1977 Chevy Engine Valve Covers - 4Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

To some, replacing valve covers to cure leaky gaskets is like throwing out the baby with the bath water: New gaskets will likely solve the problem. However, shoddy gaskets provide an opportunity for upgrading the valve covers, especially if bent lips are part of the problem. And while we're on a roll, new valve covers call for a complementary air cleaner and timing chain cover....

Since everyone knows that chrome don't get you home, we investigated unshiny valve-cover options. Proform makes a black-crinkle dress-up kit that's low maintenance and will blend well with any future oil leaks. Installing the air cleaner and valve covers is straightforward. Unfortunately, the 350 in this California-licensed '77 Chevy 3/4-ton still has to pass emissions, so the valve covers must be shimmied into position around the smog equipment. Also, each valve cover has one hole on the top, so we retained the PCV plumbing on the driver side and use the kit's breather as a fill cap on the passenger side.

The timing-chain cover is a little more involved, so we'll save it for later-till it or the water pump leaks. This job involves removing the water pump, pulling the harmonic balancer, and dropping the oil pan before the existing cover can be removed and replaced.

To complete our look, flat black rattle-can paint turns the faded-yellow engine compartment and its rusty accents from ratty to natty (literally-our cleanup involved removing rodent droppings). The flat black also adds some rat-rod panache, possibly making this engine the true rat of mouse motors, at least aesthetically. Investing a few hours and a few bucks cured the valve-cover leaks and gave a grimy engine bay a rugged new attitude.

The GM-licensed Proform Black Crinkle Dress-Up Kit is easy to keep clean and helps conceal any future leaks. The Black Crinkle Kit (PN 141-758) includes stamped-steel valve covers, a timing cover, a 14-inch air cleaner, a breather cap, eight wing nuts, and eight hold-down clamps. The epoxy CED paint finish is scratch- and chemical-resistant, and components are available individually. The kit is also offered in OE-look gray or triple chrome-plating (fuzzy dice and blue-dot taillights not included).
The GM-licensed Proform Black Crinkle Dress-Up Kit is easy to keep clean and helps conceal
After degreasing and hosing, the 30-year-old 350 is still a mess. A rebuilt Q-jet and new Proform distributor overshadow the rest of the engine. Our rehab begins by removing the air cleaner and its exhaust heat riser, then ratcheting out the four valve-cover bolts. A bonk with a dead-blow mallet jars the cover loose. Lift it to freedom. (If your 350 has to pass emissions, be sure to save all of the take-off parts.) Use a scraper and/or chemical warfare to remove all gasket shrapnel from the heads. Years of oil leakage are visible on the intake manifold.
After degreasing and hosing, the 30-year-old 350 is still a mess. A rebuilt Q-jet and new
The Fel-Pro gasket can be held in place with the Proform wing-nut studs on the passenger side; clearance could be an issue on the driver side pending engine year and any emissions equipment. We chose Fel-Pro reusable PermaDry Plus gaskets in case a hardball emissions technician requires the factory valve cover. (For certification, we'll install the factory air cleaner and heat riser, adapting the OE air-cleaner vent tube to the breather hole in the new cover.)
The Fel-Pro gasket can be held in place with the Proform wing-nut studs on the passenger s

Shimmy the Proform valve cover into place, then install the kit's wing nuts and hold-down plates (which spread force across the valve covers to prevent leaks). The breather can then be pushed into the grommet. Wing nuts are indexed for aesthetics here and were later torqued to 15 lb-ft by feel after using a torque wrench on a different engine to experience the proper force.
Shimmy the Proform valve cover into place, then install the kit's wing nuts and hold-down
Proform offers a variety of plug-looming options. One-Piece Valve Cover Hold-Downs (PN 66292) combine improved sealing load distribution with linear wire looms. They aren't intended for emissions engines, so we trimmed and bent the looms' ears to clear the air-injection runners.
Proform offers a variety of plug-looming options. One-Piece Valve Cover Hold-Downs (PN 662
Route the plug wires through the looms. The engine should now be leak-free at the valve covers, cross-fire free at the wires, and downright dapper overall without being obnoxious. For around 170 dollars, this is a true budget rehab.
Route the plug wires through the looms. The engine should now be leak-free at the valve co