The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 Vented Valve Cover

My 55.1 Chevy still has the factory vented valve cover (2 vents at the front & 2 at the back). For those that have retained their factory vented valve cover what are you doing to keep dirt and insects out? Have some replaced the factory vented valve cover with a new non-vented valve cover in conjunction with using a vented oil-filler cap? If so, what brand cover did you utilize? Thanks in advance.

With a 55.1, assuming it is the four bolt perimeter style, that cover is the one year only 54 cover. That cover does not use a baffled vented valve cover breather because the vents allow the breathing. 55.2 on the trucks, and all 55 and up motors, those valve covers have no vents and use the baffled vented breather. The earlier 2 bolt covers, had even larger vents.

The aftermarket use to sell a thick cloth arrangement that bolted to the center studs. Supposedly was to quiet the motor and catch debris and water. I have never seen anything for the 54 arrangement but that does not surprise me as it was a one year only cover. So I guess if you wanted to eliminate the four slots, you could braze them up and install a vented cap, or just change over to the later valve cover.

I would be curious myself to see if anyone has a baffle, cloth arrangement for the 54 cover.

Any 55.2 and later 235 and 261 valve cover will fit your 55.1 head. The 56 looks very similar to the 55.1. It just lacks the vent slots and requires a vented cap. A number of the later ones relocated the cap hole and some had Chevrolet script stamped in them.

The valve covers with the "vent slots" were dangerous when used with the stock (1954) 3100 exterior-air-vent that have a drain tube that "emptied" over the valve cover.

That year valve cover had openings/slots in the top of the valve cover. When driving in the rain, water coming in through the air-vent would drip onto the valve cover - going inside the valve cover over valve-tappet-assembly.

I have added a short extension hose on my 1954 engines - this directs the drain-water down the side of the valve cover.

Or, use a valve cover that has no slots in the top (a valve cover from a 1954 engine that had a PCV set-up/valve; or a valve-cover from a 1955-1st engine?).

The vent hose was supposed to be oriented away from center so that the drip missed the top of the valve cover. But most of them were eventually straight down in the center, probably from loosening up on the metal drain tube. The FAM Section 14, Sheet 2.00 shows it offset toward the driver's side. A longer hose would definitely solve the problem.

Thanks, Kevin

I never checked the FAM. I will look at it.

I will direct the hose in that direction.

Nonetheless, the hose I have will have my "extension".

Or you can just JB weld the slots on the inside of the valve cover, get a vented cap and retain the original 54 look.

On your truck (it's your truck), Jethro - do what you like.