I've used a cork gasket that came with a rebuild kit but it came apart quite quickly. So this time I got a rubber-ish one. If you look at the pic you can see that while the waves are aligned the ends are not. When I try putting the top of the gasket to the bottom of the valve cover (reference pic) or opposite of the pic, non of the waves, tabs line up while keeping the gasket within the length of the cover. When I align the waves, the length of the cover is even worse than in the picture.
I doubt that NAPA will take back, or listen to me when I say the gasket is wrong. Gosh I love ego's at auto part stores.

-I went into Autozone looking for a cooler thermostat. So I'm shopping for a 15 dollar part and the guy behind the counter says "I usta build those things for rock crawlers, what size tires and gearing do you have?" After I told him he told me I did'nt need a cooler thermostat but I needed to re-gear the diff. Yah I know what re-gearing will do, but I didn't come in to your store to re-gear my truck, I came in for a 15 dollar part, and don't tell me about your history with car modifaction. Obviously you were really good at it and got promoted to autozone... 

Parker.

I doubt that NAPA will take back, or listen to me when I say the gasket is wrong. Gosh I love ego's at auto part stores.

Take the valve cover and the gasket into NAPA and ask them to put it on.  If they can't get it to fit, then they really can't argue with you that it is wrong.

Well the vibrations and rough-ness have subsided. In-fact I didn't notice any nastiness over a 25 mile trip so that's good.

The starter still clunkers around, although no where near as much or as loud as before but its still there. I can now only hope that transmission mount solves this problem. Otherwise I'll have to wait until I can afford to buy a new starter so that I can grind away at the starters teeth. But I have hope that the new mount will center everything up a bit and do me good.

The starter also makes a high pitch whine when I cut power to the solenoid which must be from me grinding away at the ring gear.

Parker.

I think your starter needs to be traded in. you might want to loosen your front moter mounts up on the frame and give your moter a wiggle to center your front mounts up, the pic underneath shows it sitting to one side a little.  or not. also how many teeth are on your starter? I think you use the 1.6 starter but I can't remember if it has 8 teeth or 9 ? getting old i guess (sleeping pill does not help either) maybe I should post in the a.m. Lol

I'll try loosing the mounts. If I remember correctly they were tightened with nuclear power. The rear mount (tranny) is off kilter. You can see the bolt that is off to one side of the center hole. The new mount is still in the mail.

Trade my starter in? Last I herd (Advance auto) is that a starter core is not given, at least with the 1.3 starter. Although my starter tested fine so I did not check core refunds with other part stores.

I do not know the number of teeth on the starter. The solenoid does retract and hold the gear.

Parker