Installation of vintage LT1 valve covers on SBC retrofitted with full roller rocker arms
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
- Starting in the late 1960s through the 1970s, Chevrolet offered the LT1/L82/Z28 high-performance engines in Corvettes and Camaros. These powerful small block engines sported specially engineered spiffy looking cast aluminum finned valve covers featuring oil drippers in the casting that aided rocker arm lubrication. Reproductions of these covers are being offered by Holley (# 241-137 and # 241-134) that don't have the drippers or the inner gasket rail (mentioned starting @ 5:12), but those offered by Mid America Motorworks do include the drippers (# 623329).
I invite you to watch as I map out and ultimately overcome clearance challenges when installing a set of vintage LT1 valve covers on Chevy bowtie phase II cylinder heads (# 14011034) equipped with CompCams Ultra Pro Magnum™ 1.52 roller rocker arms (# 1604-16) and CompCams polylocks (# 4600-16). Two things I was NOT going to do were snapping the drippers off or removing the breather/PCV baffles - those two features were the reasons I acquired these valve covers in the first place. Knowing what I know now about clearance, I would have gone with the Crower polylocks # 86050S-16; they're 1/8" shorter.
The other big issue was the rear AC compressor brace (starting @ time 22:46). The mid-1970s A-body Chevrolets used the A6 compressor which needs lots of bracing. Aftermarket cast aluminum valve covers are too tall and interfere with proper installation of the rear brace. The easiest solution is to simply not use it. If you intend on using your AC, this is not a wise approach. All the bracing and bracketing installed on engine accessories is necessary; if it wasn't then car companies would save money by not doing it.
Valve cover gasket: Speedway Motors # 550179 extra thick. I could have also used Edelbrock # 7549 or Mr. Gasket # 5861.
Passenger side gromet: GM # 3989348
Driver side gromet: GM # 3989349