Smoothed LS1 valve covers (PICS UPDATE POST #27)
#21
TECH Senior Member
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Did something similar to my old ones.
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...6/DSC00250.jpg
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...6/DSC00249.jpg
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...6/DSC00250.jpg
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...6/DSC00249.jpg
#23
These valve covers look sick! How are you guys cutting down the bosses? Are you just using a grinding wheel and grinding them down or cutting them down first and then grinding down more?
Also, the lettering....is that paint or a decal that you had made?
Thanks. Getting ready to start on mine.
Also, the lettering....is that paint or a decal that you had made?
Thanks. Getting ready to start on mine.
#24
11 Second Club
iTrader: (54)
These valve covers look sick! How are you guys cutting down the bosses? Are you just using a grinding wheel and grinding them down or cutting them down first and then grinding down more?
Also, the lettering....is that paint or a decal that you had made?
Thanks. Getting ready to start on mine.
Also, the lettering....is that paint or a decal that you had made?
Thanks. Getting ready to start on mine.
#26
TECH Addict
iTrader: (48)
On mine, i cut the bosses down and grinded them down. Any holes i filled with epoxy. I actually removed the two top tubes on my covers because i ran breathers. I had the two tube holes welded up.
A friend of mine painted the covers for me and the lettering is new door lettering, but you could do decals also. I was going for a 3d look.
A friend of mine painted the covers for me and the lettering is new door lettering, but you could do decals also. I was going for a 3d look.
#27
Here are some updated pics of how the project is coming along. I had just a little bit of bleed through from doing the inlay decal. Will be getting that fixed as soon as I have time, then going to clear and polish them. Sorry for the crap pics, camara is acting up.
#28
These valve covers look sick! How are you guys cutting down the bosses? Are you just using a grinding wheel and grinding them down or cutting them down first and then grinding down more?
Also, the lettering....is that paint or a decal that you had made?
Thanks. Getting ready to start on mine.
Also, the lettering....is that paint or a decal that you had made?
Thanks. Getting ready to start on mine.
#37
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Mine did break. Don't need it if the coils aren't mounted on the covers any more. And the bosses that are being ground down here are for the ignition coil brackets.
Would like to see how these turned out!
#39
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Don't mean to resrect an old thread but glad I'm not the only who hates how rough the casting is on the LS valve covers. I'm in the process of building up the 5.3L while I'm waiting for my parts to get here on friday I have smoothed out the rough brackets to get a nice finish for the paint and now I'm working on the valve covers. Real slow work with a fine file to get that ugly nasty casting off around the edge cover. I could always buy a nice set for a couple hundred bucks I guess but something to be said for doing it yourself!
#40
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I wanted to bump this up to thank the OP for initially posting all the work, but to also send out a little word of caution...
PsychoSid and I bought an oven and some powder coating equipment, he'll no doubt put a thread together eventually about all his work. But in the mean time, we're fighting the valve covers. What's happening is every time we put the covers in the oven to get the base coat set, the filler (JB Weld) in the holes rises up, then sets back down when it cools.
I suspect the heat is expanding the gas behind the JB weld, causing them to press out of the cover. We've done it twice now on the same valve covers with the same result. Painting rather than powdercoating would obviously resolve this, but we have such a nice blue to put down!
Anyway, we've got two options to pursue. One, drill a small hole in the inside of the cover for each of those holes to breathe. Two, drill out the JB Weld and fill it with a different material. Supposedly Lab Metal is good for it, but I'm leaning toward the drilling.
Maybe I can get him to post some pics here when he's got time...
PsychoSid and I bought an oven and some powder coating equipment, he'll no doubt put a thread together eventually about all his work. But in the mean time, we're fighting the valve covers. What's happening is every time we put the covers in the oven to get the base coat set, the filler (JB Weld) in the holes rises up, then sets back down when it cools.
I suspect the heat is expanding the gas behind the JB weld, causing them to press out of the cover. We've done it twice now on the same valve covers with the same result. Painting rather than powdercoating would obviously resolve this, but we have such a nice blue to put down!
Anyway, we've got two options to pursue. One, drill a small hole in the inside of the cover for each of those holes to breathe. Two, drill out the JB Weld and fill it with a different material. Supposedly Lab Metal is good for it, but I'm leaning toward the drilling.
Maybe I can get him to post some pics here when he's got time...