If you see those shiny aluminum fabricated valve covers on Ebay.....just keep on surfing.

These have become one of the biggest cluster- ahem-thingys of the whole project.

They are shipped with a surprise. 1/4" bolts (I think they are now advertised as such, but not when I bought). Wow, that's interesting. Seeing as every FE valve cover bolt hole has 5/16" threads.

You discoverthe note on the bolt package. Just use 1/4x20 heli-coils. they will go right in and allow you to attach the 1/4 bolts into your existing threads "No tapping needed".

Allright, dissapointed, but I'll try this Heli-coil fix. heli coils don't like to go in. Disappointed again, Scouder comforts me and says they'll go in with some tapping.

I tap the threads. Then install the heli-coils. With the valve train in place, I had to trim the wings on the heli-coil install tool. Several hours into this project, the heli-coils are finally installed, and sit beneath the sealing surface.

It takes a small miracle to line every thing up, cover, gasket, bolt in the hole. Once I get there, I realize these bolts are too long. Off comes the cover. I think, well I must need to install the heli coil even deeper. And I do. Bolts are still too long in some places. It would look hideous with necessary amount of washers.

Now, my truck is disabled until I decide wether or not to use washers, cut bolts or try to remove the very deeply installed heli-coils.

What a mess :-(

Dissapointed in Texas

On a more positive note, the truck was runing well today. I'm ready for a track trip soon....very soon.

 

Its amazing how every standard production FE head is pretty much the same and some of the companies just can't get it right. I have run into other things like this as well but I can't remember exactly what they were.

When I get done with the major functional upgrades I am getting the aluminum ford racing covers and using studs. If I had to do it again I would use studs everywhere I was bolting on to aluminum.

 

I don't want to sound like a know it all, but would the easiest fix have been to enlarge the holes in the valve covers and use the correct bolts?

 

Well scroob, the bolts go thru aluminum tubes and are spotfaced at the top for the head of a 1/4" SHCS. It would take some fancy footwork to make it work. The bolts are at the top surface of the cover NOT at the base like a normal cover.

I have looked at those covers, I like them. Give a nice "hi-tech" look for an FE. High dollar kinda look. Just a bit spendy for my budget. Have too many other things that could use the $250+.

Larry

 

yea that sucks I realy like those...but i think I have seen a couple diffrent brands even on ebay......let us know what happens

 

It's just getting uglier.

I can't removed the heli-coils to go back to my old valve covers. I even modified a bolt extractor so that it would get down in there deep enough yet be wide enough to grab on to the heli-coils. It ain't hapenning.

I'm screwed. Truck disabled indefinitely for fancy vlave cover installation :-(

My only hope is to chase out the thread on the heli-coils (1/4") and find some long studs. But the way the top of the valve covers are made, that won't work well either (recessed for the head of the bolts he included, not as big as a 1/4" ID nut)


Where's my beer ??????????

 

sorry to hear this.......(hands you a beer).......

 

Did you locktite them? If not then what I have had to do is get a small pick and bend the top portion of the helicoil out of the threads until I can get a pair of dykes on it (pliers wont hold very well) and then just pull and the coil SHOULD just unravel. If you used Locktite you will have to heat up the helicoil with a small propane torch but it wont hurt anything. I have don this on the jet pump on my boat and it was essentially the same thing as what you are trying to do but I had to take out 5/16 coils so you might have to work with the smaller coil a little more. Hope that helps and good luck.
Fry

 

Man that sucks. I like the standard chrome "Power By Ford" valve covers myself. Gives it a nice honest look IMO.

I agree, the heli-coils should come out.

 

Well, a small stroke of good luck this morning. The local hardware store actually had the same style allen head machine bolt, 1/4" shorter. So, I managed to tighten down the new valve cover without some wierd stud/sleeve/nut arrangement. It appears to be sealing.

The local hardware (Ace), is a small store but he has a great fastner selection. But, I didn't think he'd have anything like those machine bolts in just the right length. Unfortunately, for most of this wierd stuff, he stocks about 6 pieces. So, I'll have to wait until next week to try the other side. That'll give me some time to see how it holds up. I'm not real happy with the install as is, but it seems to be working, and doesn't look bad.

I'll try to get a pic up soon.

 

Ditto - I did this with my FE - aluminum Edel intake, everything that went in there was a locktited stud, and if I had the room, I used stainless nyloc nuts on everything, even the carb.

Highsight is 20/20

Good luck gtex!

 

I run the chrome FR covers now. They look very nice and are sealing pretty good. They will eventually get warped like all tin can types do and will need beat back in to shape.