transparent valve covers


http://209.208.111.198/Topic67388.aspx
Print Topic | Close Window

By jrw429 - 13 Years Ago
I've been thinking of this for a while, but have never seen any for sale. With all the concern for getting oil to the rockers on a Y-block, it seems to me that a pair of clear plastic valve covers would be awesome. Depending on the durability, they might be short-use diagnostic tools or if strong enough you could leave them on for good. And it would add a bit of cool factor. Is there any reason this could not be done? Has anyone seen such a thing for sale?
By aussiebill - 13 Years Ago
jrw429 (1/8/2012)
I've been thinking of this for a while, but have never seen any for sale. With all the concern for getting oil to the rockers on a Y-block, it seems to me that a pair of clear plastic valve covers would be awesome. Depending on the durability, they might be short-use diagnostic tools or if strong enough you could leave them on for good. And it would add a bit of cool factor. Is there any reason this could not be done? Has anyone seen such a thing for sale?

Could i offer the thought that the pressure of the retaining nuts may lead to cracking and hence not viable. Some guys just cut hole in top of cover to view oil at rockers.Smile

By jrw429 - 13 Years Ago
I don't know, but seems that modern plastics engineering can come up with something to match those stresses. Heck, new cars seem to be 90% plastic anyway. Smile
By speedpro56 - 13 Years Ago
They would certainly get oiled up inside and there goes the clean factor after a few good revsw00t.
By 55 GLASS TOP - 13 Years Ago
How about you take a steel valve cover and cut windows in it and fit plexi or acrylic if you only want to use them for a temp look at what going on inside
By charliemccraney - 13 Years Ago
I've seen the plexiglass inserts on other engines. I've thought it would be neat to make a set like that for car shows.
By Ted - 13 Years Ago

Nothing fancy here.  Just a set of clear covers that were made to watch the rocker arms at speed.

  

By Y block Billy - 13 Years Ago
Ted,

With an adjustable timing light you can probably adjust it so you can look at each rocker in different positions as though it was stopped, even though its moving like hell. I do it with moving machinery on plant sites and it looks like the piece of machinery is sitting there not running. 

By mctim64 - 13 Years Ago
This is how I did it.   Not the cleanest but it was easy if you have an extra valve cover to spare.

__________________
By DANIEL TINDER - 13 Years Ago
[b]Y block Billy (1/9/2012)



With an adjustable timing light you can probably adjust it so you can look at each rocker in different positions as though it was stopped, even though its moving like hell. I do it with movingmachinery on plant sites and it looks like the piece of machinery is sitting there not running.




That's how Karol Miller developed the Isky cam timing/specs. for his record-setting '56 312, driving the camshaft with a lawnmower engine.
By The Master Cylinder - 13 Years Ago
Y block Billy (1/9/2012)
Ted,



With an adjustable timing light you can probably adjust it so you can look at each rocker in different positions as though it was stopped, even though its moving like hell. I do it with movingmachinery on plant sites and it looks like the piece of machinery is sitting there not running.




A while back we pulled one of the heads off of a Yamaha 350 two stroke twin and started it to see how the air/fuel/oil mix looked as it came into the cylinder thru the transfer ports. With an adjustable light we could "stop" the piston in various positions.



Good stuff.