Early Corvette Valve Covers on a ZZ4

seadog · March 02, 2005, 08:53:25 PM

I have a ZZ4 350 Crate Motor and I'd like to be able to run early style Corvette valve covers. Anyone on the board know what's involved in making this work. The Chevy Performance catalog lists a set of adapters to permit running old style valve covers instead of the center bolt style that are on the motor. Is this all I need, or is there more to it? Thanks.

purplepickup · March 02, 2005, 09:19:56 PM

Quote from: "seadog"Is this all I need, or is there more to it? Thanks.

Yup, that's about all there is to it. If you're running full roller rockers they might hit but if you're running stock or roller tip rockers all you need is one of each kind of gasket and the adapters. There are also some spacers that come with the adapter to go between the heads and the centerbolts to keep the adapter flat but they should come with the kit.

seadog · March 02, 2005, 10:02:08 PM

Quote from: "purplepickupYup, that's about all there is to it.

Thanks, would that all of life were that easy. Appreciate the info.

purplepickup · March 02, 2005, 10:16:22 PM

If you're going to get the GMPP kit, Scoggin-* has a good price. http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/3162/products/2451/Valve-Cover-Adapter-Kit-Center-Bolt-to-Perimiter-Bolt.htm

I've seen them cheaper on ebay but don't know about the quality. A friend has a set of GMPP adapters and they work great.

Charlie Chops 1940 · March 02, 2005, 10:41:41 PM

Their are two small problems that should be dealt with...PCV and oil fill. Otherwise you're gonna build a lot of internal pressure.

Charlie

Bruce Dorsi · March 02, 2005, 10:51:01 PM

Do these adapters accommodate the EARLIER valve covers with the staggered bolt pattern? ...Or, just the covers with the straight-across bolt pattern?

Thanks!

purplepickup · March 03, 2005, 12:41:43 AM

Charlie's right. I was just thinking about adapting from center bolt to pre-87 valve covers in general...the ones with vent and fill holes. The early vette covers don't have holes.

Life isn't so easy after all.

I haven't seen them with staggered pattern Bruce. The only set I've seen are the ones my friend has and his are straight across.

Pope Downunder · March 03, 2005, 05:02:06 AM

Quote from: "Charlie Chops 1940"Their are two small problems that should be dealt with...PCV and oil fill. Otherwise you're gonna build a lot of internal pressure.

Charlie

Yes, and it will blow out somewhere real quickly!
You need to find somewhere to draw clean air into the block and somewhere to connect a PCV to, where you can create an effective oil baffle. It is not hard to bore a manifold (most that is) for the fill-tube.
You are in luck, because a way of doing this was featured in Street Rodder, December 2004; according to my database.
Fitting a PCV to a manifold valley by Ron Ceridono SR33/12 1/12/04
To allow for unvested valve covers.

I saw another way, if you are not using a mechanical fuel pump, you can fit a barb there, through a blank-off and route that through an in-line PCV valve. I talked to a guy with this set-up, and he said it worked well.

seadog · March 03, 2005, 09:15:08 AM

I am truly amazed and impressed by the responses on this board. Last night, after posting this question, I hit the hay and in the middle of the night I awoke with another question, "What about the oil fill and crankcase ventilation"

This morning when I got to work and checked the board there was the answer. This is beginning to sound like a little more than I want to mess with, although the idea going to a set of finned pre 87 covers with the vent and fill holes may be worth taking a look at.

Thanks guys.

rumrumm · March 03, 2005, 11:30:00 AM

There is a way you can still use them. You just have to relocate the PCV valve and vent, and you can do that in the back of one of the valve covers and in the intake manifold where the old-style filler used to go. That way you will still have the look of the old Corvette valve covers.