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The kit comes with new valve cover bolts and flat washers but no metal sleeves on the new bolts. It seems to me that if your don't have the sleeves to give a proper seal then it will leak oil up around the bolts and through the valve cover grommets.
Had to do some minor clearance to the head for the exhaust rockers on the 7 and 2 cylinders but if I do run into leaks then I'll have some 1/2" spacers for sale.
This was my first thought too but now I'm not so sure this is correct as the stock sleeves are designed for the stock ones and once a stock valve cover is torqued to spec the ends of the sleeves are at close proximity to the top of the head and the top of the valve cover. I was not comfortable torquing them to spec's with the spacer either and stopped after 50in lbs so I guess I'll be making a phone call in the morning to get my answers.
266 views and nobody with any personal knowledge on using these to chime in?
I called ICT about the bolt sleeves and they said they are not needed and to just insert the bolt through the valve cover grommet and the washer will seal everything up once you've torqued to factory specifications. Oh by the way I noticed the washers were bent inward after only 50 in lbs and I still think they should have designed a longer sleeve/bolt combination to stabilize the load when torquing them down. I'm going to run it at 50 in lbs and see if it leaks!
266 views and nobody with any personal knowledge on using these to chime in?
I called ICT about the bolt sleeves and they said they are not needed and to just insert the bolt through the valve cover grommet and the washer will seal everything up once you've torqued to factory specifications. Oh by the way I noticed the washers were bent inward after only 50 in lbs and I still think they should have designed a longer sleeve/bolt combination to stabilize the load when torquing them down. I'm going to run it at 50 in lbs and see if it leaks!
Thanks for the help!
I have used them for clearance for my roller rockers. mine do seep a little but wiping the cover one a week is a lot cheaper than new covers. you do have to use the washers on top of the grommets and dont overtighten them.
Thanks for the reply! Personally I feel they should have either built webbing on the spacer that would allow you to re-use the stock bolts or designed their bolt with a sleeve also. I can see how it would leak up top as the sleeve acts as a seal in the grommet and without it the new bolt and supplied washer has room to move around so it's a bit tricky to get it centered. Regardless of what I've heard from the so called engineers who designed these I've learned that you do not want to torque these new bolts to factory specs as it only tears up the grommets and bends the washers.
My solution: Cut the sleeve off the stock bolts which is 0.334in or 8.4mm OD and order some 0.335 ID 304 stainless steel tubing, cut the old sleeves in half and insert the ends into the .0335 tubing and tack weld them to make the correct length sleeve for these longer bolts.
I have used them for clearance for my roller rockers. mine do seep a little but wiping the cover one a week is a lot cheaper than new covers. you do have to use the washers on top of the grommets and dont overtighten them.
Definitely do not torque to specs without a sleeve. Well I found out what that pop was I heard at 50 in lbs.
My experience with valve cover spacers was frustrating, they leaked oil on both sides.
They might have been ICT billet,not sure. The O ring supplied to go against the heads was slightly too small for the machined groove and just didn’t seal well.
FYI, all of this Mickey Mouse garbage was eliminated with a pair of Holley Tall valve covers, problem solved, enough clearance for Lunati roller rockers.
Mine aren't Lunati rockers but I've been looking at the LSX, Holly, Proform and Katech valve covers. Haven't had a chance to run it with the spacer yet as I'm still waiting on some metal to show up.
For those inquiring minds here's what I came up with.
Stock bolt and sleeve. ICT Billet valve cover bolt and washer. This was how I was instructed to install on the valve cover. The washer would seal everything up but unfortunately once I reached 50 inch lbs on the torque wrench it cracked the casting where the grommet sat. ICT had sent me this to resolve the matter. Removed the sleeve from the stock bolt. And it should look something like this when all isd said and done. Well I don't know about you but I don't like the fact that this aluminum spacer is held into place by a washer that will only fall off and down into the head perhaps the engine once removed.
Okay now for my solution to this. Stock sleeve. Thickness of the top of the sleeve. Thickness of the bottom of the sleeve. Thickness of the spacer and gasket. OD of the sleeve. Now to figure out what size the tubing needs to be cut. Some .375 OD .335 ID 304 SS tubing. My new sleeve This will not fall off into the motor when I remove the bolt from the valve cover.
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ICT Billet Valve Cover Spacers 
