Rough around the Collar

[Mr. Machanic]

Catchy title?
Maybe...

Anywho, today was a nice day (bout freaking time) and pulling a valve cover or two, seemed like a good plan.
Odd side first. Cover popped off with assistance from flat blade screwdriver....son of a RTV.
Nothing but RTV. I'm not a fan.
Got it all cleaned up and noticed the mating surface to the cover is a rough cast surface.
I thought it would of been decked off for a nice sealing surface to mate with the cover.
I guess I've wrenched too many Hondas and Yoders.
Or maybe it is an era thing. Anyway, the cork gasket sealed up just fine.
Sadly, the even side will have to wait till morning.
I don't know if I'll post a pic of the fresh up. Most will probably not like the shade of blue I used.

[JohnnyPopper]

Nice thing is both look really clean, no sludge like some others we've seen.

Yeah, casting surface from 1955 is all you get up to some time I'm not aware of. I wouldn't use cork though. Too late for this go round, but copper spray between the cover and the rubber gasket, dried and sticky, then bearing grease between the gasket and head surface usually goes for many miles.

[Mr. Machanic]

I used a tiny bead of Permatex High Tac to hold the gasket to the cover, cause the cork kept falling out of position.
It did look like bearing grease had been used in the past.

I was surprised at the sludge in the cover was not that bad either.

[Mr. Machanic]

Here's the way they looked ...
Far end had a wire wheel taken to it

[Mr. Machanic]

It wasnt so bad getting the covers off and painted.
What sucked was standing on a box to get in far enuf to scrape off the RTV.
Then I could only use 1 hand because the other was on the bonnet/firewall, trying to keep me from falling in. I would of crawled in but there is so much Zebart, I'd ruin every stitch and shoes.
But it's done and the leaking seems to have stopped. If the cork doesn't last long, I'm buying a sheet of neoprene and making my own.

So here's a photo.
I know it's not the correct blue. I don't care. I like that blue and the wife loves that blue.
It's not high temp and if it doesn't last long then I'll repaint them in a high temp color of something. I like high temp silver. Reminds me of plastic model building as a kid. Lol

[Mike81K10]

Heater hose does not do any good with the top flipped up.

[Mr Diesel]

The blue looks good.

[Mr. Machanic]

Mike,
Lol..it took me a while to figure out what you were referencing.
I don't ever drive when it's cold or snowing.
I know the motor needs to warm up, but the 10 minutes of stove warmed air compared to the rest of the run time is only a fraction.
I'll gladly trade that fraction of time to let it breathe freely for the rest.

[Shifty]

Besides.....you get the Rochester "cha-wooom"....

[Mr. Machanic]

I have yet to bolt on the rebuilt Rochester...(that seems sorta poetic)
But thatxs not too far off.
I'll keep ya'll posted.

[JohnnyPopper]

Q: zebart, what is zebart? (I know I can google it but...)

I thought it was Rochester BAH-WAAAAAAAA? 

[Mr. Machanic]

Zebart is the undercoating that was originally done in 78.
That stuff is a cross between cosmaline and toilet bowl wax ring and tallow.
They don't make that kind of stuff now-a-daz. EPA would have a stroke.
It's a rolling hazmat incident...lol

[Mr. Machanic]

These are the Zebart undercoating plugs.
There are dozens of them everywhere.
Even in the roof inside.

Here's a pic of the "A" pillar fom the inside.
You can still see the undercoating from 45 years ago and it's still a sticky goo.