Will West Coast Cougar’s reproduction small block running cat valve covers clear a rocker stud girdle? Here is a pic of the stud girdle that I need to clear. Don says they were modified to clear roller tip rockers, but this is another step further. Does anyone know if this valve cover will fit over this set up?
I don’t think it would clear. You can get a spacer to go between the cyl head and the cover to give you more heigth.
I got my setup to clear with aftermarket roller rockers but I glued triple valve cover gaskets together. The back side of those valve covers have a decent amount of clearance but I’m not sure how they would work out for your specific application with your girdle in the mix as well.
It looks like the WCC covers are not going to work. I don’t like the idea of the spacers at all, just high $$$ way to create another joint to leak oil all over the headers. Still haven’t found any covers I like, so if appearance is that important to me, I will have to get rid of the rocker stud girdle, dial back the cam and give up a bunch of HP.
How about these.
From.
http://www.racingjunk.com/Valve-Covers/2112911/NEW-FORD-RACING-BLUE-SATIN-VALVE-COVERS.html
Fits 289/302/351W
Die-cast aluminum with baffle
Blue satin finish
“Ford Racing” logo
Will clear stud girdle and roller rocker arms (3.75" tall)
Includes oil fill cap and grommets
Sale Price $140.00
Contact Lonnie
Ed, I understand the leaks issue. One very small thing that I do that seems to help is to replace the bolts for the Rocker arm covers with screw in studs. They hold everything in nice tight alignment and it seems to help a bunch in eliminating leaks, spacers or not.
Thanks for the suggestion. Those are the kind of covers I was finding that fit with a rocker stud girdle. I should have mentioned it earlier but I’m trying to maintain a more vintage look kind of like I hotrodded it back when it was a new car with mostly original finishes and no/minimum visible modern looking components. I guess if the appearance is that important to me, I might just have to give up some power to get rid of the girdles. Decision time.
Ed, FWIW…
I talked to a guy with those spacers about leaks. He tells me that his method is bullet proof. He used studs instead of bolts, cork gaskets between the spacer and the head, with adhesive on poth sides of the cork gasket. (not Pernatex Blue, but actual gasket adhesive). He ran the nuts down on the studs to let everything dry. Then he put rubber gaskets between the spacer and the cover with no sealer at all, just a shot of that gasket tack spray. He said it is important not to over-tighten the nuts. I looked at the motor and it was clean as could be. He was using those Cobra lettered valve covers.
I know a few guys running those spacers w/no issues.