Ideas for valve cover to booster clearance?
 

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4791/...a6b5579f_h.jpg20180304_172338 by Paul Tholey, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/GZMdTw

I am probably overdue on a post of this particular project- my youngest sister's 1969 Nova- but that will be for another day.

We're running an L-88 themed build, but have a Crane stud girdle. That requires a valve cover spacer, and then with the power brakes- the Mickey Thompson and Ansen covers hit. As a temporary solution, the tin cover works with a double stacked gasket.

I would love if anyone can share ways these old valve covers have been modified or - pics are even better.

Here is little video (forgive the poor audio quality) from this weekend. Plug wires need to be shortened up, etc but should help show what I'm talking about.

Yes, that is an Eric Jackson prepared 950 3 BBL carb!



https://youtu.be/4ArZVBv9rrE

FWIW Paul, have you considered going with shaft rockers to eliminate the stud girdle? I built a 565 a few years back and wanted to run the short Ansen covers w/o spacers, so I turned to Crower and a set of their stainless shaft rockers which fit with a low profile. Here's a few pics of them and the short covers I used. They sure keep the valve train stable while allowing the elimination of spacers and girdles. Just a thought?

http://preview.ibb.co/kKWMhx/Double_Nickel_364.jpg

http://preview.ibb.co/niwyUc/Double_Nickel_372.jpg

We probably should have run some shaft rocker. This is an old project, and I've learned that lesson since we started it. I know I can use the tin valve covers as a template for how to modify some aluminum ones and that will be what we do for now.

I was curious to see if anyone had pics of someone else doing this. Ideally some old pics or a set of modified valve covers they had hanging around. Big picture, I'll probably end up having just as many valve coves and we will hoods and wheels for this car- so we can change things based on the theme for the week.

I appreciate the suggestion though!

You could give these taller cheater valve covers a try: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F332288601954.

If it's a solid, flat tappet camshaft I'd lose the stud girdle altogether. I really hate those things and like to avoid them. Shaft rockers are awesome but very pricey especially after an investment has already been made into regular roller rockers, studs, guideplates, pushrods, etc. I'm also a fan of taking a bottoming tap into every rocker stud boss in order to install longer studs into the head so they are rooted as deep as possible. ARP has a stud for this if you hit up their catalog.

Mark, I appreciate the though and suggestion. That is the direction I started. If you can see the picture, the tin cover IS one of those taller stock looking jobs. Any I may run that (throw the matching one on the other side) and a decal or two to keep the project going.

Long term, I would like to run the Mickey Thompson covers or Ansen- so we'll see.

Since these are early L-88 heads (392) we did upgrade to the longer studs, running SS Crower rockers with a decent roller. We did have to repair the boss on one of the studs, and for that reason, the stud girdle was used. A shaft system would have been nice, but that is hindsight.

There are a few things you can do.

LOSE the studle girdle. My 074's with those rockers seem to work well for me. We tapped them deeper, cryro'ed the heads and vac sealed as well. Roller cam in the 725 range and make 785Hp @ 7200. I run the 3/4" cheater valve cover as well.

Seeing as it's not ment as a stock build with headers showing, lose the large booster for a smaller aftermarket one.

Or... manual brakes... no booster... no vacuum concerns.
Never had an issue with manual disc/drum or disc/disc combo.
Gary

Redrill the holes where the booster mounts 1 inch raising the booster that amount. Check hood clearance 1st. The lower hole I would fab a plate that would slide over the top studs, put a couple of flat washers and the plate would act as a clamp over all 4 studs.