Small block GMC valve covers?

[yuccales]

Originally Posted by chewychevy67

Here they are completed.

Fantastic!

[dmjlambert]

Originally Posted by chewychevy67

Yep. They stay smooth. No holes required

That looks nice. Are you having a PCV system by some means other than using the valve covers, or road draft tube and breather somewhere else, or some other way to vent?

[chewychevy67]

Thru the draft tube. In 66 and 67 with the closed pcv valve option the valve threads into the oil fill/draft tube and the valve covers stay smooth. In 68 the tube was discontinued and all of its functions moved to the valve covers.

[lil hoodlum]

Originally Posted by chewychevy67

Thru the draft tube. In 66 and 67 with the closed pcv valve option the valve threads into the oil fill/draft tube and the valve covers stay smooth. In 68 the tube was discontinued and all of its functions moved to the valve covers.

1968 still used the road draft tube and the oil fill in the intake.

[chewychevy67]

Yes you are correct. The tube was still there in 68 but the pcv was permanently moved to the valve covers. In 69 it was gone.

['68OrangeSunshine]

My '68 C/10 came optioned with a 292 L6. [Still does but it's rebuilt and not stock now.]
I had PCV routed from the top of the valve cover into the carb in back, and fresh air pickup from a snorkel in the air cleaner stack into a big grommet in the left side of the valve cover in front.
But my truck was a California vehicle [Felix Chevrolet], so SoCal emissions gear was required.
I have kept the PCV, air cleaner intake set up, as it just runs right with that stuff on, even though I ditched the A.I.R. [smog pump] system years ago.

[lil hoodlum]

Originally Posted by chewychevy67

Yes you are correct. The tube was still there in 68 but the pcv was permanently moved to the valve covers. In 69 it was gone.

My 1968 327 originally came with the no holes valve covers and the PVC system is not part of the valve cover system. It is closed just as your valve covers are. I know this also to be true for the 1968 307 V8s as well. I believe the PVC system in the valve cover began in 1969 when the oil fill tube in the intake and the oil draft tube system were obsolete.

[special-K]

My original '68 C/20 327 came with PVC valve covers, old style alternator mounting, and oil fill intake.

[chewychevy67]

Ok well somewhere in there they changed. I have never seen a 68 without the pcv in the covers but like everything with these trucks, they were the last to get the modern equipment. The cars got it first. My truck has the air injection as well. Instead of ditching it I just devained the pump, plugged it up on the ends but made look correct just not functional but I kept the stuff if it needed to be functional again. 66 67 smog stuff is so hard to find. I just couldn't get myself to throw it away.

[Montierth]

Tonight I had an epiphany on a possible option for a GMC valve cover options. What if I were to take the GMC front fender emblem and use that on the valve cover. You could use it a few different ways. Thinking of either just using the GMC letters and removing the bottom half that says "v eight 1500" or just stick the whole thing on the valve cover. Then either paint the whole thing orange to make it look as one piece or leave it with the chrome sides and the orange middle of the letters.

You could make it custom to your truck.

What do you guys think? How to attach the emblem?

BTW - no comments on my fuel line... Tomorrow my Edelbrock banjo style hardline, filter and braided hose comes to remove the fire hazard.

[duallydude63]

that will look real good!! what about doin some for a big block ??

[Montierth]

Ill keep this updated once I get the guts to cut my emblems and figure out how to get them to attach to valve cover

[Montierth]

What I'm thinking is i may shorten the studs on the back of the emblem then tap holes in the the face of the valve cover for the studs to go in and then weld the stud to the valve cover from the inside. Still trying to decide if I should:
1. Remove the bottom part of the emblem so it only says "GMC" and not "1500 V-eight" or leave it all
2. Paint the whole thing orange or only paint the GMC letters to match the valve covers and leave the sides of the GMC letters chrome

I have some old valve covers that I think I will play with tonight.
Any thoughts on whether these emblems can be welded? I think they are pot metal. May have to use JB WELD!

[Montierth]

As I scrolled through post just noticed Red71GMC mentioned using fender emblem on valve covers. I'll give him credit! Great Minds!

[Montierth]

Well I got home today and tried to size up the emblem on some old valve covers I have. Looks like the emblem wont fit as it is on the cover with the oil fill. Thinking the only way for it to fit is to remove the letters and push them closer together.

[68Gold/white]

Originally Posted by chewychevy67

Ok well somewhere in there they changed. I have never seen a 68 without the pcv in the covers but like everything with these trucks, they were the last to get the modern equipment. The cars got it first. My truck has the air injection as well. Instead of ditching it I just devained the pump, plugged it up on the ends but made look correct just not functional but I kept the stuff if it needed to be functional again. 66 67 smog stuff is so hard to find. I just couldn't get myself to throw it away.

The draft tube setup was only on the small journal blocks. Large journal blocks came out in 67, supposedly only in Camaro SS models (I have read such more than once, BUT I'm NOT claiming to be the expert). Supposedly 68 and 69 327's were large journal, and would not have draft tube (or extra hole by distributor).

Sooo,327's may or may not have extra hole in back of block. I wonder if small journal 327's were made in 68. Seems like all 69 327's were large journal.
No 307's, or 350's had draft tube hole in block....supposedly...

Around 1982 I had the 283 in my 67 Bel Air rebuilt, by a legit engine builder. He plugged the hole in the back of the block. Told me to get valve covers with holes for the PCV setup, said it was a better, cleaner setup, less oil vapor getting drawn into the intake charge...possibly.

[Red71gmc]

Originally Posted by Montierth

As I scrolled through post just noticed Red71GMC mentioned using fender emblem on valve covers. I'll give him credit! Great Minds!

I believe there is a high heat epoxy to possibly attach. I will try to look tomorrow. I do not know how much heat the emblem would stand. Or if it would get brittle in time.

[Montierth]

Thought I'd do a follow up of what I decided to do. I was on craigslist and found a set of 70s era camaro/ corvette valve covers that I thought looked cool. Got them for $40! Cleaned em up, sprayed and put em on.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by Montierth

Thought I'd do a follow up of what I decided to do. I was on craigslist and found a set of 70s era camaro/ corvette valve covers that I thought looked cool. Got them for $40! Cleaned em up, sprayed and put em on.

I like those.

[chewychevy67]

I agree. Those are nice. I might get a gmc era style logo to go over the flags to make them feel more at home on the truck if they were on my truck. The flags don't look bad though.

[Montierth]

I think most people would no know the flags are corvette so I would assume someone might think they are just a "sporty" or racing valve cover. That's a good idea about a GMC sticker. I may have to look into it. Next is to get a new air cleaner that doesn't say Chevrolet. I found this:

[chewychevy67]

The flags will match with that cleaner. It's crazy to find anything gmc related from the 60's unless it's custom made. Wish more was available.

[USSkoval]

Originally Posted by 68Gold/white

The draft tube setup was only on the small journal blocks. Large journal blocks came out in 67, supposedly only in Camaro SS models (I have read such more than once, BUT I'm NOT claiming to be the expert). Supposedly 68 and 69 327's were large journal, and would not have draft tube (or extra hole by distributor).

Sooo,327's may or may not have extra hole in back of block. I wonder if small journal 327's were made in 68. Seems like all 69 327's were large journal.
No 307's, or 350's had draft tube hole in block....supposedly...

Around 1982 I had the 283 in my 67 Bel Air rebuilt, by a legit engine builder. He plugged the hole in the back of the block. Told me to get valve covers with holes for the PCV setup, said it was a better, cleaner setup, less oil vapor getting drawn into the intake charge...possibly.

Iirc, the 350 was only available in the new Camaro for '67 and it was large journal. Then starting in '68, all small blocks were large journal. It was also the start of the 307, which replaced the 283. All small journal 327's used a forged crank, the large journal cranks were cast, with I think a super rare exception in a Corvette or something.

Breather tubes were gone by '69. It was also the start of long water pumps and accessory holes in the heads. This is true for cars, I'm guessing on trucks too?

[chewychevy67]

Got them all painted up this evening. Some eye candy for those who want to do this mod.

[MoFormula]

Those look incredible. So want....