one year of service. You are right about good name brand American companies selling this junk. Seems like a sell out to me. I would rather see companies like TRW and Craftsman go out of business rather than bow to the chinese.

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Just think they have gotten a little better over the years.

Think on a scale of 1 to 10 China is an 11 and Japan is in the top 5. With what's left of manufacturing in the this country we still come in around #1. Not guaging by manufacturer name but by things acctually made in the USA. Craftsman is a good name but I would not buy another power tool that says Craftsman on it. The stuff is junk probably made in China now. Their power tools at one time were bullet proof. They would last 30?40 years. I bought a craftsman palm sander maybe 10 years ago that didn't last 2 days of lite use. The Jap brands are by far better.

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The AM tube type radio most certainly does care about input power polarity.

Eric, I had to laugh at the picture. Sad thing is there is far too much truth there. Maybe with enough time the Chinese will get better at it. Remember when made in Japan meant inferior junk?

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Fred, I have to differ with you regarding replacement parts from china. For instance I purchased a timing gear and chain set for my 51 327. The crank gear looked to be NOS. The chain and the cam gear were individually packed in boxes marked "made in china". The crank gear was of good quality. The cam gear just had a crude look to it. granted what a gear looks like has little to do with it's useful life however the cast iron looked very pooris and of poor quality. The real problem was with the chain. The chain was obviously made wrong. When you wrap the chinese chain around the NOS crank gear it would not seat properly. You could not force the chain to fit the teeth on the gear. It rode high on the teeth. Bad fit. This is not the first timing chain set I have replaced just the first one of, at best, questionable quality. Because of the year or so that has expired since I bought the set I was told that the set was not returnable.

I have a machinst friend of mine who pokes fun at the chinese when he says in his best chinese accent "Looks like picture". I think that a lot of this junk from china is close but no air medals. Looks to be constructed using photographs rather than honest engineering drawings.