Fel pro gaskets
- Thread starter Zayd
- Start date
The Honda J-Series valve cover gaskets are garbage. Leaked on me in something like 6 months.
And before anyone comments.
No, you pretty much cannot install a J Series VCG improperly. The bolts have stops on them that limits the amount they will squeeze the gasket. You can torque on them till the heads snap off and the cover won't press on the gasket any more than that set amount.
And before anyone comments.
No, you pretty much cannot install a J Series VCG improperly. The bolts have stops on them that limits the amount they will squeeze the gasket. You can torque on them till the heads snap off and the cover won't press on the gasket any more than that set amount.
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When properly installed, Fel Pro is the next best to OEM in my opinion. I never had a problem with their products.
Been using Fel Pro for 50 years without a problem. It's the only gasket maker I truly trust.
I always buy them because they were a Cartalk underwriter and I listened to that show through my childhood.
I see some people have negative experiences like this and on the other hand some people have great experiences so I don’t know whether they’re a reputable brand or not. Was yours made in China, most of mine were US or Japan
They're no longer reputable and trading solely on their former reputation.
Even the Car Care Nut says they're a terrible gasket no one should ever use, although I hesitate to cite that because sometimes I feel CCN is a bit over the top.
They've recently gone the way of SKIL, Rockwell, Craftsman, Timken, Fowler etc
Fel-Pro is basically what auto parts stores stock. if you need it today, you're going to get Fel-Pro.
Now, at least at O'Reilly, Mahle has been making inroads here. I don't know if they are better or worse, but slowly we are dedicating more and more shelf space to their gaskets. But, compared to Fel-Pro, it's still like 1%. We have like 20 shelves of Fel-Pro in the store and 1 little stack of Mahle. But, 10 years ago when I first started, we had maybe 2 Mahles. not 100.
Now, at least at O'Reilly, Mahle has been making inroads here. I don't know if they are better or worse, but slowly we are dedicating more and more shelf space to their gaskets. But, compared to Fel-Pro, it's still like 1%. We have like 20 shelves of Fel-Pro in the store and 1 little stack of Mahle. But, 10 years ago when I first started, we had maybe 2 Mahles. not 100.
Never had an issue 
Is fel pro still good. Or just cheap and readily available
I mean, they get warrantied occasionally, but it’s a tiny percentage compared to how many we sell each day.
I don’t know if that means they are good or not, but my point was more, you don’t really have a choice if you’re buying a gasket locally and need it today, so how picky can you really be?
I use Victor gaskets when there's a choice.
Depends on Application.
Both the oil pan and valve cover FP's I've used in the past couple years were like swiss cheese in actual gasketing. The valve cover actually split open letting oil pour down the back of the block. You're better off stealing some bubble gum out of some random kid's chew hole and slabbing that on instead. 
50 years ago Fel-Pro were the gold standard and in some cases were better than OE eg Buick nail head head and old big block gaskets, the Fel-Pro blue was much better than the steel shim gaskets. This is not the same company as it was years ago. It was bought by Federal Mogul who was bought out by Tenneco who was then taken over by Apollo global management, everything they touched turned to instant crap. They own these brands and likely more, they are all mostly cheap crap made to a bottom tier price point with a high retail price and fancy boxes..
German made Elring is still good but they also make a lot of junk in china and Vietnam, until you have it in your hands you may not know, ditto Victor and others. Today I buy OE or specialty makers eg Cometic for certain head gaskets and diff gaskets.
Brands
German made Elring is still good but they also make a lot of junk in china and Vietnam, until you have it in your hands you may not know, ditto Victor and others. Today I buy OE or specialty makers eg Cometic for certain head gaskets and diff gaskets.
I didn't know BeckArnley was in the Apollo cesspool. But that explains a few things about a CV boot that lasted 8 months....
I've noticed my O'Reilly carrying -- or able to get same day -- more Mahle. I just got a Mahle conical exhaust donut from O'Reilly and a 4L60 pan gasket.
I honestly don't know if they're better than Fel-Pro but they can't be worse!!
