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Builder used thick gaskets to give the stock steel valve covers clearance over the new rocker arms
Valve covers I want to use
These new covers have the drippers installed but appear to be the same height as the old steel covers that had no drippers. Therefore, I'm worried about the new rockers hitting the drippers.
How do you tell if there'll be interference without the engine installed/running?
Should I grind the drippers down since I've read that there not really necessary with full roller rockers?
On a full roller rocker as shown above, does black "disc" extending beyond the snap ring remain stationary as the arm pivots back & forth?
I ask this question since I think the distance between the new roller rocker sets is less (narrower) than that of the old standard rockers since I noticed that the old oil baffles in the old covers had been squeezed together a bit to narrow their width. However, the width of the oil baffles in the new covers is a bit wider than the baffles in the old covers were and I couldn't get the new covers on. Taking the "hint" from the old covers, I squeezed/crimped the new baffles so they'd fit between the new rocker arms. While the fit on the heads now, I'm not sure if there's any clearance to those discs on the sides of the rocker arms shown in the picture above. Ideally, there is a gap, but if the baffle does actually touch the discs, and the discs don't move, then I surmise that it shouldn't be a problem. Is that all correct? Do you foresee any problems with this approach?
Those "Disc's" are part of the pivot shaft. retained by the rocker stud. they do not move at all. If you are concerned about clearance , just put spacers under your covers. you run double gaskets with spacers. as in gasket on head, spacer on top of gasket, gasket on top of spacer, valve cover on top of gasket. spacers are available from most hot-rod shops. Summit Racing etc.
From: Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
Royal Canadian Navy
I used two Mr Gasket Ultra Seal gaskets to raise the aluminium vv cover enough to prevent any interference with my Crane Energizer roller rockers. With my AFR 195 heads, only one gasket was required. No mods to vv covers was required.
After you get the fitment part of that taken care of, check out painting them to match the rest of the engine.
I have a similar set. Photos of cover painted.
Thanks for all the replies guys, the insight is very much appreciated. I think I can get the height "problem" figured out by using clay to check for clearance and then a spacer with gaskets on both sides if there is interference and/or grinding the drippers shorter or away completely.
That still leaves the question of clearance (or lack thereof) between the sides of the oil baffle and the rocker arms...
If I understand one reply properly, I was correct in assuming that the part of the roller rocker indicated by the arrow in the photo below remains stationary.
So if the indicated discs are stationary, is it OK if the sides of the oil baffle that are between the two rockers actually touch them?
Based on the shape of the rocker arms, no other moving portion of the arms should be touching the baffle sides.
I think it would be good if you could get even the smallest amount of clearance. However, other than noise transmission, I really don't think it would hurt anything if they just touch.
Cut the drippers out and then ground the remains down flush with the inside tops of the covers so clearance over the rocker arms isn't an issue with the thicker gaskets.
Then used some wide-jaw vice grip clamps to squeeze the baffle sides together a bit more. Now they fit between the rockers without touching.
Valve Cover Quandry
