I'm replacing my old cracked edelbrock intake manifold with a new edelbrock performer series on my sbc. The new intake must be a little wider, but not by much, it almost fits under the valve covers. I removed the old valve covers, just to insure that the intake holes align with the head holes, and they do. My old valve covers appear to have to long of a lip (approx. .5"), thus the new intake is just a tad off of fitting/aligning accurately. The valve covers are a old pair of cheap after-market parts. (see pics). Is my best solution to just replace the old valve covers with a shorter lip? If so, any valve cover brand recommendations or other options?
sometimes you can get away with simply running double valve cover gaskets for clearance...take both of your gaskets and put them on one cover and see if it works...
I believe there's another style of VC that is notched out for clearence. You could always trim your VC.
cheap covers ---trim them while you find some that fit---you could grind a little on that manifold also
Get new ones...Actually I would buy an old set of Cal Customs for the same money as new ones. That being said those cheapos could be ground. I've done the double gasket thing before it does work. They also sell double thick VC gaskets at most parts stores and form Jegs, but don't over tighten em or they will leak!
Yep and if you ruin them I have a set I'll give you to replace them. They aren't worth the price of sending them and I couldn't get two bucks out of the flimsy things at a swap meet last year but they are free for the asking. If I remember right they wouldn't clear my performer intake either.
Felpro makes several different thickness gaskets for the SBC perimeter bolt valve covers...........7/32", 9/32" ? i think and i also think Mr Gasket has some 5/16"
I had to grind a relief into a set of SB Dodge valve covers to clear the runner portion of the intake. Can you trim the lip a bit in the contact areas to give you clearance? It wasn't much in my case.
Geez...I think everyone must have at least one set of those same cheapo valve covers on the shelf! Go ahead and grind away on the valve covers before you attack the manifold. I have another free pair you can have if you screw up the first two pairs!