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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Valve covers??

Call it the winter blahs, but I've been spending too much time under the bonnet this winter looking at my dumpy Rover SD1 valve covers. I have seen some really sexy aluminum-finned covers on Buick 215s -- anybody know where to get 'em or if they will fit onto a Rover? The Clive Wheatley ones are certainly nice, but I don't the way I prefer to rig up the breathing will work quite so well with those. Any alternatives? ... maybe I'll just spray mine a different hue, for kicks and giggles. And here I thought I was totally straight-laced.
Harry

You could just have them chrome plated and add MG decals, or you could have your valve covers, breather, alternator and starter powder coated some striking colour.
George B.

Harry,
I have also seen some truly wicked finned valve covers. I saw some polished offenhauser covers on a 3.9 MGC and they looked filthy (good). In your neck of the woods (USA?) try www.vintagespeed.com they sell them for around 190 US dollars. I'm thinking about getting some myself.

Stainzy

P.S. In a fit of boredom I polished my SD1 covers to a good finish by hand but would not do it again. I don't think the quality of the material and the casting is good enough to produce a show standard. (my opinion only)
Stainzy

Guys, I have also seen the Clive Wheatly factory-style valve covers and I think they look good. I'm not sure how they are set up for breathing, though.

The way I have breathing rigged on the SD1 covers is: front of port side cover has a non-MG PCV valve screwed into the threaded hole; it is obviously connected to manifold vacuum; the rear of starboard side cover has a mini chrome breather screwed in. Seems to work OK as there is never, ever any smoke coming out of the latter breather.

I am wondering how you rig the Wheatly covers ... looks to me like they each have a breather tube ... do you just hook one up to the carb for suction and the other to a filter? What are the pluses/minuses of going through a PCV valve into the manifold, vs. just going into the bottom of the air cleaner?
Harry

Harry,
Dan LaGrue of D&D Fabrications has the Offy finned replicas for around $190.
MIKE MOOR

Clive's covers replicate the factory originals. They each have a port that is piped via a flame-trap to a breather on their respective carb (factory V8s had twin SUs), drawing air through a filter on the back of the engine.

PaulH.
Paul Hunt

This thread was discussed between 30/01/2001 and 11/02/2001

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