The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Rockers and valve covers

OK, now I'm messed up with this problem. I had a set of cheap stamped steel valve covers on my '78 sbc 350 and a few of the rocker arms hit the inside of them. No problem I knew there would possibly be that problem. Tapped them out for a little clearance, done. Now I just installed a set of GM performance billet cast aluminum covers and have the same problem again. I don't want to take a hammer to these new covers at all. Could the problem be the rockers? They came with the motor that I did not build the PO did. Could they be the wrong rockers or something?
Thanks

Do you have aftermarket heads or stock castings? I have seen issues with the aftermarket heads locating the stud closer to the pushrod holes causeing the issues you are seeing.Can you grind enough material from the rocker to clear ?

I would guess the PO installed higher ratio rocker arms 1.6.
You prob. need a set of "TALL" smallblock valve covers for the clearance you need.

The heads are stock castings and I'm not sure about griding on the rockers. I don't think the rockers are 1.6's because they are not hitting on the top but on the side toward the intake and the last set that were on there were also the short ones thats why I'm so lost with this thing.
Thanks

hmmmm .. now that says more than your original post I assumed they were smakin the top.
Ya got me also never in my years had rockers slam the intake side of the covers....Wow ...never had or heard of this problem.
Im sure someone with some serious small block knowlege might chime in with a solution.
but it seems like your rockers are the problem..just dont have a good way to point ya.
AINT THIS HOBBY FUN!
Tim

There are tall valve covers made for the smallblocks.That should solve your problem.

If you relly like those valve covers, B&B and Trickflow make valve cover spacers that should solve your problem

how about using two valve cover gaskets instead of one?

Keith

Maybe big block rockers instead of small block? If they are hitting the side of the cover, then the mounting hole is off center and I bet the tip is off center on the valve stem head.

Something is sure not right so please stop now and figure it out. It will be alot easyer in the driveway then out on the road someplace! Joe

heads got milled so much that it makes the pushrod push the rocker up high mayby iv seen them over milled so intake wont line up use two gaskets

I dont imagine the covers are on backwards.

Do the heads have screw in studs or pressed in studs?
If you have pressed in rocker studs check the hight of the studs they may be pulling out.If the heads have screw in studs were they installed correctly?

Bill

Well just to thank everyone for the input and let everyone know I did get the problem fixed. Not the way I wanted to but it is fixed. After checking everything over several times along with a couple of friends it was decided we all had no idea as to why it was happening. So what I ended up doing is just getting out the die grinder and grinding a little off the inside of the covers at each spot where they were hitting. Hell of a way to treat brand new covers but it had to be done.
Anyway thanks to all for the input and info.