valve cover clearance HELP needed

[68GEETEE]

This past summer I decided to remove the black Cobra valve covers and install polished Cobra covers. (I am running a '68 302, heads are '70 302). When I went to install the covers they wouldnt go on as the baffles kept hitting the rocker studs. Keep in mind I dont have roller rockers so clearance shouldnt have been an issue. The only way I could get them on was to remove the baffles from the covers. I then finished the installation.

My question is How important were those baffles as now I see oil seeping past my pcv grommet as well as coming up thru the filler cap. Is this a problem I should be concerned with? I am losing a quart of oil every 300 miles with no engine smoke, but from a previous post looks like that problem is intake manifold related.

 

[allcarfan]

i dont know how much clearance you needed, but you could have run a thicker valvecover gasket.

I doubt the baffle was extremely important, but as you can see it may have been necessary with yoursetup You can always have a low profile one tacked back in there.

 

[mustangdave]

You need the baffles unless you want an oil covered engine compartment. I don't know why you had this problem but Jegs sells a valve cover spacer for Fords that will raise your valve covers and allow you to run ones that have baffles.

 

[D.Hearne]

The oil you're losing is being sucked up by the PCV valve. I had the same problem with a set of 83-85 GT factory aluminum valve covers that had no baffles.

 

[68GEETEE]

Ok, point well taken, but I was losing the same amount of oil with the old covers, and they had baffles. So I wonder how much oil that pcv is really sucking, and how much is going thru the intake leak?

 

[D.Hearne]

OK , you didn't say you were already losing that much oil before, but the PCV will suck some of it without baffles, it's impossible to say how much though. What motor do you have anyway? Small block or big block?

 

[68GEETEE]

OK , you didn't say you were already losing that much oil before, but the PCV will suck some of it without baffles, it's impossible to say how much though. What motor do you have anyway? Small block or big block?

Yes, its the original block 68 302, 70 heads.

 

[68Coupe289]

I have a set of nice 289/302 valvecover spacers I am no longer using, if you need them.

 

[geegee]

The Ford Racing "Cobras" will fit but the Scott Drake "Cobras" will not. The difference is the shape and size of the baffles.

 

[66P51GT]

1" spacers are available. Ford Power Parts use to stock them. Tony Branda may also have them available. http://www.fordpowerparts.com/ http://www.cobranda.com/

 

[mustangdave]

If you had this problem before the valve cover switch, the problem is the engine. Excessive blowby to be specific. You need rings or valve job or rebuild: don't kid yourself, you've got problems. Do a leakdown test and get back to us.

 

[68GEETEE]

If you had this problem before the valve cover switch, the problem is the engine. Excessive blowby to be specific. You need rings or valve job or rebuild: don't kid yourself, you've got problems. Do a leakdown test and get back to us.

I know the oil usage isnt the pcv valves fault, but I realize some oil is escaping thru it. The heads were rebuilt 1500 miles ago, but the shop my car was at sent the heads out, and I am not sure of the quality work they did. What kind of tools do I need to do a leakdown test?

 

[ra_doliv]

I know the oil usage isnt the pcv valves fault, but I realize some oil is escaping thru it. The heads were rebuilt 1500 miles ago, but the shop my car was at sent the heads out, and I am not sure of the quality work they did. What kind of tools do I need to do a leakdown test?

You need a leakdown tester -- about $75 and an air compressor capable of maintaining 100-125 psi. The test will give you a really accurate picture of the condition of the valves, rings and head gaskets.

Don