All set to change out both inner and outer valve cover gasket on the DOHC engine today. Got the parts earlier in the week - I ordered the Elring 271393, which is alleged to be the OEM gasket.

Opened up the boxes last night, and dicovered that the online source I used advertised Elring, but sent - you guessed it - Scan Tech. Okay, I thought, I give it a try.

After I got the cover and the old gaskets off, I found out that the "comparable" Scan Tech does not work. I was expecting an outer gasket with a couple of rounded up sections at the ends, to go over the cam carriers. What I got was a completely flat gasket. Okay, I thought, maybe the flat gasket will adapt and curve nicely over the cam ends. Nope. Even a slight bend cracks and breaks the gasket.

I called the local Volvo dealer parts department, and was told, yeah, we have it in stock. Of course, when I got there, they didn't have it in stock. (Nor does any Volvo dealer or parts store withing 50 miles.) The parts guy did have the exploded print, though, and the picture of the gasket definitely had the humps where the cam ends are.

Am I missing something? Is it a flat gasket that supposed to curve/adapt to fit, or does the proper gasket have the curves already? The nature of the material on the Scan Tech seems to suggest that it's not meant to be bent or even slightly curved.