by Kwagon2 » Sat Oct 10, 2015 2:06 pm
The half moon thingies are for the end of the cylinder head where the camshaft sprocket lives once you get the valve cover off it'll all become clear. When you remove things to clear the way for valve cover removal make note of where it all went .
Clean off the outside of the valve cover as best you can to prevent debris from falling into the engine etc. , just common sense stuff. Don't pry the valve cover off as you may damage the gasket mating surface since its all aluminum If it won't move tap the sides with a soft face hammer to loosen. Use care when cleaning the gasket surface once the valve cover is off and degrease the gasket mating surfaces. The gasket is a molded rubber piece and it gets pushed into the slot in the valve cover perimeter, degrease that slot too and make sure there are no gasket remnants in the slot. Place a dab of RTV at the corners of the cylinder head where the valve cover meets the camshaft bearing cap. Reassemble don't forget to install the ring gaskets for the bolts. Thats all the tips I can think of just be careful and meticulous in your work.
As far as gasket brands go I know of no specific brand that has performed badly... have fun!