Originally Posted by
waldig
There is one way to find out, but it might be a costly lesson. Rtv is going to squish out something very thin, could end up where you started.
Did you damage the originals, I have reused them with success if not folded or bent too bad.
Woody
DO NOT REUSE VALVE COVER GASKETS!!!
While they are flexible, they conform to the shape and pressure placed between the valve cover and the head and after they heat up the first time, they are set and seal to both. Once you remove them, any bond they had with the head or valve cover gasket will no longer take place. If you've done it before, you've lucked out but when you remove them, you will notice that they stick to the head and this is because of the bonding process.