Recommend fabricated valve covers

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BrianT

BrianT

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Like the title says, I'm trying to find some aluminum fabricated valve covers for my 408 build. I see them all over the place from $70 to $400?!?!?

Does anyone have any real world experience with any of these valve covers that you would like to share? Must work on Edelbrock heads and clear Comp Pro Magnum rockers.

Thanks in advance for any help!!
 
I got a set through Mancini racing for around $99 . Lots of clearance for your valvetrain.They work well with eddy heads as the rails are machined flat . They don't seal so well on stock iron heads as the rails are all over the place. In seven years I've had them on 3 engines now and they still look good except for a few scratches. I did clear coat them when I first got them.
 
I too have purchased mine from Mancini and love them. I also purchased the ARP bolt package with them.
 
Whatever you decide to order, hold them up to the light (or, as Johnny Dart's suggested before, fill them up with water) and check the welds before installation. All but one set I've gotten in here to powder coat have had pinholes big enough for light to show through and were returned to their respective sellers per my customers' instructions.
 
Thanks for the tip Leanna, I will do that. I am leery of buying the cheap ones off of Ebay, so I might order the ones from Mancini. I've got a couple of weeks before I have to make a decision, but I'm trying to get things budgeted and planned out now.
 
interesting thread........I was thinkin they were all made by one manafacture and sold on ebay and to places like summit jegs mancinni, etc etc. So there are different ones? Do they look different from one another?
 
I have set of the very same one seen on Ebay that I got from KMJ Performance. I got them for my mustang at the same time buying my kevco pan for the Dart. They look good to me. I looked them over and haven't seen anything wrong. Have not installed them yet. I was also thinking of getting a set for the dart. On side note they are flat on the mounting of the gasket. No lip to position the gasket so they should not need grinded like most valve covers need to clear some of the mopar intake runners like my air gap.
 
Post 7 ,The Pheonix lady.Look.for the welds.The biggest problem.
 
I agree with the one post stating that they are more difficult to seal. Every set I have seen so far has a flat, smooth bottom rail that does not have the "roll over lip" like OEM and stamped steel covers have, that helps to hold the gasket in place as they are tightened down.
 
I ended up buying the Pro Comp 3308 valve covers from Jeg's. They say they will price match any other web pricing and I found them for $90, so that saved me $53. I hope they honor their word.

746-3308.jpg
 
If you want real nice valve covers that are nice quality and don't have bolt holes that look like after thoughts, I always use ones from Unique Fabrication for big and small blocks. There not $90.00 but there made in the USA and Cost about $ 250. Heres a couple pics of them and a link to there site.

http://www.uniquealuminumproducts.com/
 

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Jeg's honored the price match and shipped the valve covers to me for $90. Bad part is they didn't come with any hardware?!? Even the cheaper ones on Ebay came with bolts?

FxCam_1362179247847_zps3d230d1d.jpg


The welds seem to be pretty nice. I haven't tried to fill them with water yet.
 
Those are the same as mine.As I mentioned earlier the hardware that comes with them are junk(too short,go figure?)Gottta hit Home Depot or the hardware store for 4 inch long bolts.Good luck.
 
James Gang Racing
 

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I needed them with no breather holes or baffles so I could place them on the opposite ends between the rockers. do to high lift and e-vac system. So I bought these. They are junk. The gasket flange is the same thickness as the cover and they bend when tightened. So if it doesn't state the thickness of the flange or show a pic of it stay away. I had aluminum flanges laser cut and now and have to weld them on. The best way to tell is they should be welded all the way around the flange. Ont mine the straight part of the flange is just bent in a break and just the ends are welded. Just some friendly advice Steve
 

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Oldmanmopar said:
I needed them with no breather holes or baffles so I could place them on the opposite ends between the rockers. do to high lift and e-vac system. So I bought these. They are junk. The gasket flange is the same thickness as the cover and they bend when tightened. So if it doesn't state the thickness of the flange or show a pic of it stay away. I had aluminum flanges laser cut and now and have to weld them on. The best way to tell is they should be welded all the way around the flange. Ont mine the straight part of the flange is just bent in a break and just the ends are welded. Just some friendly advice Steve
Click to expand...

I guess it all depends on the application LA vs Magnum (5 bolts or 10 bolts) no problems with mine...............
 
I guess I need to change the title of this thread to "I already bought Pro Comp valve covers from Jeg's and got a really good deal, and they are nice high quality valve covers" Lol

The flanges are nice and thick. I will get good hardware and gaskets. Still need to get grommets and breathers.
 
i saw a set of valve covers over at the machine shop yesterday that cost $700 !!!!!

they were billet aluminum with oil lines build in to the valve cover for use with oil squirters. guy is running real high lift with heavy springs, high dollar valve train and has to have oil squirters to keep the components cool lol.

http://www.billetfab.com/index1.htm
 
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