they absorb oil and it causes them to swell up

 

I think you are exactly right. Heat must expand them - and that is probably Ok when they are assembled cause it would try to seal better. I might try putting them in the fridge next time they over expand themselves, because I had the exact same problem and it is kind of funny, but frustrating to get them back in there. They grow like a half inch too long.

Other than that, they are great valve covers - supposed to absorb some of the noise of the RRs. I have aftermarket studs, Comp 1.6 rollers, and aftermarket heads and it all fits under there, but just barely. Cranes RRs I had also fit under there. Anything more radical than what I have probably wouldn't fit though.

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Hmmm - oil is doing it huh? That sounds logical too.

 

I had to grind off the oil tabs that driped oil on the rockers to get then to fit over my CC Pro Mags 1.6's.

 

Oil tabs?

 

I had to clearence them a bit for my pro mags too. I couldn't find my dremel, so I ended up using a saw...it was a tight fit but I got enough off.

Those gaskets are annoying though. I cut out an inch or two and cramed them back in the groove with some RTV.

Also FYI: Be very careful when torquing the studs. The metal is very cheap and I snapped one off in the head. Putting a helicoil in the very back stud hole under the cowl was a terrible project.

 

I've never had a moments trouble out of the gaskets.

 

me either but then again I never used them

 

They look like drips of plastic over the rocker arms that let the oil collect from the top of the cover and drip off onto the rockers. I had to grind them off to get them to clear the Poly Locks. Mabey GM made different types but mine came off a Vette.

 

I think there might be the standard 'vette covers and the LT4 covers (that are the part numbers in the top of this thread).

 

"Thanks" I knew there had to be different one's if some people had to modify them and some not.

 

Do they clear the ALT. Its on the oppisite side on the vette? Also did anyone figure out if there are LT4 and reg vette covers? Ive got 1.6 Promags

 

'Vettes, had LT4s, so I would think they would clear.

Yes, there are different LT1 and LT4 composite valve covers. There have been other threads discussing this very thing.

 

I just installed 1.6 CC Pro Mags under my original Camaro LT1 covers without cutting them or anything. I just bent/flattened the shapes on the reinforcements inside the cover, intake side, so they fit between the rockers, and they went right in. They don't seem to contact much and if they do it's only a little on the rocker's cylinder axle which doesn't move anyway.

Does this sound right to you guys? Is there anything wrong leaving them like this?

I also had to bend / compress a little the chamber inside the cover where the breather / PCV plugs in (passenger side, the other hole except the oil filler neck).

We turned the engine a few times and felt the covers, they didn't get hit or anything, no sounds either except the ticking of the rockers

 

The LT1 covers and LT4 covers are the same except the insides. The LT1 covers you have to modify by removing all the drip tabs, and the LT4's are composite and everything is already removed to fit the Crane 1.6's that came with the LT4. Just sold some LT4's not to long ago from my vette on the vette site. They gave me the complete run down.

 

Yes. That's all you have to do is bend them. That's what I did and it works well. No need to cut anything and compromise the structure.