Painting my valve cover for +5hp!

[holtzboy]

I picked up an older style valve cover with the breather port on the side for my 240 turbo which I am converting to LH 2.2 in the near future. I figured since it was sitting on my table I would give it a nice sanding and paint it. I started with a coat of Duplicolor Engine Enamel 'Ford Blue' and am contemplating whether or not to paint the letters yellow to go for a swedish flag color scheme. Then I can clear coat it and hopefully it wont chip or flake off for awhile. Comments?

http://www.jacqui-of-all-trades.com/shane/volvo/242ti/valvecover/valve_cover_blue.jpg

[240Psycho]

that valve cover wont work on the newer style b230s will it?

[holtzboy]

Well I was told I could just block off the breather box under the intake then run the plastic Y and hoses from up there.

[ashvolvo]

It wont fit late engines with 530 or 531 casting heads.
But if you're not running either of these heads, its not going to cause you a problem.
:)

[isaac]

Showroom. Oh and no Volvo valve cover should be that color. At least make it like royal blue or something.

[holtzboy]

It wont fit late engines with 530 or 531 casting heads.
But if you're not running either of these heads, its not going to cause you a problem.
:)
Yeah I have a 405 head so it should fit alright then?

Showroom. Oh and no Volvo valve cover should be that color. At least make it like royal blue or something.

Well it kinda matches my ipd adjustable camgear and blue hose couplers so I will keep it! Nanananana

[olov]

It wont fit late engines with 530 or 531 casting heads.
:???: why won't it?

[Geoff240Ti]

:???: why won't it?

They have the hump in the front AND back for cam mounted distro drive in the 700 and 900's.

(the old school valve covers are just flat at the back)

[towerymt]

Showroom. Oh and no Volvo valve cover should be that color. At least make it like royal blue or something.
I like cobalt blue, personally. With polished letters.

I will attempt (and fail) at a full polish on mine. So far the intake manifold has defeated me, and the t-belt cover is putting up a good fight. I will soon have 3 partially polished aluminum parts for my engine.

[ashvolvo]

Yeah I have a 405 head so it should fit alright then?

Well it kinda matches my ipd adjustable camgear and blue hose couplers so I will keep it! Nanananana

It will fit a 405 just fine. The cut-out for the distributor in 530 and 531 heads when used in 7 and 9 series cars means that a different valve cover needs to be used. In a 240 there is a plastic plug in this hole but end result is still that a different valve cover is needed (and a different gasket).

I like the colour actuallly I had a very similar colored valve cover on my old '79 245 once I got tired of polishing it every so often.

[volvogeek]

I like it - if it goes with the rest of the underhood theme, then more power to ya. :)

[dl242gt]

That's looking good. I agree the yellow letters would look good. Don't block off the breather box on the side of the block. Run ventilation hoses from both locations and then Y them together to the intake. Turbo Volvos like a bit more crankcase ventilation than they came with from the factory. Using both places for ventilation accomplishes that.

Best regards,

[wingnut]

Why has no one asked how this will add 5hp?

[Mesoam]

+1 for the anti ford blue color....since i'm guessing what a few people where getting at

[blu92in99]

I started with a coat of Duplicolor Engine Enamel 'Ford Blue' and am contemplating whether or not to paint the letters yellow to go for a swedish flag color scheme. Then I can clear coat it and hopefully it wont chip or flake off for awhile. Comments?Great idea, but it would have been loads easier to paint the letters first. It's easier to tape off the letters and paint the VC than it it to paint the VC first, then tape it off and paint the letters. ;-)


FWIW - I'm doing the swedish flag inside/on the Volvo letters on my VC and the VC will be white or polished. I like your idea though, very sano.


-Justin

[Homer]

Like mine but with darker blue.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/StereoGuy430/DSCN1478.jpg
Well I lightly sanded the valve cover, primed it with Rust-O-Leum Professional grey primer (smelly and pricey stuff). Then i used a WHOLE can of Rust-O-Leum Metallic grey paint. I alternated between a light almost mist coat (so just the flakes hit the valve cover) and a heavy wet coat. I taped off everthing but the raised logo. I used a palm sander with 120 grit paper to sand down the VOLVO letters to the bare aluminum. The tape was to keep from accidentally sanding any other parts of the cover. The 120 grit gave it a nice brushed aluminum look. Polished the letters with MAAS metal polish. Washed it with soap and warm water. I finished it off with 3 or 4 coats of Rust-O-Leum clear. The bare aluminium is sealed and wont ever tarnish.
That was it. Pretty easy. Just take your time.

[blu92in99]

Why has no one asked how this will add 5hp?Because we know that he's just being a smartass when he said that. ;-)


-J

[n xntrx volvo]

Because we know that he's just being a smartass when he said that. ;-)


-J
ya everyone knows its worth 10 (or 25 w/ a nawz sticker)

[holtzboy]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

That's looking good. I agree the yellow letters would look good. Don't block off the breather box on the side of the block. Run ventilation hoses from both locations and then Y them together to the intake. Turbo Volvos like a bit more crankcase ventilation than they came with from the factory. Using both places for ventilation accomplishes that.

Best regards,

Thats a great idea I didn't even think of that. I will run it just like the 740s have it with the long tube coming up from breather box then put the plastic y there for the bigger hose and vacuum line. Then I will bring the valve cover hose and vac line to the stock 740 ones and tie them in with a Tee fitting. Is this how you envisioned it or am I not seeing the easier way to do it?

[luke242ti]

Looks good Shane! That color will work in the 242!

Thanks for all the comments guys.


Thats a great idea I didn't even think of that. I will run it just like the 740s have it with the long tube coming up from breather box then put the plastic y there for the bigger hose and vacuum line. Then I will bring the valve cover hose and vac line to the stock 740 ones and tie them in with a Tee fitting. Is this how you envisioned it or am I not seeing the easier way to do it?

That is also how I had envisioned it. Though I would add a catch can between the PCV line and the turbo inlet. To condense the oil and thus your motor will ingest less oily grime.

take care

[dl242gt]

I would use the flame trap adapter for the valve cover with the small side blocked off and no flame trap inside. The medium size hose fitting that used to goto the air filter is the same size as the hoses from the breather box. Get a Y or a T with the medium sized hoses and run them together to the T. Then from the T run one hose to the turbo inlet hose. Or you could run both hoses to a catch can and the outlet hose from the catch can to the turbo intake hose. Like Julio did. http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=59254&highlight=box

I like the color. I like a Valve cover that looks nice but it doesn't have to pop out at me.

[Three Fat Tigers]

Smurf blue FTW!
http://forums.turbobricks.com/showpost.php?p=63266&postcount=19
(powdercoat)

I do like this one though:
http://forums.turbobricks.com/showpost.php?p=66050&postcount=24