Valve Covers - Cleaning

[Shelly Harris]

Actually it looks alot neater than these photos show, but the carb is out waiting to be returned. It'll look a lot nicer when the carb gets back in and the massive air filter is back on. Anyone know how to clean up those valve covers?

Oh yes, here's a tip to reduce the size of your pics to no more than 750 px in either width or height. Get on google and look for "Ifanview". It's a freeware photo editor program that dones a great job.

[Nick DeSpirito]

Shelly,

I think you need to tighten down the acorn nuts on the valve covers a little. Looks like they're leaking a bit. I use Mother's aluminum polish on the ribs. They shine up like chrome. But first, I think you need to get the oil off of them. Maybe wash with a degreaser? Best to take care of that now with the air cleaner off.

[Barry Wolk]

Agreed. Much easier to do it now. In fact, it looks like you have a leak that's dripping on your exhaust manifold. That what's causing the dark spot on the side of the valve cover.

I would take them off and polish all the high spots. Then, using shelving vinyl cover everything you've polished. Cut away anything that's not a high spot and have them glass-beaded. That process will restore their original beauty and texture.

I don't think that burn mark will come off without blasting.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg18/barry2952/1%20Mark%20II%20docs/_N4U1883_1-001.jpg

[Nick DeSpirito]

Mine were bead blasted when I restored the car. I don't have the oil spots to the extent that Shelly's has, but they are due for a cleaning.

[Keith W Colonna]

Shelly/Group,
I think I have a pretty good method to clean/restore/preserve the MKII valve cover.
1.remove from car...clean inside with degreaser. Try to preserve gaskets. When you replace them...use heat resistant adhesive on one side..the cover side to hold them in place
2.I hand wire brushed my valve covers rather than bead blasting. It worked for me.
3. Wipe with Brake cleaner,acetone or laquer thinner to remove tarnish and stains then finish clean with denatured alcohol.
4. spray with "satin finish" high temp clear engine enamel.
5. Immediately wipe the raised surfaces with a rubber sanding block covered with fabric like a old sheet.
6. after satin finish dries...use sanding block with 200-600 progressively to polish the raised ribs and star decoration. Finish with semi-chrome or other polish.
7.replace washers with SS ones highly polished. Acorn nuts are available from Harley Davidson (peaked top though)...or try specialty store and polish SS to chrome like finish

[Shelly Harris]

OK I pulled the valve covers tonight. You're right Nick, the Acorn nuts were really loose. No way to save the gaskets, in fact pieces fell all over when I lifted off each cover. I hand picked out the larger crumbs and used the shop vac to get the really small guys out.

When I reinstall does anyone know the correct torque? Also when I replace the valve cover gaskets with new should I put a light coat of grease on both sides? I always did that with my air cooled VW beetles which were notorious valve cover leakers. I'll be taking the covers to a shop tomorrow and get them degreased. When I see what they look like I can consider how to polish em up. BTW, how do you find a shop that bead blasts? Thank you Barry, Keith and all.

[Barry Wolk]

Any company that does sandblasting also does bead blasting. Be aware. Bead blasting will make the raised areas very difficult to repolish. Polish, protect and then blast, If you polish last you get black stuff all over the perfect bead blasting.

Shelly, if it's your forever car, spend the bucks and take it to a metal refinisher and have it done right. They are truly automotive jewelry of the highest order. There are companies that specialize in metal finishing. I'm sure there are dozens around Chicago. Do you know Joe Bortz, famous for his GM prototype collection. I'm sure he knows someone in your area. I could hook you up or you could send a message through his web site.

I believe it was someone else that suggested that your nuts were loose.:D

[Barry Wolk]

As far as torque is concerned I don't think you'd get an accurate reading. I tighten once and once again after run in. You'll know they're tight enough when they stop leaking. Use Permatex to keep the gaskets in place and seal them.

Any sludge in the valve train?

[Chuck Lutz]

Barry,
Great points, all. Bead blasting comes in all forms and shapes. The "media" is the key. I've seen it from walnut shells to glass to carbide. The media is important because residue left can cause more problems than the original. I believe that the finish on the covers is more for looks than anything. We could all agree on that. The covers are soft metal and the media should probably be glass bead. With the coarse finish you should apply some type of sealer to keep it from sponging up oils and such.
I wanted to add that the bead blasting process was originally used to clean up castings from the slag left over. As I understand it from Metal Improvement in LA, a couple of GM techs left some gears in the unit too long and these gears tested out far beyond the normal standards for strength. From then on, the steel beads were used to temper castings for hardness and long life.

[Shelly Harris]

Any sludge in the valve train?

Looks pretty much like the valve train pics that 59 had posted up on replacing the rubber. Not clean nice oily but black, and sticky looking. Can't really call it heavy sludge.

[Don Henschel]

Dont try to reuse these gaskets unless you cant find any right away (get new gaskets first) I was lucky when I rebuilt my engine, the gaskets in the Felpro gasket set were rubber! I glued them on with Permatex contact cement(Clean your cylinder head and valve cover surface with brake clean first). For the cork (Ugh!) I use Permatex Ultra Blue on one side(don't use more than necessary! just enough to bond the gasket in place!) and LET IT DRY overnight with the valve cover or oil pan down against a table to hold the gasket tightly in place, with a weight placed on top of the cover or pan to give a bit of extra pressure then I install it . If you wont be removing it anymore, coat the other side with the Ultra Blue and install with VERY LITTLE PRESSURE until the Permatex SETS UP and DRIES. Then give a final retorque. If you cannot wait this long, just use Permatex contact cement on one side and install. If you use the Ultra Blue WET and install, your cork will squish and slide out like grease. If the cork compresses (if you dont get around to retorqing it) it wont leak with the Ultra Blue on both sides. Some people might rip me a new one for using silicone on cork (works very well for me), but if you let one side dry completely the gasket will be held firmly in place. Or if you prefer use contact cement, but not grease. Cork gaskets dont tolerate overtorqing as well. A 1/4 inch drive ratchet is more than big enough for torquing these bolts.For those that want to use a torque wrench the torque specified in the OEM repair manual is 2-2 1/2 foot lbs or 24-30 inch lbs of torque, certainly not very much at all. These cork gaskets will need retorquing later on! A bit more care will prevent any leaks or seepage in the future.

[Shelly Harris]

Thanks Don. No question I need fresh gaskets. I'm so anxious to get the motor going when the carb returns, I'll probably be putting on the covers without major cleaning and polishing. But it'll be on the "to do" list. Does anyone recommend cleaning up the valve train either with some kind of spray or a brush with fresh oil?

[Nick DeSpirito]

Shelly,

I would reconsider this. At least get a degreaser and scrub them with a soft kitchen brush inside and out. That should get the grease off. You can always polish the ribs and stars while they are on the car. I just hate to see you go through taking them (and the air cleaner) off again since you already have it apart. Plus, you might have to install another set of gaskets again doing that.

[Shelly Harris]

.... using shelving vinyl cover everything you've polished. Cut away anything that's not a high spot and have them glass-beaded.

My covers are currently at a shop getting degreased. They can also do the blasting. Unfortunately, the guy says whatever you have stuck on the high spots to protect the polishing is going to come off in the blasting process. We'll see what they look like after the degrease.

Keith. after three visits to hardware places I found that 5/16 - 24 acorn nuts are a rare item, and forget about chrome. Your suggestion on Harley Davidson was right on the money. Found a set of four chrome ones right off the rackl Thank you. The washer in chrome I could not find. I'll be shinning up the stainless ones I got from Lowes

[Barry Wolk]

The sand blast guy is BSing you. I love jerks that are too lazy to do a job right.:mad:

I've done about a dozen sand blast art pieces. I'm sure you've see glass panels with designs or pictures on them. That's sand-blasted glass. The area you don't want blasted is covered in vinyl and the exposed areas get blasted. It may take more than one layer of vinyl to properly "resist" the sand-blasting, but that's how it's done.

Find another sandblaster or send them to me. Actually, I have another set that Mad sand-blasted before he sent them to me. I was going to turn them into a couple of desk lamp shades. I could properly restore them and swap them with yours. They are awful pretty when they're polished properly.

[Shelly Harris]

Thank you very much Barry, but no need for that.

The degreasing alone came out incredibly good. Not perfect but the difference is night and day from the pics I put up yesterday. I just finished three hours of hand sanding and steel wooling the high spots and I'm very happy with the result. I've yet to do the last step -- the aluminum polish.

[Keith W Colonna]

Shelly,Group,
Yes, it was unbelievable not being able to find the right size acorn nuts at the usual places....I can't tell you how many hours I spent calling and driving around in disbelief and obsessed with finding them. Washers are another story and vary between suppliers. The challenge is to find the right outside diameter and ID for the center hole.
RE: the media blasting. I am still not convinced that degree of abrasion is totally needed. I was very fearful about the damage to the shiney raised surfaces....so I brushed mine...I forget if I used steel, SS or brash bristled brushes , but it worked.
My recommendation on the correct sheen warrants noting. The final appearance should mimic the covers when new. Therefore the rough surfaces with a satin sealed clear coat contrasts nicely with the high shine on the raised surfaces. They will also be more stain resistant.
I should also mention that when I cleaned the inside of the valve covers I coated it with "Seal-All" in a tube to prevent any absorbtion through the aluminum back up to the outside surface....probably overkill.
And finally....don't try to powdercoat the valve covers to your desired color/sheen....I did my spare pair and was not happy with the results.
There is not another part of my car that rivals the perfection of my valve covers...the rest of the car is a chronic mess.

[Nick DeSpirito]

Thank you very much Barry, but no need for that.

The degreasing alone came out incredibly good. Not perfect but the difference is night and day from the pics I put up yesterday. I just finished three hours of hand sanding and steel wooling the high spots and I'm very happy with the result. I've yet to do the last step -- the aluminum polish.

Shelly,

I'm glad you got them done. Now take some polish and attack those ribs and stars and your engine will look like a million bucks after re-assembly. :) Please post pictures when you have everything back together.

[Don Henschel]

RE: the media blasting. I am still not convinced that degree of abrasion is totally needed. I was very fearful about the damage to the shiney raised surfaces....so I brushed mine...I forget if I used steel, SS or brash bristled brushes , but it worked.
My recommendation on the correct sheen warrants noting. The final appearance should mimic the covers when new. Therefore the rough surfaces with a satin sealed clear coat contrasts nicely with the high shine on the raised surfaces. They will also be more stain resistant.
I should also mention that when I cleaned the inside of the valve covers I coated it with "Seal-All" in a tube to prevent any absorbtion through the aluminum back up to the outside surface....probably overkill.
And finally....don't try to powdercoat the valve covers to your desired color/sheen....I did my spare pair and was not happy with the results.
There is not another part of my car that rivals the perfection of my valve covers...the rest of the car is a chronic mess.

I would not use "Seal-All" in valve covers. Does oil seep through your lawn mower, motor cycle, automotive engine blocks and cylinder heads?? They go through much more stress than these valve covers and dont leak. Just if they are defective and or through the gasket surfaces. Hope that your Seal All stays adhered to the inside of your covers. If it starts to peel off, it's going to end up in your oil pan stuck to your oil pump screen. As for the clear coat, I am kind of concerned about these covers right beside the exhaust manifolds with hardly 1 1/2 inches clearance. If this clearcoat fails or gets tired looking good luck getting it off. My valve covers got the wire brush treatment before I got the car, and I am not happy with the burnished blotchy appearance. I talked to an aluminum mag restoring company at a local car show and they would be a very good place to start to look at for proper aluminum restoration. The bead blasting will bring them back to like new condition with the fins properly polished and prepped before hand. Barry, I will certainly trade your valve covers for mine any day! Mine will be done like what you did and the more care you take, the better the results. Use lots of care when you install your covers, properly maintain the installation (torque ,and check for leaks) and if a bit of oil gets spilled on them a quick zap of not corrosive degreaser (brake clean and or solvent) should bring them back to new. Just my opinion, like a@@holes we all have one.

[Barry Wolk]

Just my opinion, like a@@holes we all have one.


Belly-buttons, too! Was it you that asked what a belly-button car is?

I concur on the clear-coat. It will surely turn brown from the heat of the adjacent manifold.

[Don Henschel]

Belly-buttons, too! Was it you that asked what a belly-button car is?

I concur on the clear-coat. It will surely turn brown from the heat of the adjacent manifold. My thoughts exactly. Brown and blistered.

Barry I have to know, what's a belly-button car?;)

[Keith W Colonna]

Barry, Don,
I used "high temp" engine enamel in a satin sheen. It is heat and solvent resistent. I have used the car this summer in Virginia heat and humidity and of course engine running temps and no change in the finish.
The brand name is VHT "very high temp" flame proof 1300-2000 header paint/silica/ceranic coating, clear satin finish.
I bought it at Advance Auto Supply.
My reasoning in using this was that all of the aged valve covers I have seen showed chalky corrosion on the untreated aluminum and stains from the occaisional exposure to engine oil/gas.
Don't make me quote the label on Seal All...but I am pretty sure it says gas, oil and heat proof. I only smeared a very small film inside the valve covers anyway. I wanted to use "Gliptol" but couldn't find it at retail....maybe better I didn't. But after I refinished the covers...they looked so good I wanted to put them on the shelf and not risk them ever deteriorating again.
One day I will post photos.

[CarMan]

As for cleaner..My '64 GTO here. I use Mother's polish on mine..

Dave

[Shelly Harris]

Here's what degreasing, sanding, steel wooling and polishing can do. Now I'm patiently waiting for the carb to return from ca.

[Nick DeSpirito]

Good job, Shelly! :D

[Barry Wolk]

Looks great!

[Mad Scientist]

WCF would be proud.

[CarMan]

Very nice!

Now for an unsolicited suggestion. You should do all this stuff in the wintertime. Fall just began and the weather is nice. You should be out driving it.

Dave

[Barry Wolk]

I'm sure he's love to. All he needs is a carb.

[Mad Scientist]

Very nice!

You should be out driving it.

Dave

I was!

Coming back from grocery shopping, with pickup truck, went past local hamburger joint that was having a car show so figured what the heck. Got home unloaded the truck and headed back with the Mark.
It wasn't much of a show, total of eight cars:D, put it was overcast with a prediction of rain in the afternoon.
So basically I would up buying a trophy just for showing up.:rolleyes:
It finally started to rain just as it was breaking up it thus I got to try out my intermittent wipers on the way home.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, may take the family out to dinner.

[Don Henschel]

Looking good Shelly! Mine Are a bit to far gone with the power wire wheel so I will try the glass bead method, otherwise I would do what you did. Certainly alot less hassle than finding someone to recondition! I have a sand blast cabinet. Barry, what kind of medium would you use after preping the fins with lots of tape. Is it just called glass bead or what should I look and ask for?

[Barry Wolk]

Glass bead is perfect for aluminum. It leaves a grain, but not too coarse.

You can buy buckets of media from W.W. Graingers.