Does anyone know if the non staggered bolt hole, script, SBC (283) V'covers can be turned upside down and clear the rocker assembly? Thanks.
No..sorry. The rocker arms will scrape. Did it accidentally once. Kinda of fun watching the cover bulge in and out..until the squeaking started. .
Are you trying to clear roller rockers and poli-locks? I bought some valve cover spacers on ebay, 3/8" thick, problem solved.
LOL I have put them on a stock motor backward no problems at all I guess I don't get it they are not offset. Maybe I had a special set made for Monday morning in the Chevy plant.
No, no roller or special rockers. Just a plain old re-built, basic stock, iron 4 bbl intake, 283. What my goal is,,,,,,,, I would rather not say, for fear of instigating a flame war. It's, I would like to install the OM script rocker covers upside down for a visual fitament issue. Since the OM script V'covers are not exactly right angles to each other, not a exact rectangle, I was wondering if there would be pushrod or rocker clearance problems before I "experiment" on a good motor and %$#@ something up? The factory designed those covers to be odd shaped for a reason. The SBC people I know locally, have never mounted the OM script covers upside down, is why I'm asking on here seeing if anyone has been able to successfully accomplish turning a script V'cover upside down. So, I take it, it can NOT be done, unless these 3/8" spacers are used? "Beaner" Did you use the early script v'covers? There are early 327 covers that are a perfect rectangle, that can be turned any which way. Thanks.
yes you can IF you use 1959-1963 283 valve covers...they were visually different than 1964-1966 283 valve covers. Most people don't notice a difference.
Larrry is absolutely correct ^^^ and yes to @alumcantandthd script covers and not turbofire covers. It is rumored and obviously can't be proven by anyone that some even came from the factory upside down. But it doesn't matter if they were or weren't, there was a period that no one will admit other then myself that most of us didn't breath a sober breath (assembly line workers and line foremen as well) and things got done upside down and backward a lot. That is why some of us know some tricks that no one else will ever even try, because instead of learning from a book written by someone who wasn't even there, we have been there and done that. here is what you do bolt them on and instead of firing the engine up roll it over and see if it works. Maybe even spray the inside with Dycom or Prussian blue gear marking compound and open it back up and look for contact. That will put your mind at ease.
PAYSHUNLEEWAYTING I've heard there were slight differences between the early and later 327 (non script) valve covers, but never knew there was more than one script style cover other than the offset bolt versions.
Here is a pic that I just borrowed from that auction site. The seller lists a pair, the pic shows the 59-61 style in the background with vertical ends and slightly taller vertical sides. The later style is in front with sloped ends and the straight part of the sides are a little shorter.
the VC on top are corvette (straight ends). the other ones are of the stock type ( angled end ) they have less clearance for the valve train.
Thank you for the picture showing the difference! ("I see now sez the blind man") Now back to my original question. The V'cover on the bottom , in the picture, can NOT be mounted upside down on a stock valve/rocker arm motor? Right? As I mentioned, I do NOT want to start a verbal volleyball discussion,,,,,,,. (that has turned into a flame war in past posts) I want to mount a entirely different make, model of v'covers over top the SBC covers. The other make/model v'covers I intend to use, fits the SBC covers perfectly! (meaning, no part of the SBC covers are visible and the 'other make/model' covers look like they are correctly bolted to the SBC motor) That is, "if" the SBC v'covers are mounted upside down on the motor. ("That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it". The reason I'm asking, "if" the SBC covers will fit upside down? and/or, what would it take to get those covers to mount upside down? ) Thanks.
I'd say it depended on the lift of the cam you have but you could run those spacers and still be ok. Maybe even the super thick gaskets with the steel inset in them will give you enough clearance as the problem is usually with those thin cork gaskets.
uh, no ...straight end v/c's are not corvette only v/c's...they're stock v/c's found on all 265/283 chev's from 1955-1963. '55-mid'59 265/283's were straight ends/staggered holes...'mid '59-'63 283's were straight ends/straight holes. '64-66 283's were canted ends/straight holes. They were also used in '67 on 327's. I've had them all stock and original at one time or another over the years.
so...if you've already test fit the sbc v/c's under your mystery v/c's and they fit perfectly upside down...which one of the v/c's above did you use...the top one or the bottom one? As I stated in my post #6, '59-63 straight end/straight hole v/c is the top one above.
They weren't corvette and not corvette valve covers it is a difference in the model year. I want to guess that they changed them out around '62-'64 some time, but that would be a guess on my part.
THE ONLY CORVETTE FROM 1955-1967 WITH TIN VALVE COVERS INSTEAD OF ALUMINUM THAT I HAVE SEEN IS A 1955 WITH CHROME PLATED COVERS....
3W Larry. The bottom one! (thanks for asking) "If," the top, straight end, V'cover in the picture, is the exact same size as the straight end "loom-num" Corvette covers, the 'mystery v/c's' will not fit over them. "If" the straight end, stamped steel v'covers are slightly smaller (OD) than the cast Corvette covers,,,,,,,,,? I do not know, for I haven't been able to actually test fit the 'mystery v/c's' over the straight end stamped steel covers. (yet) Use to be, one could trip over early SBC motor parts on every third step! Now, it's 350-Crate, billet, 5.7, 5.0, F-150 to 350, Silverado that seems to be growing wild locally. Get this! Guy that is dating my youngest daughter has a Forestry Degree from WVU, but is working at Advanced Auto Parts until a forestry job opens up. Looked puzzled when I showed him the above picture, asking if he knows where any of those covers are. The numbers, "283" is vaguely familiar,,,,,, he doesn't know what they are to. However he is a "walking encyclopedia" when Honda Motorcycles, those ping-pang cars, and any F-Series PU vehicles or parts are mentioned. (sigh)
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