> From: Paige, Dean [mailto:DPaige@ci.santa-rosa.ca.us]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 1999 2:37 PM
>
> So guess that now is as good a time as any to buy
> a new aluminum valve cover.
Dean,
I have a valve cover which I believe to be the same as the ones VB sells
(got mine from a british source). It is much heavier gauge than the
triumphtune and also has much deeper and thicker ribs. Just looks better IMO
(I saw the two side by side). I don't know what TRF sells (or has in stock).
I found the casting to be less smooth than I expected but since this is a
low pressure Al casting, I think some flaws will be there no matter what.
It's about the same level of quality as the ZS dashpot covers -- those also
are not perfect but quite adequate IMO.
As for sealing, mine has a simple flat edge. Not the lip like the original
steel cover. I was leery of this at first. However, I used a simple cork
gasket (same as for the steel cover) and attached it to the Al cover with (I
think) upholstery adhesive. I have not had one leak since installation. I
was thinking of getting one of Justin Wagner's silicone gaskets when they
become available for the TR6 but now don't see the need. The cork works just
fine. If you want to go really fancy, Racetorations
<http://www.racetor.force9.co.uk/> have a similar cover but with a lip for
the gasket. Again, I don't see the point of this having used my non-lipped
cover with such success.
One thing I did with mine is seal the supplied cap since we have the vent
hose to the canister (mine does anyway -- 76 TR6). Also, I made a baffle
similar to the one inside the steel cover to minimize the loss of oil
droplets via the vent hole. And finally, the cover is a little shorter (ie
is not as tall) so the suds may need to be shortened. I used three spare
studs and saved the originals should I ever need to go back to the stock
cover.
I am sure you know this -- the Al valve covers are much more rigid than the
steel. Thus you can tighten the three nuts a little more to enable a good
seal between the cover and the head.
HTH.
--- Peter Zaborski CF58310UO ---
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