Tall valve covers and AC compressor

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kennythewelder

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So, here's my story. I got a set of polished aluminum valve covers from E-Bay. I had to cut down the AC bracket, where the bolt goes, for the AC compressor, on inside,rear, next to the intake. There just isn't enough room, to get the Aluminum valve cover between that bolt, and the lifter's, ECT. Even once the valve cover is in place, there is still not enough room for that last bolt. When I installed the new aluminum valve covers, I broke off the HP sensor ever so slightly, on the back of the AC compressor. This caused the AC compressor to not work anymore. I didn't want to disturb to AC system, in fear of having to recharge it, but that ended up happening anyway. So now there are 3 bolts holding my AC compressor l, instead of 4. I have had these valve covers for a few years now, and only having 3 bolts on the AC compressor, hasn't been an issue at all, and believe me, I use my AC, all of the time. Moral of the story, unbolt the AC compressor before you install the valve covers. You can trim off as much of the AC bracket as needed, to get the valve covers to fit. I simply put some silicon around the 4th bolt, and dropped it in the hole that it belongs in, so it wouldn't be bouncing around. It doesn't hold anything, but it's there, and looking at the engine, it looks like it does
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Pro439

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So my case is similar but different as I have bowtie heads and they have outside and center bolt holes and I have outside bolt valve covers but they are the tall valve covers and I have a bracket to test fit just haven’t got that far. I did just for sh**ts and giggles try a center bolt valve cover and it hits everything. So I’m going to try cutting/trimming the back of the bracket or raising it and welding it back together with my tig. I have never measured stock height outside bolt valve covers but I do know that the rockers will hit as I’ve run them years ago in the 80’s
 

Schurkey

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I have never measured stock height outside bolt valve covers but I do know that the rockers will hit as I’ve run them years ago in the 80’s
It's extremely unlikely that the ROCKERS will hit the covers.

In nearly every case where there's interference, it's the dumbass overly-tall "polylock" nuts that's the problem. Shorter nuts or trimming/drilling the PCV baffles fixes the interference.
 

Pro439

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I must have had a funky set as the push rod end were rubbing at the top of the cover was why I had to change them before. Now the center bolt bracket doesn’t have enough room to fit in between the rockers and the breather baffle hits but I expected that but I thought the rest would be ok. I don’t have an old set of outside bolt valve covers to try which potentially could work as I’m not running a lot of cam. As it’s a 383 I’m trying to make power in the 3 - 5500 rpm range. Don’t know how close I’ll be but should be there
 
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