LS 3 Valve Covers
Car is a 98 but current heads are TSP PRC 225 CC heads. Before that the heads were Patriot LQ9 heads. When those were installed I replaced the 98 perimeter style valve covers with LS6 center bolt covers (around 2002).
Anyone know if the LS3 cover with the newer designed baffles are better or not compared to the LS6 valve covers?
There is a part number change from LS6 to LS3 so assume there is some change made to the cover. It appears the rear pc valve tube is fixed in the rear of the valve cover compared to my current cover where the PCV tube is inserted with a rubber grommet. The passenger side cover is different as well with only one pcv tube on the front of the cover.
I also plan to replace the valley cover with an LS6 valley cover with the PCV valve under the valley cover. The LS6 valley cover IMO is much better with its PCV valve compared to the 98 valley cover where the PCV valve is external.
Another upgrade people often go to is the Dorman ones for LM7 / LQ4 / etc. May be less spendy to get something for work trucks, than something labelled "LS3".
Dorman brand is easy to find for the driver side, but can't find a PN for the passenger side. Summit verified the same.
Used are a gamble because most advertise from LS1 to LS3 so hard to know what you might get. And am sure those selling used them don't even know if there is a difference if they don't know the PN.
Not that it matters to me, but the expensive custom valve covers don't even have baffles.
Am told the baffles control the oil better topside that the LS1 version. Car is boosted with about 12-14 lbs PSI so want best crankcase ventilation as possible. Current catch cans are dual Mike Norris but just discovered there not even designed to work with boost so looking at the RX Performance system. Note (RX Performance - Tracy Lewis ) and not the copy cat RXP system. There are lots of copy cat systems of the RX Performance copyright.






