Mopar Performance Magnum valve covers on LA series heads?

[Kern Dog]

I've heard that the Magnum valve covers can be fitted to LA series heads but I don't see how that is possible. A thread here stated that it can be done if the LA gasket is used.
How is this possible? Look at the Holley cast aluminum valve cover and how the side is almost straight up from the inside gasket rail:

The shaft mounted rocker arms need this. Look at how the Magnum valve covers have an angle on the sides:

These are Hughes 1506 rocker arms. They are not any longer than stock from what I can tell. I tried to set the Magnum valve cover on the head and they won't go over the shafts.

Just to confirm, I pulled a valve cover off of a stock 318. I couldn't fit the valve cover over them either. It isn't a gasket fitment issue. The body of the valve cover is not wide enough.
I was at Spring Fling with a buddy of mine that is building a stroked 5.9/408. We stopped at a big tent there that had several Edelbrock products on display. There was a cool looking set of cast aluminum valve covers that would clear everything but they were pricey. One guy there mentioned that the Magnum valve covers also fit the LA heads.
Here we are almost a month later and we find out they will not fit.

 

[Professor Fate]

Interesting... I had never heard of Running Magnum covers on an LA head- and it's not surprising that they don't fit.
I have heard of, and have done; running LA covers on Magnum heads- a fairly common practice.
Good to hear you cleared up some false rumors, though!

 

[MOPAROFFICIAL]

Old trick.

 

[Kern Dog]

Old trick.

Yeah....one that doesn't work.

 

[mopar head]

Yeah....one that doesn't work.

It`s the damn pipe plug Hughes uses on their shafts. They need to rethink that deal.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I've put LA valve covers on Magnum heads and they worked fine, but not the other way around.

 

[Kern Dog]

It`s the damn pipe plug Hughes uses on their shafts. They need to rethink that deal.

I agree that the Hughes rocker shafts may be longer by a small amount but these valve covers didn't fit on a stock 318 either.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I agree that the Hughes rocker shafts may be longer by a small amount but these valve covers didn't fit on a stock 318 either.

Looking at the pictures you posted, I'm not sure the valve covers will fit if you removed the pipe plugs. Simple enough to find out. In fact, I wouldn't be intimidated in the least to shorten the shafts dead flush against the end hold downs and even tap the shaft ends deeper so the plugs will fit flush or even a little counter sunk. It's a really simple fix. Just take your time. You can make it happen.

 

[Kern Dog]

The pictures were for mock up only. The valve covers belong to fellow FABO member @RBConvert who is building a 5.9/408 here in the shop along with me building this 360.
He has PRW rocker shafts and arms. They seem to be about the same length as these Hughes ones that I have.
It is probably possible to pull the shafts and cut them back enough to fit but I'll bet that he'd rather just buy different valve covers.

 

[RustyRatRod]

The pictures were for mock up only. The valve covers belong to fellow FABO member @RBConvert who is building a 5.9/408 here in the shop along with me building this 360.
He has PRW rocker shafts and arms. They seem to be about the same length as these Hughes ones that I have.
It is probably possible to pull the shafts and cut them back enough to fit but I'll bet that he'd rather just buy different valve covers.

Before I cut them, I'd remove the plugs and see how close the covers are to fitting. If they do fit with the plugs out, you can simply take a pipe tap and tap the holes a little deeper so the plugs will fit flush or a little counter sunk. But yeah, it might be looked at as a bit of work when there are other covers that'd work.

 

[MOPAROFFICIAL]

I've put LA valve covers on Magnum heads and they worked fine, but not the other way around.

Thats it. Had it backwards.
Wtevr it was, its nothing id ever do.
I just remembered reading it from either mopar muscle around 99 or 2000, or that book "Chrysler performance upgrades".

 

[abodyjoe]

i've always heard you can run LA covers on a magnum but never heard anyone wanting magnum on covers on a LA.