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Do You Own Big Block MP Valve Covers?? Please Read This ... and Share

CudaChick1968

Leanna ~ The Mistress of Metal
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I urge everyone who has a set of big block Mopar Performance valve covers to closely inspect the dog ears.

My prior and current customers are fairly well aware of the meticulous and careful work I put into your parts. If you aren't, then please take a look at the PhotoBucket link below for an introduction to how I became known as The Mistress of Metal. I take my job very seriously, and was just another enthusiast and restorer long before I was ever a business owner.

In purchasing any brand new part, a consumer has a reasonable expectation of quality. Though it's wise to inspect everything you install on your car, all defects are not always readily apparent.

Upon finishing the blasting on the second big block valve cover in a set I've been working on for a member of this board and looking them over for the last time in prep for their first color, I discovered a SERIOUS casting defect in the form of a hairline crack on the left front dogear -- see the photo. This isn't just some excess casting slag either.

View attachment 201535

In light of this and past / current customer Dave F. recently discovering an even more severe crack in the same location upon initial installation of his brand new custom valve covers, today's discovery is very disappointing in more ways than one. This is his:

View attachment 201536

Unfortunately, the phone rep at M. P. corporate had absolutely NO interest in seeing any of my photos or apparently doing anything for the benefit of my customers -- I've got 10 HOURS into the bodywork on the current set just cleaning up the typical crappy castings and blasting them in prep for powder (see http://s207.photobucket.com/user/Pho...Valve%20Covers ) [which I learned renders them "modified" by the way, apparently voiding any warranty] -- but at least Summit and Jeg's agreed to inspect a few random sets of big block M.P. valve covers in their inventory.

A closer inspection of the only other big block cover in line in the shop right now revealed it's from the same mold as evidenced by a large chunk of missing metal on the edge of the dogear. This one is a stray I had on hand, and the plan was to customize it and replace Dave's broken one with it ... but now I'm not so sure. It's black wrinkle from the factory so God only knows what horrors are hiding under that thick paint until it gets blasted -- it'll be a LOT of them if it's a typical example ... and then it'll of course be "modified" and they won't be interested in making it right then either.

Though I hope I'm wrong in assuming this is a widespread factory defect, the fact remains that I have personally seen two serious flaws in less than three months in the same spot with the very real possibility of a third, and it looks likely that even quality aluminum welding isn't going to fix it.

Other owners on FaceBook are reporting similar problems just since YESTERDAY when I first posted this on my own wall, the shop's Fan Page and the Mopar Trader Page.

If the aftermarket companies' QC inspectors DO find something amiss in their current inventory, I hope and pray they have a lot more influence over the corporate guys than little PSC does. It's a major problem that can sadly only be remedied on the factory level.

In the meantime, if you have a set of these big block valve covers on your car whether they've ever lived on my workbench for awhile or not, I urge you to inspect the dogears closely, especially if you bought them within the last year and most especially if you've been chasing an inherent leak.

The ones I've been working up say "Made in California" on the inside but Dave's don't -- beware ladies and gentlemen, and please help spread the word to your Mopar friends.

Per Ken at Summit, if you do find a crack or suspect yours may be defective and bought them ONLY within the last 90 days (beyond that you're SOL folks), Summit will EXCHANGE THEM for another set in their inventory ... but between you and me, please keep in mind you might just be getting more of what you've already got.

From a strictly personal viewpoint, I believe it's a sad state of affairs when the manufacturer's own phone rep isn't inclined to forward my concerns to someone who matters or, at a minimum, make arrangements to pull a couple sets and take a look. If I ever get to where I'm some untouchable bitch who won't listen to you when you have a problem, then somebody do all of us a favor, smack me upside the head a couple times and demand that I close my doors. Businesses should not operate that way in my opinion, and ignoring customers and colleagues in such a fashion does nothing to support or enhance the industry as a whole; it's actually doing all of us a disservice.

Thank you all for taking a moment to read this and share it with those you know! The only way we're going to get the factory's attention (absent some serious deep pockets behind us) is to produce overwhelming and sufficient evidence of the defects, so if you have any pictures or info to share, please feel free to do so in any manner you wish.

1-800-84-MOPAR
[email protected]
[email protected]
Leanna Lynn Johnson on FaceBook
Phoenix Specialty Coatings Fan Page on FaceBook
 
Wow well I guess its the sign of the times poor materials and poor quality control and poor customer service I experience it always.Good looking out even though my set are over 10 yrs old Im gonna look tomorrow ,Ps love your work really love the black and yellow VC's being a Steelers fan lol keep up the great work Leanna
 
I will check mine, thanks for the heads up. I sure hope I don't have a problem as mine were purchased bak in January. I get a lot of compliments on them thanks to the great work of Cuda Chick.
 
I had a set in the late 90s that broke...some have claimed the rail on factory heads isn't square/flat...dunno. The crap metal wouldn't allow us to weld it back on either. I use as few Mopar parts as possible anymore.

Good luck w/ this. Hate to hear you spent so much time on them.
 
Umm....I hope mine are still sitting in a sealed box as sent by my buddy on here :eek:

Leanna, you have a PM coming.
 
I've found plenty of other cast aluminum covers that were cracked or broken too but was hard to tell if they had casting flaws to start with. It pays to inspect any cast aluminum product be it Mopar or MT. I'm betting they are made in China now a days too?
 
I have never owned a set but always remember hearing about broken ears, most where blamed on over tightening I think, but when it's in the same spot every time it makes you wonder.
The pic you posted shows a definite problem, and the fact that MP isn't interested makes me think they already know about it.
Thanks Leanna your a great asset to this hobby!
 
I never liked those valve covers. I ran a set back in 02-03, and though they were not cracked, they were a pain to get on. Bolt holes didnt line up for crap. How hard does it have to be to put a valve cover on for pete sake. Never again
 
Nothing wrong with the Mopar covers. I cracked first set back in the 90's. You need to tighten an aluminum cover on a cast head slowly, and evenly. Once the corners get a bead of weld run across, they never crack again.

Everyone stop whining about Mopar parts. Mopar Performance parts have ruled the streets and drag strips for decades since the 1960's :3gears:

And no I don't work for them. I just have had great success using their parts! lots of others also.

- - - Updated - - -

And my current polished pair on Stage VI heads don't have an issue cracking, and ive tightened them TIGHT! A cast head they need more care taken to not overtighten the corners all at once.
 
Crap......gotta go look at mine. They are brand new, never installed. This isn't the first defective part you've warned us about. Keep up the good work.
Thanx Leanna.
 
Crap......gotta go look at mine. They are brand new, never installed. This isn't the first defective part you've warned us about. Keep up the good work.
Thanx Leanna.

They don't come broken from Mopar. They crack when people over tighten them on the corners. They need some finesse, especially on old cast iron heads. The first pair I ever bolted to my 440 i yanked down on the bolts like you do on most of a Mopar without it breaking a sweat, and cracked the corner clean off! Took it to the welders, a nice bead of aluminum weld across it made it so strong that i could just tighten the hell out of it infinitely afterwards and i think it would bend rather than crack. Think i ended up with all 4 corners being welded.
 
Nothing wrong with the Mopar covers. I cracked first set back in the 90's. You need to tighten an aluminum cover on a cast head slowly, and evenly. Once the corners get a bead of weld run across, they never crack again.

Everyone stop whining about Mopar parts. Mopar Performance parts have ruled the streets and drag strips for decades since the 1960's :3gears:

And no I don't work for them. I just have had great success using their parts! lots of others also.

- - - Updated - - -

And my current polished pair on Stage VI heads don't have an issue cracking, and ive tightened them TIGHT! A cast head they need more care taken to not overtighten the corners all at once.
Any casting can have flaws no matter what the material is or who made them.....it's the nature of the beast.
 
Any casting can have flaws no matter what the material is or who made them.....it's the nature of the beast.
Nowdays that many if not most castings are coming from China, you can bet your hard earned American fiat monopoly money that everyone in the manufacturing game is chasing, they'll have plenty of flaws!
 
They don't come broken from Mopar. They crack when people over tighten them on the corners. They need some finesse, especially on old cast iron heads. The first pair I ever bolted to my 440 i yanked down on the bolts like you do on most of a Mopar without it breaking a sweat, and cracked the corner clean off! Took it to the welders, a nice bead of aluminum weld across it made it so strong that i could just tighten the hell out of it infinitely afterwards and i think it would bend rather than crack. Think i ended up with all 4 corners being welded.

natas, I really wish you had taken a minute to READ my post -- and maybe even look at the pictures and captions -- first before tossing out your reply. The valve covers that are the subject of this post are brand new and have never been bolted onto anything.
 
natas, I really wish you had taken a minute to READ my post -- and maybe even look at the pictures and captions -- first before tossing out your reply. The valve covers that are the subject of this post are brand new and have never been bolted onto anything.

i was hoping you would respond to that lol
 
sorry to see your having these issues with Ma Mopar's performance division, parts new out of the box,
I have had quite a few sets, I have a set on my current 383/479, from back in 2005,
thank goodness there's no signs of any flaw or cracks !!

thanks for the heads up, your a stand-up gal...

I wonder if it was just a bad batch/run if these valve-covers ??
maybe a flaw in the casting molds themselves causing the issue...

Anyway Mopar Performance should stand behind their product better, especially off the shelf new items,
issues like these that Leanna/CudaChick are bringing to light/our attention, can hurt their reputation,
IMHFO you would think they would want to get out in-front of an issue, stave off problems if possible, but that's me...
That's what you should do as a manufacturer/parts supplier, even if the product is outsourced to some other entity or country...

On another note:
if you use the rubber gaskets, with the metal inners, like ones from Moroso,
it will help to stave off cracking while installing them, less chance of distortion
always install in an "in to out/cross pattern" when tightening, may help also,
use a 1/4" drive tool also, less leverage, less chance of distortion from over tightening,
possibly it will help, to not over tighten them...
 
Thanks for easing our minds Leanna

Kiwi .. she talking about Mopar Performance not M/Ts's :)
 
Leanna, have you noticed any issues with the small block covers? they probably sell twice as many of those
 
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