LA engine valve cover leaks

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Kern Dog

Build your car to handle.
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Yeah, I know....when these engines are built back to stock, everything fits and works as intended. Stamped steel valve covers, Iron intake, etc.
When we deviate from stock, things start to get messy.
Take for example, the popular cast aluminum valve covers that many of us like to use.
Holley, M/T, Mopar Performance and others.
Why is it that every one of them had the same exact problem? The gasket rail at the top hits the intake. You have to grind away part of the gasket rail to get enough clearance to allow the valve cover to sit down properly.
This is some piss poor quality control. What was the point of the intake runners having those nubs or runners hanging into the space occupied by the valve covers anyway?
I did a search here and found absolutely nothing about this.
 
I feel your pain- I don't ever remember having that problem with the LD340s, Tarantulas or Offys I ran; and I paired them with all the usual M/T, Holley and Cal Custom valve covers of the day. Never an interference issue.
All I can suggest is that now all anybody runs are AirGaps and Victors, and Eddy likes to cast them with extra meat up top for guys who want to open the ports up... instant interference. Or maybe they have to cast them thicker now to allow for more variance from the offshore foundries?
Maybe newer style "fabbed" valve covers don't have that issue, I dunno. Never liked that look- I'd rather run stock steelies than those.
 
I put a then-new Torker intake on the 340 in my 65 Barracuda in the spring of 1973. Had Cal Custom finned aluminum valve covers at the time. And yes, the lip hit the edge of the the intake. Didn't have too much in the way of tools back then, but it was eazy peazy to file the valve cover lip with a hand file for clearance. Running Offy finned aluminum valve covers today, with an Air Gap intake. Same issue, same solution. Sorry, but there are a whole lot of things harder to deal with than this. Like having to run spacers under the OEM Commando 273 valve covers I had on my 67 Barracuda because they didn't clear the Comp Pro-Magnum rockers. And the cast aluminum valve covers don't leak. It's why (besides looks) I've always liked them.

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Try installing the Edelbrock manifold used with the ProFlo4 EFI, major interference with the aluminum valve covers compared to the other manifolds I’ve used.
 
I used the new Mopar tribond adhesive and glued 2 fat felpro gaskets together...Still a little grinding of the cast V/C but it worked.
 
Have the intake milled for fitment before it is installed. That was and easy fix.

The issue with some is room for pushrods when the head is cut for them . Then you have to use reverse flange covers.

But when you use the sheet metal style they fold over so you have to have aluminum plates laser cut. Fit them to the head . Then have them tig welded to the cover. Then glue the gaskets. Otherwise its a real pain in the *** checking valve adjustment.
All this work must be mocked up on the engine build to make things assemble easy . Your intake and covers should have been set in place before you installed the intake permanently. You could have just milled the intake even with the top of the head. Which is required on some intakes.

The pictures below are what had to be don to fit the new covers . The old cast W2 covers didn't fit the new Engine with Indy heads the way we liked, . The valve gear hit the covers and breather rubbers were to close.

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Well, shoot, OLdMan....that is so far beyond anything that I do, I'm not sure we are in the same league!

Regarding this picture.....

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Inside the blue circle you can see those nubs on the intake, Are they there to serve as a trough for the wires?
My Weiand intake ports don't overhang the heads but those weird nubs do. If I had the intake off, I'd have cut them off with a grinder. Instead, I put a 1/4" deep, 3/4" wide recess into the valve covers. The covers sit down fine and are actually sealing. I was out for a ride today and there was no oil burning smoke.
This old beater has a 360 with '308 heads, 280/474 cam, Holley 600 on a Weiand 4 barrel, points ignition, 360 manifolds and it is a blast to drive off road. 4.10 SG diff, 1.03 torsion bars, 1.25 front sway bar, 3/4" rear bar and cheap KYB shocks...



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I doubt I'll ever put headers on it or paint it nice. I have a shiny car...having a Roadkill type car is fun too.
 
What ever works. You could cut the intake flush with the head and leave the knus in place. If Cutting the covers worked for you thats a good thing. Reverse flange valve covers you don't have that options. I like the car it is stealth.
 
Well, shoot, OLdMan....that is so far beyond anything that I do, I'm not sure we are in the same league!

Regarding this picture.....

View attachment 1715928281

Inside the blue circle you can see those nubs on the intake, Are they there to serve as a trough for the wires?
My Weiand intake ports don't overhang the heads but those weird nubs do. If I had the intake off, I'd have cut them off with a grinder. Instead, I put a 1/4" deep, 3/4" wide recess into the valve covers. The covers sit down fine and are actually sealing. I was out for a ride today and there was no oil burning smoke.
This old beater has a 360 with '308 heads, 280/474 cam, Holley 600 on a Weiand 4 barrel, points ignition, 360 manifolds and it is a blast to drive off road. 4.10 SG diff, 1.03 torsion bars, 1.25 front sway bar, 3/4" rear bar and cheap KYB shocks...



View attachment 1715928283

I doubt I'll ever put headers on it or paint it nice. I have a shiny car...having a Roadkill type car is fun too.
I think that added material is there to reinforce the areas at the top of the intake ports where they meet the flange and keep them from cracking when torque is applied to the bolts. But I don't think having that area milled straight down from the flat surface at the top would affect the strength there. I think Steve's solution of milling it down would work fine. Looks like you've already got the valve covers clearanced. With all my years of building small blocks in other makes I don't remember running in to this. Only on the Mopar stuff. My Chevy stuff days was a long time ago so my memory might be fading. lol
 
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