Installing Chrome Valve Covers

When I started going to car shows, my Impala had no "shiny stuff" under the hood like other cars. So, I decided that a cost-effective way to add some sparkle was to get a set of Summit Chrome Valve Covers. Once the home-plate and first base were deleted, everyone was right; it looked kinda plain under the hood! I chose the Summit covers because they are exact copies of the originals, minus the oil fill neck and a hole in the top of the driver's side cover, and their great price- around $40.

Now for the installation details. I started with the driver's side, because it looked a little easier. The only thing in the way is the emissions fitting on top of the exhaust manifold. Soak it with some WD40, remove the short rubber hose, loosen the fitting down by the manifold, and twist it out of the way; don't take it off. Next, remove the four bolts that hold the cover down, and set them aside. The cover should loosen up at this point, since the new small block gaskets are rubber, instead of the old-style cork gaskets. Since my motor had only 38K at the time, I just re-used the stock gaskets, but Fel-Pro makes a valve cover gasket for the centerbolt covers if you need to replace them. Try to lift the cover straight up, and then out, so you don't damage the rocker arms. The baffles on the inside of the cover are close to the valve springs and rockers. Now, just follow the procedure in reverse to put your new covers on.

The passenger side cover was a much more involved installation. I'll start back by the cowl and move forward in the directions. First, unplug the two wiring harnesses for the windshield wiper motor, and hang them over the top. This will give a little more room when you're trying to remove the cover later. Now, you'll have to swing the exhaust manifold emissions fitting out of the way on this side also. Remvove the black rubber hose from the fitting, because we'll shorten it later. Next, unbolt the black bracket from the intake manifold (near the front of the cover), unplug the vacuum lines, and move that out of the way. It's now time to remove the alternator! To do this, disconnect the battery first, then remove the serpentine belt. Next, remove the two bolts from the front of the alternator, and one from the rear of the alternator. Swing it out of the way, and now you'll have enough room to remove the cover. At this point, remove the four valve cover bolts, and the hose that runs from the rear of the cover up to the throttle body. Again, be careful in your removal of the cover. Try to lift it up from the rear, and slide it out towards the front. At this point, you'll notice the stock cover is "dimpled" for alternator clearance. Take your shiny new valve cover, place a towel over the front edge, and get a small hammer to dimple the cover enough to fit under the alternator. Just don't go to far; you'll have problems with the first rocker arm hitting the inside of the cover if you do. Slide the cover into position, and lower it. Make sure the gasket is under the cover at all points, or you'll get some oil leaks. Now, bolt the chrome cover on, and install the breather hose. You'll have to get a new grommet from the parts store to adapt the fitting on the end of the hose to the new cover. Now, bolt on the black bracket, install the vacuum lines, and plug the wiper harnesses back in. Now, tighten the emissions fitting up, put the hose back on it, but don't clamp it down. Flip it over from the stock position (what good is having chrome covers if you can't see 'em?) so the bend is around the oil dipstick, and shorten it up accordingly. Now, bolt the alternator back in place, install the serpentine belt, and reconnect the battery.

Since you can't use the stock filler neck on the cover, I opted for Mr. Gasket oil fill plugs. Don't forget to buy two, so you can plug the new hole on the driver's side of the motor. Start it up, and check for leaks. If you see some smoke from the manifolds, it's most likely the WD40 burning off. Just a warning; that stuff stinks!
Happy Modding!!

<BACK TO TECH