Clear valve covers?

[Fett]

I know I have seen them for various engines in the past, but does anybody make them for the 5.0?

I have been searching the net, but can't find anything. I found clear diff covers, but no valve covers.

Just curious.

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Why would you wanna see oil splashing around? LOL

 

[Fett]

To be honest, I fell in love with the idea when I watched a buddy of mine adjust his rockers on his Chevy 350. He has a set of valve covers he cut the tops off of, so he can adjust them while the car is running....and there was something really cool about watching the motor actually work.

 

[Hickfied]

You mean he has it so he can remove the tops of the VC's for adjustments, then replace the tops?

 

[TheUser]

seems like cutting the top off still would splash oil all over the place...although not as much as no cover at all. I once started mine w/o the valve covers on...obviously it was a huge mess w/ oil all over everything....I wouldn't recommend it.

Clear valve covers...yeah the idea sounds cool...and it would be as long as they weren't covered in oil on the inside (as alluded to earlier). If they weren't covered in oil on the inside, I wouldn't feel comfortable either because that means your engine isn't getting oil up through the pushrods. Interesting concept, but I don't think it would produce the results you're looking for.

 

[jtfairlane]

You mean he has it so he can remove the tops of the VC's for adjustments, then replace the tops?

Uh....

People who make periodic rocker adjustments, especially on mechanical/solid lifter motors, use a pair of "junkyard" valve covers and cut holes in the top of them to provide room to adjust the rockers with the motor running. The fact that "most" of the valve cover is still intact makes adjusting rockers with the motor running not perfectly clean, just more so (with less oil flying out). This is done so you can be sure that your adjustments are "hot lash" adjustments. When the procedure is finished, you replace the junker covers with your good set.

 

[Fett]

I imagine under high RPMs oil would flick on the bottom of the covers, but at idle oil doesn't really "spray" anywhere. The bottom of any valve cover I have ever seen was normally pretty clean when removed. Obviously it would get oil slung on it, but not so much that you wouldn't be able to see through it.....as long as you use proper oils and change it frequently. I change my oil every time I go to the track, which is about every three months and 1000k miles, it is usually pretty clean. But then again I also use 15w40 diesel oil....lots of cleaners, very tolerant of heat.

My friend has an extra set of covers that he cut the tops off of, so basically it is a normal valve cover with all 4 walls, just no top. He doesn't leave them on there, he swaps his normal ones out when he needs to adjust his rockers. Carb motor, only takes him a few seconds. At idle, no oil splashes over the walls. You figure, it's not like the covers fill up with oil. Oil is pushed up the push rod and streams down the rocker, down to the top of the head. It doesn't gush up or anything, just a nice flow...with the only oil splash being the little bit that gets flicked up with the rocker. It isn't nearly as messy as you would think.

 

[Mustang78]

i've seen fabbed aluminum valve covers with lexan plates bolted to the top with some nice stainless screws..but they were for a SBC..check ebay and google, someone can make you a custom set, and IMO it's an awesome idea, those roller rockers are too purdy to stick under a valve cover

~Mark~

 

[Mustang5L5]

The constant heat cycles would kill any plastics you would use. Over time, they would crystallize, become brittle and crack. Anything that would come even close to handling it would be uber expensive.


We need to call Scotty up and ask him the formula for transparent aluminum

 

[Foxfan88]

at idle the rockers really dont fling any oil around.

 

[dec322]

It reminds me of the clear phones of the early 90s.

I liked those phones.