EGR hits new valve covers
 

Hi all,
I picked up a set of Edlebrock high rise valve covers and it looks like the EGR valve is going to be in the way. does anyone have a way around this?

My EGR has the spacer and removing it looks like it will make it worse! is there a smaller after market EGR valve? will it fit with an edlebrock intake? I had planed to put one on but was hoping to wait until after headers and y-pipe!

Good question. I asked about his a few months ago, but didn;t get a response. I looked around, but none of the performance shops around here knew of any smaller aftermarket EGR valves. The only advice I got was to get an aftermarket chip that programs out the EGR system completely so you can get rid of it all together. This was an excellent idea considering the battle i've had with my EGR system. Anyway, thats the only idea I got...sorry.

I would hate to pull the EGR just to put on nice valve covers. lots of people must have had this same problem were they can't take the EGR off>

Could you just fool the system into thinking the EGR is still atached. you can't plug the vacuum line and leave the electrical stuff on.

Just one more good reason for not downgrading your car by putting things on it that don't fit.

You'll have other problems with those, or any other high-rise valve covers for that matter. They will have trouble clearing the alternator, and may create issues with other parts such as brackets. They are very difficult, if not impossible, to get the PCV to work correctly on, so you'll have more rapid sludge buildup inside the engine and/or oil blowing out those stupid "breathers" and getting all over the valve covers themselves and the exhaust. They don't tell you about any of that or show you a pic of an oil-soaked engine in the sales literature though.

Things like that are a waste of money that don't improve the car in any way, and do nothing but cause trouble. IMHO the supposed "eye candy" effect isn't worth the hassle of delaing with stuff that dosen't fit and work, and that disables important systems of the car.

Amen brother...lol.

Well I guess you told me. Now I see the error of my ways. How could I have been so blind, so stupid, not to want what you want for my car?

Look I could trash anyones game. Why spend all your cash on HP only to take a bigger hit at the pump. or Don't spend you wad on a paint job because looks don't matter. or "The eye candy effect isn't worth the hassle"

People want different things. It's simple, I had a problem and thought other people might have gone through the same thing. So I posted my problem looking for help. is this not what the board if for?

imstress - Thats one thing I don;t like about computers is that it;s impossible to tell tone of voice and what not. In short, I think RB83L69 is basically saying sometimes you have to go with function over form. The high rise may look good, but function wise, they may not be your best bet for your application. I do agree with you though, if they make the valve covers, why don;t they make a smaller EGR. Sort of like how they make a mini starter for cars with bigger headers etc. I've checked around and I think you may be out of luck on the EGR though.

My vote is ditch the EGR demon...unless the smog nazis say you have to keep it...

It's not a question of my personal preferences for how a car should be built.... it's more the result of decades of accumulated experience, where I or people I know have gone through all the trials and errors of looking at pretty chrome gewgaws or reading the spiffy ad copy, and then actually bought and installed the thing in question, and had the "oh s***" realization that we got led down the primrose path to destruction.

If there's any one kind of car part that creates this situation, above all others, it's so-called "dress-up" parts for engines. They never, ever, support the full functionality of stock ones. They never fit quite like they're supposed to, especially if they're not used as a whole "kit". And they never last anywhere near as long as stock ones. I can't tell you how many of those stupid chrome-plated water outlets I've seen leak; how many chrome valve covers I've seen that didn't support PCV, so the motor's oil got full of sludge, and spewed oil all over the top of itself; how many times I've seen the chrome chip and flake off of the cheap steel crap underneath, and rust, and look 10 times worse than the stock part ever did; and on and on. Did I mention "chrome" enough times? The gleam and glitter and car-show look that people would like to install on their daily-driven cars is responsible for more grief than most are willing to admit.

So, I'm not telling you you can't do it, or whatever; just that when you do that sort of thing, there are always unanticipated consequences, they never work like their literature claims, and they're not good for the car over the long term. IMHO if you just really want chromed valve covers, you'd do alot better to get an extra (or new) set of stock ones and send them to the plater's, rather than invite in a whole bunch of fitment problems.

I would listen to the voice of experience here...I have seen similar things too and been at the mercy of cheap, albeit great-looking, chrome "dress-up" gear...metal is thin and brittle due to the chroming process...I vote for aluminum:D

smash that part of the valve cover with a sizeable hammer, this will allow for clearance.

How do you spell "cretin"?

;)

Dude...maybe buying the right part is the answer...or just smash the part into compliance...yeah, lets vote for that :rolleyes:

Maybe I didn't give enough information. What people will assume :) I'm not trying to piss the senior members off, let me just get the facts out.

1) One of my covers is prone to leaking around the gasket; it's been changed twice and is leaking now.

2) The car is not a daily driver and I plan on a rebuild this winter. "High rise covers may be required"

3) I found a pair of nice high rise aluminum covers cheap. "NOT CROME" so I picked them up.

4) Thought I would swap out the covers, fix the leak and get a taste of how the things will look after the rebuild, but ran into problems with the EGR.

5) Went to thirdgen.org to see if people have had the same problem, and got the don't waste your time with chrome dress up.

O.K I was already debating on whether to get a non EGR intake as part of the rebuild, looks like that will be the way to go. For now I will either stay with the old VCs or ditch the EGR and burn a prom.
P.S already got the don't waste you money rebuilding a 305 bit.
Thanks for the help

although I'm sure imstress doesn't fall into this criteria, TALL valve covers are made for a function. if your valve train won't clear stock covers, you'll need tall covers, any one running a set of performance heads will know this. I know quite a few people who could take short style valve covers and just sit them on top of their rocker arms with nearly an inch f space between the bottom of the valve cover and the gasket. they serve a purpose and there is no clearance more important that valvetrain clearance.

here's a ghetto way you can fix it.

that egr spacer you have, get another one of them and stack them. you'll need an extra egr gasket to make sure it doesnt leak. you won't be able to use the bolts now because they're too short. you won't be able to use longer bolts because its impossible to feed them into the holes on the egr valve. you'll need to make studs using threaded rod and nuts. you should be able to find that at lowes or home depot.

hopefully your valve covers aren't so tall that you'll need more than two spacers. cus that would really look silly. :doh:

Took the egr off a wile ago and the covers fit fine after that.
Turns out that was the thing to do, after removing the egr my idle and low rpm stumble went away "egr wasn't turning off at low idle.

So my valve covers improved performance:)

Lol, whatever works...

I had to deal with this on my '79 vette. Turns out that edelbrock sells a huge spacer for the egr that raises and twists it a bit. Did help a tad, but I still had to cut out one of the bars on the egr. Fits perfgect now and you can't see anything wrong.

Oh wait... that answer has nothing to do with thirdgens, it from a vette.... damn....



Sorry V, had to do it. ;)

yea.... i found out about that when i was puting a performer (non RPM) and edlbrock carb on a guys truck...


apparently the EGR is too close to the carb and they hit..... so edlbrock sells this thick spacer that lifts the EGR and turns it a bit....