BUCKEYE FAN
Well-Known Member
Is this normal? Took them off to seal up a leak around the gasket and saw this. They’re cast aluminum mp. Both cracked in the same spots.
...and make sure that you aren't over tightening them and have the proper screwsDo cracks go through? Epoxy them from the bottom and rock on. There are bosses for oil baffles. Also make sure the lip doesnt hang up on the 3-5 and 4-6 intake runners. Must trim or run thick gaskets so they dont leak or worse crack when your trying to wrench them down to fix a leak. Looks like someone tried to run an oversized sheet metal screw into those bosses.
With the baffle installed it would be leaving marks on the install screw heads.Could it be rocker arm hitting the bosses?
Buckeye Fan If those "cracks" as you call them are identical on each valve cover, and they do look like they are identical, that's just a defect in the mould for the casting. Clean em off real good with a wire brush and some lacquer thinner, and look at em real close, I would almost bet a paycheck those are not cracked, but small amounts of raised excess aluminum from an irregularity in the mould. If you dont have the centers of these knocked out for breathers on that side of each cover, and it looks like you dont, then you dont have baffles screwed into those bosses either. Theres nothing there to crack anything
The ears break off because people try to use these cast covers on stock iron heads where the gasket surface is not flat (not machined at all in most cases). Steel covers willl bend to conform to the head, but the aluminum just breaks.It's just casting flash. Every MP valve cover that crossed my bench has them and they aren't cracks.
The big block version has a continuing issue with the dog ears breaking off though, far too many similar reports unrelated to overtightening.
The ears break off because people try to use these cast covers on stock iron heads where the gasket surface is not flat (not machined at all in most cases). Steel covers willl bend to conform to the head, but the aluminum just breaks.
Yes, casting flash as I hinted at in post 13. Weird as its so small. If I were making that mold, Id make the boss' have more support than those spider flash lines. Carry on.....