Odd question - anybody have a cad drawing of a 472 valve cover flange?

[Psychoholic]

I don't want to buy a set of fabricated valve covers for something I know I can make myself. I have a new plasma cutter coming so I can handle thicker material on the CNC table and I'd like to cut my own flanges (if you need stuff, hit your boy up) but I don't really feel like drawing them up from scratch if someone has already done it.

Anybody?

 

[2JvLo]

Would be really interested in this as well !

 

[Psychoholic]

I think what I'm going to do is when I get them figured out I'll make 'weld them yourselves' kits for sale for a lot less than the fabricated ones that CadCo and CHP sells them for. Stay tuned for that.

 

[48Austin]

Why not use gaskets as patterns?

 

[2JvLo]

Why not use gaskets as patterns?

That's fine when making them by hand, But a a pita to take exact measurements from..

 

[Psychoholic]

What I'm going to do is take one of the stock valve covers (I still have at least one pair around here somewhere), cover the flange in grease and use it like a stamp on some white cardboard (to get maximum contrast), put one of my machinist rulers in the middle and take picture above it. I can pull that into my cad program and then trace it to and use the ruler for scale. We've done it that way for a few things like transmission adapters and whatnot.

I'll document the process in a video for my youtube channel when we're ready to start making a set of valve covers. I'm going to be building myself a radiator overflow as well so I can put it exactly where I want it. The existing overflow is exactly where I need the intercooler cold side piping to go through so I need to move it. Probably sell those as a kit too once I get the dimensions figured out.

 

[smalltruckbigcid]

I bought a set of adapters from studillac years ago that he had Cnc’c somewhere

 

[Psychoholic]

Hey @53 Studillac you got your ears on?

 

[53 Studillac]

Hey @53 Studillac you got your ears on?

Hey! Sorry I haven't had my ears on lately. I looked thru my old drawings and don't see just a flange. But I have several adapters drawn and can probably come up with something easy enough. I don't draw as much as I once did... I'll try to check back soon. Send an email to remind me soon! studillac_53@yahoo.com

Dwayne

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

Slight tangent from the original topic, but years ago, there was a company that made adapters to use earlier 390/429 valve covers on the later big blocks, but the company has since gone out of business. Looks like it would be easy enough to machine out of a piece of aluminum plate. If someone decides to start making them again, I'd be interested in a set. If not, I might draw something up in cad for whenever I eventually get around to building a cnc table, but that will probably be a few years down the line.

 

[5one9]

That's fine when making them by hand, But a a pita to take exact measurements from..

Wouldn’t you just use a head to take exact measurements? An old, used, and possibly bent or warped sheet metal cover would make a poor template.

 

[2JvLo]

even better