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

[sleepar]

The next step is to do a 454-455 conversion thread....

 

[CudaChick1968]

Leanna, have you noticed any issues with the small block covers? they probably sell twice as many of those

The small block castings are a bit better but they take some metal work too to be nice enough for a multi-color job. I haven't seen any serious defects on the sb versions personally (just typical casting flaws and extra metal), but one guy who read my post on FaceBook added that two of his sb dog ears broke off. Like so many others who've shared their stories, everyone seems surprised by everybody else's experiences and assume they just overtightened them.

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The next step is to do a 454-455 conversion thread....

Go for it sleepar! Just please do it somewhere else ... like a GM Board.

 

[Moparsmitty]

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

To each his own, but I prefer the stamped covers too. Never had a problem with 'em.

 

[themechanic]

Thanks, Leanna. I have the MP aluminum valve covers and cast iron heads. I have been "chasing a leak" at the passenger side valve cover. I tried the Moroso Perm-Align gaskets with the metal inside and the thick cork gaskets, both leaked. I give up. I think I'll try steel valve covers next.

Does anyone besides me torque their valve cover bolts to spec? Maybe I'm too ****. But I never broke an ear off an aluminum valve cover.

 

[natas33]

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.

yes sorry I didn't take the time to read it through thoroughly, i assumed they were used. funny thing is maybe they are, they could have been bought and someone realized they broke them and returned them to the supplier for a refund saying they changed their mind on the parts. or some covers have been dropped onto the floor possibly by someone.

reason i say this is, I can see an aluminum casting having many flaws, porous, chunks missing, but being cracked on the corners like that, it is just too suspiciously exactly what happens when they've been (over) tightened onto a cylinder head.

 

[CudaChick1968]

yes sorry I didn't take the time to read it through thoroughly, i assumed they were used. funny thing is maybe they are, they could have been bought and someone realized they broke them and returned them to the supplier for a refund saying they changed their mind on the parts. or some covers have been dropped onto the floor possibly by someone.

reason i say this is, I can see an aluminum casting having many flaws, porous, chunks missing, but being cracked on the corners like that, it is just too suspiciously exactly what happens when they've been (over) tightened onto a cylinder head.

Not surprisingly, that's exactly what the 60+ people who've responded to my posts with their own cracked / broken dog ear / leakage horror stories thought too. With just two days' exposure on this 'development,' I really don't like the numbers I'm reading about.

 

[sleepar]

I've noticed a big decline In mopar brand when I worked for frightliner... it's been since the late 90's mopar now must be real bad.... there will be no mopar on my car unless it came with it.... it's about being lucky to get a good one.... we're dealing with corporate governance...

 

[natas33]

Not surprisingly, that's exactly what the 60+ people who've responded to my posts with their own cracked / broken dog ear / leakage horror stories thought too. With just two days' exposure on this 'development,' I really don't like the numbers I'm reading about.

i guess Mopars are junk then. they made a stupid valve cover and we should all convert to Ford and Chevies. yes im being sarcastic. no not towards you. just in general. the covers are about the only thing I could personally fault from Mopar Performance for not being totally bulletproof, other than some batches of bad cast aluminum heads, which EVERY manufacturer has had, even the most expensive, even today. a guy with a small block chev just recently bought $4000 worth of the latest design BRODIX heads for a radical small block build and the engine went on the dyno and both of the heads were literally watering the dyno room, it was the newest and most powerful sprinkler system on the market, sold new by BRODIX. even NETAFIM would have liked the design, they watered all 4 corners of the room in a nice even pattern :app:

 

[DART340H]

I have the small block ones on my 340 I'll have to check them.Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[Hemi Rebel]

Ok people. Here's the deal. There has been some discussion lately about valve covers or MP distributors and such. News flash, Chrysler went through a bit of a financial calamity fairly recently. This had an effect on the quality of parts being made. They had a hard enough time getting parts for cars they are building, much less performance parts for 40 year old cars. Suppliers changed or went under and the ones they had to turn to are producing junk. Probably chinese junk.

 

[Cranky]

i guess Mopars are junk then. they made a stupid valve cover and we should all convert to Ford and Chevies. yes im being sarcastic. no not towards you. just in general. the covers are about the only thing I could personally fault from Mopar Performance for not being totally bulletproof, other than some batches of bad cast aluminum heads, which EVERY manufacturer has had, even the most expensive, even today. a guy with a small block chev just recently bought $4000 worth of the latest design BRODIX heads for a radical small block build and the engine went on the dyno and both of the heads were literally watering the dyno room, it was the newest and most powerful sprinkler system on the market, sold new by BRODIX. even NETAFIM would have liked the design, they watered all 4 corners of the room in a nice even pattern :app:

Sounds like someone didn't do a quality control check before installing them?

 

[CudaChick1968]

Ok people. Here's the deal. There has been some discussion lately about valve covers or MP distributors and such. News flash, Chrysler went through a bit of a financial calamity fairly recently. This had an effect on the quality of parts being made. They had a hard enough time getting parts for cars they are building, much less performance parts for 40 year old cars. Suppliers changed or went under and the ones they had to turn to are producing junk. Probably chinese junk.

Some of the horror stories are from people who bought theirs 10 to 20 years ago. Here are a few verbatim quotes from the "Mopar Owners of FaceBook" page:

J. Weber Had a set few year back. Always leaked right there. Couldn't Figure out why til I pulled for the 3rd time. I unfortunately decided to toss them cause I wasn't dealing with leaks. It's to bad cause the look nice. One of of mine was exactly like that. After close inspection I pulled on that ear with nothing more than my hand and it broke off. My dad has a set on his sb and never had an issue. That's going on 10 years. Poor quality.

M. Ferrell I have a set....quiet a years old....and one ear snapped as soon as I was being tightened. Of course they said I over tightened it. Funny I've never over tightened them before and I've never broke any other manufacturers aluminum valve cover. So it was welded back and works fine. And you can't even see it because it's in the back side of the passengers head. Apparently the problem has been going on for some time.

R. Bouchillon All the cast aluminum co
vers by Mopar Performance,Edelbrock, Holley and the old M/T covers are done by Ansen of California. We all wonder why all manufacturing has gone overseas, we as Americans don't care about our job, only what we get paid. There still is some quality manufacturers in the US, but it is not the norm, they generally are the exception.​

This one kinda cracked me up (no pun intended) ...

D. Buswell My BB Mopar covers (same as these) also were (Are) Cracked, I just siliconed them up, it's holding for now...​

M. Carr I have asset and they are broke in the exact same spot WTF​

... and on and on and on. Yikes.

 

[sleepar]

Ok people. Here's the deal. There has been some discussion lately about valve covers or MP distributors and such. News flash, Chrysler went through a bit of a financial calamity fairly recently. This had an effect on the quality of parts being made. They had a hard enough time getting parts for cars they are building, much less performance parts for 40 year old cars. Suppliers changed or went under and the ones they had to turn to are producing junk. Probably chinese junk.

The last time it happened they came out with the k car and caravan to dig them selves out... freightliner is the only thing they have that holds them up....

 

[CudaChick1968]

I got a pair of the polished big block MPs in yesterday for another customer ...








Crapsmanship at its finest!!!

And there's no way in hell that metal damage like that occurred when someone over-tightened it. Having never once been installed on a motor also belies that possible excuse.

 

[Cranky]

Looks like something was dropped......and pretty hard lol

 

[satman72]

The last time it happened they came out with the k car and caravan to dig them selves out... freightliner is the only thing they have that holds them up....

Ah, Freightliner is owned by Daimler, not Chrysler.

 

[CudaChick1968]

Looks like something was dropped......and pretty hard lol

Cranky, sadly enough that's the norm with these. I've never worked in a foundry or a mill so I can only assume what happens on the manufacturer's front. Since the damage is consistent almost across the board in placement, I suspect it's done by some machine used to trim down the excess metal on the gasket rail or something. Sometimes it gets placed in there like it should, sometimes it gets shoved, and other times it's like "Get me the Hell out of here NOW!!!! [WHAM!!!!!] It's almost 5:00 and the wife's makin' meatloaf tonight." He's so concerned with the supper or prospect of beers ahead he doesn't even look them over after the machine does its work. They go into a box (apparently with little or no quality inspection) ... and then onto our motors.

 

[themechanic]

 

[bm02tj]

The problem is they think it is cheaper to hire more lawyers
as in they know most people will go oh sh!t and throw it away and not do any thing

 

[MsMoparMarilyn]

Thanks, Leanna. I have the MP aluminum valve covers and cast iron heads. I have been "chasing a leak" at the passenger side valve cover. I tried the Moroso Perm-Align gaskets with the metal inside and the thick cork gaskets, both leaked. I give up. I think I'll try steel valve covers next.
Does anyone besides me torque their valve cover bolts to spec? Maybe I'm too ****. But I never broke an ear off an aluminum valve cover.

Same story here...MP covers leaked no matter which gasket installed. Over winter in dry storage, the passenger side cover front tang appears to have cracked, and it was not over-tightened. I am prepping the original steel covers for a return to service and yes, the bolts will be torqued to spec. 383 with factory exhaust manifolds and heads. Does anyone else have to use a thin-walled 7/16" socket on the centre outside valve cover bolt on the passenger side valve cover?