For What Its Worth

Valve Covers

If you buy a used set of the old style cast Valve Covers, make sure you know which of the breather/oil fill holes have been opened. Especially if there is text or a design that wont let you reverse the cover on the same side of the car. Many of the older aftermarket ones were made with "knock out plugs" that covered the holes you needed for oil fill, PCV or breather. Some had one and some had two, one on each end. It also took a little work to smooth the holes. If someone got carried away with the file, the twist in cap may not fit tight.

If you get sheet metal ones, make sure you get the hold down tabs that spread the force of the bolt out over the cover. Some were triangular, some more like a 3-4" strip of metal with a hole in them. 

Many moons ago as a mechanic, in almost every case with the sheet metal ones we had to use a small hammer and smooth out the depression created from the bolt when they were put on before. If you didn't do this, the cover wouldn't tighten correctly when the new gasket was installed.  The depression was usually created from an owner over-tightening the covers to stop a leak. Usually this "fix" just cracked the old hard gasket and made the oil leak worse.

Happy Motoring, VHubbard.  Sept 2015

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