The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Val-Vin-Hed Silencer is this good for a 848 head?

I came across some info in a book I read about an Val-Vin-Hed Silencer. It states that this pad eliminates 50% of valve noise and provides better lubrication. I am not really concearned with the noise but better lubrication is what I would be interested in. The book was Cailfornia Bob's Cheverolet, GMC & Buick Speed Manual, the 1954 edition

The motor I am rebuilding is a 1956 chevy 235 with the 848 heads in a 3100 stepside.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about this?

Will this work in my 848 head or is it old technology?

Is this still available and if so where to purchase?

I have seen these items on eBay and such. TrknGMC installed one on one of his previous trucks. I'm not too sure their claim for better lubrication is true.

This device is basically a canvas diaper that sits on top of the rocker assembly.

If it were my truck, I'd adjust the valves and perform regular maintenance and it will serve you for years.

The Buick version must have been for a straight eight?

That thing is like giving a guy an aspirin for the headache his brain tumor is causing- - - -it's treating the symptom, not the cause of the problem. Valves aren't supposed to be noisy. If they're adjusted correctly, there's no reason to have a silencer pad in place. Lubrication of the rockers gets done by the oil coming through the shaft- - - -by the time it gets to the place it could soak into the pad, it needs to be draining back into the crankcase to get recycled. P.T. Barnum would approve of their marketing strategy- - - -"There's a sucker born every minute!"
Jerry

Maybe so after seeing the ad posted by tclederman it really look cheesy huh. I am starting to lose confidence it that book.

The book might have been state of the art in 1954, but that was over 50 years ago when the overhead valve Ford V-8 was the new kid on the block, the Chevy 265 hadn't been marketed yet, and reliable hydraulic lifters in the Chevy 235 and the Buick straight 8 were just a pipe dream. Motor oil capable of working with hydraulic lifters was just getting developed, also.

My father was closely involved with a few GM field engineers in working the bugs out of the Oldsmobile overhead valve V-8, (Introduced in 1949) and one of the problems they dealt with was noisy valve lifters. They used to use his shop in Nashville as an after-hours experimental shop when they were in the southeast. RPM "10-30 Special" oil was one of the first multi-viscosity oils available, and it helped quiet down Olds lifters very well. Kendall also made some special-formula oils to deal with the noisy lifter problem.

Dad was also involved in making the Rochester 4-barrel carburetor work right. Some of the modifications he and the GM guys came up with in 1953 were standard on the Rochester 4GC carburetor in 54.
Jerry

Don't loose faith in the Book Tiny, just rejoice in all those old ads in Popular Mechanics. I had totally forgotten most of them and hadn't seen them since I was a kid. Great stuff.

Maybe another way to look at the valve train diaper is that it functioned as a poor mans oil filter. Silly? Yes. But I'm surprised some clever advertising type didm't claim it. What always astounds me is that this was in the 50's and WWII was won on 40's technology much of which was truly genius.

If you check the engines referred-to in the 1954 Speed Manual, I think that all of them were low pressure engines? It's been a while since I looked at that book, and I do not know if that distinction makes a difference.

The 28 Chevy car I had came stock with a thick felt pad over the rocker arms. That and an oil can were the only oil for the top end.

Grigg