I bought these Mercury FE block valve covers on ebay;
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=180213287192 for a 410 engine I will do. $58.50 shipped, that's pretty good. One has a big dent in the corner which I will tap it out.

I'm curious to know where these valve covers appeared on? These valve covers are made of aluminum, they do not have any part number on them that I can find. And have "Mercury" in big block letters stamped on them.

I do know on the 410, they had valve covers with the signature "Mercury" and a lightning bolt stamped on them. There's a set on ebay right now, but is pretty dinged up.

The seller remembers he took it off a car, but cannot remember what yr or model it was, or what engine it was. Obviously a Mercury ?

Tyl

 

No Idea!!! But I do have a set of Pentroof script/bolts that just might end up on ebay if **** gets bad enough!! Hoping to hold onto them though LOL....

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...0/DSCN1842.jpg

 

Since they don't have access holes, how would one add oil?

I would have to pitch my 2 pennies towards aftermarket or very early year model.



John

 

They are early covers. Fill tube for the oil was in the intake. My guess 63-64. You might find a date code stamped into them. Pretty cool tho you don't see those everyday.

 

The covers you bought are made from aluminum??

That's not what the normal factory Ford covers were made from...they were steel.

I believe what you have acquired is a set of the rare valve covers used on Factory Light Weights and on stock cars..NASCAR stock cars.

No part numbers appear on the valve covers themselves. The part number was on the cardboard box the covers came in. Part numbers on boxes: Either stenciled on with black ink, or printed with blue ink.

Correct Mercury valve covers for 410's (1966/67) as I recall, have the lightning bolt (an elongated Z) and state Powered by MERCURY.

The ebay covers you bought were used on 1961/64 Merc's with 390's. You can't use these on 1965 and later FE engines because there's no oil cap holes. The 1958/64 FE engines have an oil filler neck.

btw: When these covers state F O R D, they were used on 1961/64 Galaxies with 352's. The covers were painted blue.

T H U N D E R B I R D marked covers were used on 1961/64 Ford Galaxies and T-Birds with 390 engines. The covers were painted gold.

1962/64 406's and 427's used plain valve covers. I can't recall what colors they were painted.

1965 and some 1966 FE's wedge shaped valve covers were plain, without any lettering.

From 1952 and thru 1965 (1966 on some models), Ford used different color paint on the valve covers than they did the engine. The reason? To differentiate what size the engine was.

All 1960/66 (and most if not all 1967-I forget) engines, regardless of the size or type, were painted black, not Ford Corporate Blue.

Chrome covers of the 1958/64 style (rounded) were an option beginning in 1962. Three types were available: MERCURY, THUNDERBIRD, or plain.

Worthless trivia: The first OHV V8 engine to offer chrome valve covers was the 1951 Chrysler's 331 cid Hemi. The embossed reverse stamped letters had red paint contained within them and stated: CHRYSLER Fire Power

 

62-63 406 has the painted gold thunderbird covers with the 406 hipo sticker. 63-64 427's the chrome rounded baldies with the 427-427T bird stickers.

Bill what makes you think these Merc VC's were on the lightweight and stock cars?

Edit to add... I believe starting in 62 there was a chrome dressup package available besides.

 

I presently own two 1963 Galaxies 500XL's. One's a 390, one's a 352. In addition, I've owned another 21 1962/64's since the 1970's. *

Both the above cars have steel painted valve covers. The last time I saw a set of aluminum covers was 40 years ago. They're rare.

No offense meant, but...when was the last time you saw any FE aluminum valve covers?

I made mention above, of the chrome v/covers being first offered in 1962.

*Delaware Chapter: Thread: How many Fords have you owned? / Post 49.

 

These valve covers are chrome with rust and a dent, they are not aluminum...

 

Um, yeah...

What he said.

 

Aluminum? The VC's in that ebay ad sure look like stamped steel to me. You can even see the indentations from the nuts/washer in them. No offense taken.....LOL

 

Appreciate the info and concerns. I will easily drill out an oil acess hole. I plan to reuse my oil bath air cleaner.

Bob, had I known, I would have made an offer on your 410 covers. Perhaps the whole engine.

They are aluminum. The auction sates they
're steel with chrome, however I see wire wheel marks/scratches. The surface is a buffed up chrome, yet the deepness of each scratch remains kinda chromed. If they were steel, that wire wheel would have ate the chrome and the untreated scratches would have easily rusted out by now. The underside is a dull chrome under the oil stains. Another indication is the bolt holes, someone had torqued them a little too much and bent the metal downward a bit. If steel, there'd be no bents.

When I bought this set, there was a seller who just put 2 pairs on ebay, just like mine. That seller was from Australia. I'm still surprised I won them so cheap. If they were NASCAR parts, perhaps I'll get King Petty to sign them. He was driving Ford cars in the early sixties? before the switch to mopar.

Tyl

 

Huh? Steel bends. If they were aluminum, they'd be cracked before they bent that much.

I have two sets of stamped steel covers in my garage that look just like that.

If you scratched up stamped steel covers cleaning them, and don't let them rust, they look just like that ebay auction.

Oh well... never mind. Just try a magnet on 'em when you get them

 

I have them, as of yesterday. The ebay pic is pretty bad. Will picture them later-on and add it to my gallery.

Aluminum is a very soft and cheap metal. Under stress, it won't crack as steel would. Empty a pop can and crush it. It's made of aluminum, and will bend or crush but won't crack.

I'll take pic and you'll see it's aluminum.

Tyl

 

Yep what Art said.

You might be thinking they are made from stamped sheet aluminum. Aluminum valve covers are cast in a mold not stamped. Steel covers however are stamped like the ones on the auction. Any lightweight valve covers Ford might have made over the years were cast in magnesium. That was used quite a bit in the racing programs in the day. SOHC cammer, GT-40 program etc.... It was light, fairly strong and somewhat durable in racing. Only downfall magnesium will deterioate and become brittle many years later. Mainly the mag wheels are suspect some 40 years later.

 

Get a magnet.