Check that the sealing area is very flat on the cover, where the bolt holes
are, sometimes you have to flatten those down a bit.
I would use red Permatex high tack, in the brush can, on both sides of the
gasket, applied to the gasket, not the cover or the pan.
'longer bolts' ? ....that's worrisome, are they bottoming out ?
I never do what the book says on a torque value for this ....they probably
quote a figure that's barely more than 'only kinda tight.' 
Did you try tightening them yet ? 
Scott
www.turbovans.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Gerald Masar
Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2007 6:38 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: final drive cover leaking

Another problem.
This is on a '88 Westy with AT. Sometime back, I drained the oil from the
final drive,
carefully cleaned the old gasket off, the cover and mating surface and
replaced the
cover with a new gasket ($30+), new, slightly longer bolts and lock washers.
I
CAREFULLY torqued it according to the instructions in Bentley. I refilled
with Redline
MT90.
I cannot get it to stop leaking. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just
leaking on the
floor, but it is being picked up by the spinning torque converter and flung
out the
holes in the top, all over the wiring, etc. on both sides of the firewall
above. Any
suggestions to stop the leak?
As always, thanks,
Jerry