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.

[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.

[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]

Originally Posted by Barry Wolk

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.