F40LM

Pick up these older Corvette (C2???) valve covers I would love to use on the engine I am building for my '77. First how is the best way to diy repair for the chunk missing? Second, any sueggestions for a intake I could purchase in order to be able to add oil when using older style VCs like these? I know the older style intake would work, but am on a budget build. Am not picky and this will not be a machine I plan to set land speed records in, as long as the engine runs well and is reliable I will be happy.

Any suggestions much appreciated.

michael

7T1vette

Well, the only 'appropriate' method for fixing it is to have it built up via repeated weld passes. Then, some sort of grinder could be used to shape it close to original condition. Then, you can bead blast the whole thing to make all the metal appear the same.

That effort will probably cost you about what a set in "good condition" would go for....

scottyp99

JBWeld?


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott

johnmb

Scrap aluminum. File to fit. "age" with lye in water (do this outside). JB weld in place.

7t9l82

Polish it and paint between the fins most people wont notice. or put an old school breather there.

62corvette

What engine are you putting them on? If it doesn't have a road draft tube, your motor will not breathe. In other words, they won't work on a 350.

tnovot

Maybe try to find a metal or aluminum colored epoxy at ACE Hardware or a home improvement center. A form made with saran wrap or tin foil and masking tape could be used to hold the epoxy in place until hardened. Then shape with a file. If it doesn't look good, you could knock it out and try something else and you're only out a few bucks for the material.
Terry

'75

Ironcross

''''

Put breathers on them and cover up the missing part and they will work on nearly all small blocks including a 350 ci.....

bpassmore

I had the early covers on my 55 Bel Air, 1 VC breather, oil filler breather and a PCV, it did not vent oil vapor.

7t9l82

there is a product called lab metal, it can be found at an auto body supply house. it will resist 400 degrees so it could then be powdercoated

7T1vette

Basically, you get what you pay for...

lars

I just went through the same thing: I have a '64 Vette that would use those same valve covers, and I wanted to use them on a 500-horse 407 to make it look like a '64 327.

My valve covers were broken into several pieces. I welded them back together and built up aluminum weld in the "missing pieces" areas with weld material (GTAW process - aka "TIG" or "heliarc"). I then ground them down with a ball end grinder on a high speed, and shaped them back into shape. It took a few hours and the same number of Martinis. I suggest getting a 1.75 liter bottle of good gin, or a keg of beer.

As you've noticed, you can't install a breather and PCV system on those covers. You also can't fill oil. Not wanting to violate my nice original covers, and since I wanted to use them with some big roller rockers and a Victor intake, I installed a set of Stef's valve cover spacers. This allowed me to install a complete PCV system right into the spacers. I put baffles inside the penetrations so no oil is sucked up into the PCV system. This provides perfect crankcase ventilaton, and I fill oil by sticking a funnel into the hose coming off the breather connection. The entire PCV/breather system is invisible from the front of the engine, and the valve covers look like "real" 327 Vette covers. Engine puts out 500 horse and 500 ft/lbs on the dyno, and looks like a 327:

Here's the back of the engine showing the whole system:



The PCV is a '64 Nova screw-in type PCV. It goes right into the spacer with a baffle welded on the inside:



The breather side has a baffle inside, a 90-degree elbow, and a K&N breather. Pull the breather out and use a funnel to fill oil:



The entire system is invisible from the front, and the engine looks like it has no breather system or oil fill provision - completely clean:



Lars

Dustup7T2

90-degree breathers on the intake side of cover is what initially came to mind, a method used from years ago. Then read Lars suggestion and he develops a more elegant solution to the problem.

Awesome. Thanks Lars.

lars

Thanks for the kind words.
Lars

billla

Regarding the intake, Edelbrock makes a Performer with provision for an old-style breather tube.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/EDL-2703/

Ironcross

I didn't want to screw up my OE covers with breathers, and the new LT1`s in 1970 that came with the engine was the logical choice to place the breathers on...I tried to run without them using the oil fill tube but was not satisfactory for any extended period...I put the OE`s back on for the Autorama`s....but that don't work anymore as all the Judges know my Vette



its been some 42 years for the breathers

lars

Billa -
You're right, but you have to mill the hole out for the fill tube provision yourself. That's an option for a stock or near-stock engine, and it solves the oil-fill issue. But it doesn't fix the breather issue, and the base Performer manifold is such a crappy manifold for anything over 4500 rpm. If you have a stock or near-stock engine, it's a viable option and a good way to go,and it does fit under a stock small block hood.

Lars

billla

Lars, since the heads are open to the cam valley, and the fill tube has a breather...is there any reason this wouldn't work for mild (< 1.2 HP.CID) engines?

I built a very factory stock-looking 355 using this intake; it was about $50 to have the hole drilled/milled and no issues with the breather.

There are better manifolds for sure, but the Performer EPS has been pretty decent for a low-rise dual-plane in my experience.

7T1vette

Lars...

I wasn't aware of the valve cover 'extensions'. Good to know. Nifty idea. Thanks.