12 Valve Tappet Covers

B

Boosted Bulldog

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Oct 28, 2018
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Should I stay with a stock tappet cover or go with an aftermarket? The engine is going to have 4000 valve springs and a little timing. If aftermarket what do you recommend? Thanks Brent
 
It's easier to keep the oil on the inside of a 12valve with an aftermarket cover, but either will work. The OEM rubber seems to disintegrate after a few years.
 
I put a new seal on my stock cover, but now that the motor is opened up I am thinking billet might be the way to go to keep things from leaking.
 
I just rebuilt mine and couldn't keep the stocker from leaking. What's the trick?

A weak point on an excellent engine.

I went to a billet one and it's been good for the first 100 miles...
 
I don't have any problems with leaking with the 93 12valve in my 72 Chevy.The side tappet cover needs replacing it's leaking bad.Going to make a aluminum one to replace it.

Dale
 
Keep in mind, the OEM tappet cover is supposed to have a slight bow from the middle out to the ends.
It's NOT perfectly flat.

Mark.
 
I have made a few of them.I use 1/8 " aluminum with a spacer welded on between the bosses and and cover.and use permitex tuff stuff never had one leak are warp.and put breather fitting in just have to make sure their not inline with pushrods because of oil could come down and could go breather.There's a picture of one in our build thread in the 2wd pulling section.
 
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On my 91 12v I replaced the tapper gasket and reused the stock cover with success. No leaks from that gasket for almost a year.

I did use aviation sealant on the engine side of the new gasket. Upon first install the gasket fell off the cover near bottom rear area. I then coated the bare cover with aviation sealant, allowed it to set up, slipped the gasket on, installed the cover to the block. This is basically a stock power level engine.
 
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