pcv valve / valve cover gasket? -- help please. Options

[sn0wfr0g]

(DISCLAIMER: mechanical noob here)

o great 6gc forum dwellers, please share some knowledge.

so i noticed that my pcv valve was leaking a tiny amount of oil and got a new one along with a new grommet. anyway, the old valve came off fine, then i tried to pull off the old grommet and the bottom half of it broke off and fell into the valve cover. so i proceeded to fish out as much of the grommet as i could with a coat hanger and some needle nosed plyers.. i am pretty sure i got most of it out, at least there were no more big chunks i could get to.

so then i put the new grommet and pcv valve in and everything seems to be fine, car runs fine and even seems to be a bit faster on the pick-up.. ok.. question time.

1) is there serious or major damage that could result from leaving those little chunks of rubber in there? i did drive my car in to work today, and it seemed ok. a couple of people have told me they thought it really did not pose a serious threat.

2) should i pull the valve cover and clean it out? if so, will i need to buy a new gasket, or can i reuse the same one? are there torque values for the valve cover bolts? anything else i should know? (i have a buddy who has a black belt in redneck-fu mechanics who i can draft to help me with this)

any input/questions/comments on this situation would be greatly appreciated.