Hi everyone just want a clarification please. I am just about to start checking my valve clearances and took off the cover (more oil out than I was expecting duh!) and noticed that my 85 Rt doesn't have one of those springs
that is supposedly really important. That is the one that sits on the cam shaft support(rocker?) and makes contact with the inside of the valve cover. I read it is suppose to stop the sparkplug from shorting.
Anyway I've done about 35,000klm on this thing without looking inside here.

My question is "how important is it to have this spring really?"

Appreciate any thoughts.
RT

If the spark plug shorts to the cover it can then arc to eth across the gasket, if it does it on the outside of the case all is OK but on the inside are potentially explosive vapors so I will leave the rest to your imagination but it will cause oil leaks.