Heres a guide to cleaning up valve covers and changing the gaskets (which tend to go, I hear)on 1st gen Ram V8s.
Id do it just beforeyou plan on changing the oil since youll likely get some junk in it with the covers off

Start by removing air intake assemblyandany obstructions to the valve covers - label and remove plug wires, PCV and breather hoses, and anything bolted to the covers like wire brackets and so on. Make sure you clear everything out of the way. If you have an AIR pump, be sure to remove the line coming out of it along the driver's side cover, becasue you can get the cover off with it there, but not back in:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g.../pipemoved.jpgthis is the problem
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g...irpumpline.jpgget it up like this. make sure to unbolt from the block to do so. If you havea comrpessor, now is a good time to blow all the junk away so it isnt falling into your engine later onwhen the covers are off

Ok so now youve got everything out of the way. Spray the nasty gunkoff the bolts with a cleaner (I like TBI or brake cleaner), the inside bolts will probably require that you chip away some hardened crud. Take out all 5 bolts from one cover, make sure you preserve their positions.
Pry the cover up - gently - with a putty knife http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g...s_SS/pryup.jpg
now thats messy. this was all that was left of the gasket http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g...s_SS/spicy.jpg

Now if you dont already haveany, go to the missus and ask her for an SOS pad to clean the covers.
here is one half cleaned, and onehalf dirty, to show you how good these pads work http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g...sis_SS/sos.jpgit is mostly important that you get the nasty off ofwhere the gaskets willcontact for a good seal.After cleaning with SOS pad take out any reside with a solvent cleaner and then lintfree cloththat off and blow out with air. anything butmetal andgasket goopalong that channel willruin your work
grind http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g...s_SS/grind.jpg
paint http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g...s_SS/paint.jpg

while that dries go back to the engine. My hands were filthy and I didnt want to touch the camera so no pictures here. Scrape off any surfaces coming into contact with the new gasket. rub clean with coarse grit sandpaper, then if you like use anSOS pad but be sure not to get any into your engine. Saturate a rag with a solvent cleaner, rub the contact areas clean one more time, and blow with air.
So your paintjob should be dry now. Wash your hands and get a gasket out and some Permatex gasket maker goop(the blue stuff).some will say that you dont need the gasket goop, and that itwill get into your oil. I say sure just dont use too much - and if your block is all pitted like mine was i think its better to use it.
put a thin layeron the on theblock where the gasket will contact and putit gasket onhttp://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg40/nemesis_SS/gasket1.jpg. Now get the cover and put the gasket maker goop on its contact surfaces http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg40/nemesis_SS/gasket2.jpg. I do it in this order to be sure that when all goes together I can see the sandwich going together properly.

line everything up and put the bolts in by hand, doing your best to screw each in a little. If you cant get one to screw in, the new gasket's thickness may be the issue. tighten a nearby bolt just a ticth or two and try agian.
once youhave all five biting thread, do a star-like pattern tightening sequence and go down to 90 inch-pounds (or 10 newton meters) using a torque wrench.
if you use an extension remeber that socket extensions made the torque read a bit lower than what is actually exerted on the bolt so crank em down a bit harder. http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg40/nemesis_SS/torque.jpg
But for god's sake not too much or youll ruin the gasket.

put all the plugs back in and bolt the air pump line back on and youre ready for the exact same thing on the other side.

the perfect crime
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg40/nemesis_SS/perfectcrime.jpg

Ram1stGen