Frank,

I am going to ask about the huge pink elephant in the room on this one.


You started your build thread over two years ago.


If you don't know how much clearance you need, and you don't wish to take a guess and order the wrong one, why not simply install the engine with the correct valve covers and then take your measurement to eliminate all doubt?


Has it come to the point after a very detailed and properly done 2-yr build where you must urgently get the truck on the road and cannot afford to wait 2-3 days for another summit shipment?


If that is the case and you truly cannot afford the extra downtime, my suggestion is to take a measurement from your engine of where it will sit on the frame perches, and then compare that with your actual engine bay and deduct the answer. You can use a straight edge and angle finder to project back the T/valve cover back to the firewall, and then see if your straight edge is hitting and if so, by what amount.


PS - I always enjoy your contributions.

 

No problem. You always ask good questions.
Yes, my build started two years ago but the engine rebuild wasn't foreseen at the outset. Recall when that epiphany descended upon me. The harmonic balancer fell off in my hands showing that the crank was fatally wounded. And so it has gone, one ad hoc decision after another, learning more and more as I went. I have enjoyed the journey.
I know that the valve covers I have (chrome baldies) will fit since they were installed before I yanked the engine. For the new engine, I did have to modify the baffles to clear the roller rocker stud in that area but they would serve the purpose.
Of course when those baldies were bought, the plan was to run the 390 that came with the truck, the same engine that the PO said had been rebuilt only 30-40K miles prior. Now that this engine is a 447 stroker with aluminum heads etc., those baldies seem out of place. So I started looking at higher end valve covers. The tall Edelbrock covers seemed appropriate since the whole top end is of their making but they came with a warning: may not clear some power brake boosters.
Thus, it seemed prudent to look into ways and means to avoid such a conflict and so this thread was born. It seemed better to do it as a standalone, single subject thread so that others could access it w/o having to plow through a two year thread.
So, yes, it may be best to install the engine and see if there really is a problem in my case or not. The pics of kwe45919's very nice engine bay with the tall Holley valve covers suggest not.
As for downtime, that is not an issue for me. So far, this truck has been 100% downtime and that's OK with me. It's the journey that floats my boat. Arrival is almost always only a transitory joy.
So, thanks to so many FTE members who have contributed their experience and knowledge, I will be prepared when and if my new valve covers don't get along with my power brake booster.
Then there are these fabricated valve covers that I found on eBay ...

 

Those aluminum fabricated ones will work just fine. Notice how the edges are angled? That helps with the booster issue. Gives you more clearance. I owned a pair until I found my Holley ones. They are plain with no flair but they'll work for your application.

 

How do you delete a message aside from replacing it with something like this?

 

OK, the game is on.



So I sprung for what I think is most appropriate for this engine, the Edelbrock Classic Cast Aluminum Valve Covers for FE series engines. Here they are beside a pair of stockers. Given this discussion thread, I think that I’ll be prepared should there be a problem with the power booster unit getting in the way.



The tall valve covers are described as being five inches tall so that must include the gasket as well.



Measuring the stock valve covers is a little tricky since the height varies from one end to the other. The part of the stock valve cover closest to the power steering booster is the lowest so that’s where the comparison will be most meaningful. With gasket, I’m seeing four inches. So the difference between these two sets of valve covers is one inch. Of course that increase in height is at a 45º angle so will be less than an inch closer to the power brake booster. The hope, of course, is that this dire warning is simply a CYA move on the vendor’s part. Still, there were reviewers who complained of not being able to get them to fit on the driver side where the booster is.

 

Remember my pic in earlier post.....you should be fine. Those are built just like my Holley ones are. I'd be surprised if you did have an issue.




Nice choice BTW....one of these days I'll find a good Holley intake to match my valve covers and Carb

 

Found this Pic the other day...ment to post it in here. Kinda gives you a better idea of the clearance you'll have.

 

This is very encouraging. As soon as I get the hood done, I will install the engine and then we'll know for sure.