Jerry Macneish @ z28camaro.com. He does great work.

 

Jerry Macneish @ z28camaro.com. He does great work.

X2
He did a great job on mine, I believe he uses a media tumbling process.

 

True 1969 Z28 valve covers had a dull finish,not polished. Those covers don't look too far off from how they would have looked in 69. X2 on Jerry Macneish.He can clean them up for you. I have seen his work first hand and it is impressive.

 

I had mine blasted with walnut shells and it gave the new dull look. Do not use a heavy media or sand. A professional should be able to use a non abrasive media. If you want them shiney, use a aluminum wheel polish or a product call Maas metal polish. Get a rag and go to it. If you want a high gloss you can polish them on a cloth wheel.

 

Thanks Bruce. Just curious what the finished product would look like.

 

If your covers do not have the rocker ball oil drippers they are OE '69 covers. Polishing ruins them.

As Matt stated they were not originally polished.

 

Hey William I wil post a picture of the under side. I think they are 1970 Valve covers, that have had the droppers removed.

 

Jerry's currently restoring the valve covers for my Z (also rebuilding the entire engine). Apparently one of the bolt holes required a repair - he can handle that as well.

 

Mike,
I ended up using some 70’s LT1 valve covers they had already had the baffle’s modified and drippers machined off.
I did this because the originals didn’t clear the Crower Stainless Steel roller rockers and didn’t want to cut on my originals.
The covers you have look to be the same ones I currently have on my 302 they are lightly polished.

BTW going to be ending a Alaskan Cruise in Vancouver and will be spending a couple extra days in your town 8-6 thru 8-8.
What can I expect for weather?
---Dean

 

Hey Dean your car looks great. I had a '71 Z28 that was the same colour. Weather here should be hot and sunny. Temp should be around 85 first week of August. I am not sure if I will be in town, then but stay in touch. If I am around I can show you some local Camaro get togethers.

My Valve covers came off a friends '69 Z 28 who also had roller rockers and a previous owner used the '70 valve covers for the same reason as you. My friend has since put on the correct valve covers and sold me his.

 

I took a few more pictures of the valve covers.

Drippers have been ground down.

It looks like someone as ground down the outer lip of the valve covers. Will this cause any kind of a problem I should be aware of? Why would someone do this? Must have been some kind of advantage. Why else would it be done?

 

I took a few more pictures of the valve covers.

Drippers have been ground down.

It looks like someone as ground down the outer lip of the valve covers. Will this cause any kind of a problem I should be aware of? Why would someone do this? Must have been some kind of advantage. Why else would it be done?

Mike, I think you already have the answers to all these questions...

 

Put down the silver can of spray paint. Re-skin it as a DIY project.

Degrease & clean with your favorite magic cleaner i.e. simple green, castrol, amway whatever.

Rinse.

Acid etch clean & brighten with Eagle One Mag cleaner <$8.00> product #?? http://eagleone.com/mag-wheel-cleaner
Note: (Heavy hand scrubbing WILL be required use scotch bright greenie or small wire brushes etc...) Multiple applications, as needed depending on how much grime or more likely alum (rust, I know non iron based metal) oxidation, pitting, mung, powder etc exists.

Rinse.

Washdown with clean lacquer thinner. Best done with a paint gun to drive out any remaining contaminates in the pores. Wipe down with clean cotton white cloth to remove any traped oils work quickly, the thinner evaps very fast.

Buff - Burnish the surface with a BRASS brush. (This is not polishing) optional, test a spot and see what the results are, i.e. do a back side or sample part till you achive results that are to your liking.

Seal-Skin with a 1:1 mix of PPG DX501 & cold water <$25.00> re.chromic acid based chemical that will produce a chrome conversion coating on aluminum DX501 is a clear version of DX503. The coating formed by DX501 is clear in color. It is used when it
is desirable to retain the silver white aluminum finish . Apply to the aluminum after the cleaning. Similar to anodizing is that it stabilizes the aluminum from the air and moisture. Stains also will clean up. Keep the manifold and valve covers looking cast appearance.



THe BEST method is to send to Jerry, but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and I have had many items skined & rebuilt and have had great service, you know you can not send every thing,,,,I would like to.

My sample picture was to big to post, I just did a Weiand Maifold that turned out very nice.

Jim W

 

Hey Jim would love to see the finished product. Your plan sounds like it would work well.

 

RAMAIRDAVE a member here on the site did mine. I would be willing to bet the cost was much cheaper than anyplace else and i think they look great.

Before:

After:

 

RAMAIRDAVE a member here on the site did mine. I would be willing to bet the cost was much cheaper than anyplace else and i think they look great.

Wow Joe. The valve covers look great. I guess it will be a question of coast vs time vs results equation, since i am trig to do things on the cheap. Please feel free to PM me a rough cost if you are ok with that.

Thanks

 

Dave posted how he does his on CRG and here. No reason you can't do it yourself like he does. A man gives me some steel and aluminium parts to paint and he blasts them in his cabinet with fine media. The aluminum surfaces come out very similar to Dave's technique. Avoid aggressive media and high presssure. Or pay J.M. for his reskinning service.

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=2916.0
http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=120865

 

I would prefer to do the work at home or have the valve covers re-skinned if possible. Shipping from Canada is expensive. I will check out the CRG link. Thanks for the info.

 

I am going to need some help with my valve cover restoration. I tried a bit of steel wool today and then an SOS pad and so far they did not remove any of the tarnish on the valve covers. I thought I would remove the tarnish on the top and then I would be able to buff them up really nice. But nooooo.......

The look I am going for is 1970 LT1, since that is the motor I am building and those are the valve covers I have. I think the 1970 Valve covers were a little more polished than the '69 valve covers. However I am not 100% sure on the original finish of either. The ones I have seen that I like are the ones that seem buffed at bit.

I am wondering what is the best way to remove the aluminum tarnish, whatever it is, and how do I get them to look like I want them?

I tried some walnut shell blasting on my transmission case and it really did not do very much. The transmission case was in rough shape as well, so I upgraded to the glass beading treatment. I have not seen the finished product yet, but I am hoping for a good result. Based on what I have seen with the walnut shell on my transmission case, I don't think it will do the job. However I could be wrong.

Does anyone have a trick up their sleeve?

 

Before you send them out , pick up a tube or can of Flitz. I have used two quart cans of the stuff over the years and it is the best metal polish there is. I have done several sets of the Z valve covers and they polish up nicely. The product does a much better job than any mag wheel polish. I had my 79 vette stored in a neigbors garage. They parked their car in the garage and some of the winter salt splashed onto my aluminum wheels. I had the car covered and didn't notice. The flitz got the corrrosion out. check out their web sight.
I have pictures of the 69 covers on my hours old 69 Z. I took the picture an hour after I brought the car home in Aug of 69. Just so you know what they actually looked like new.
They have a ball like the one that mequires has as well.
I used a small dowel wrappedin a cloth to do inside the grooves on the covers.
They really come up nice. You put the stuff on and let it sit for a minute then remove it and buff. The black crap you get on the coth is amazing. It works on any meetal.

 

Awesome Stewie. Thanks for the pic. I will try to find that product and try it. My valve cover are pretty nasty. I hope it works. I am not sure what kind of gunk got on them. I thought it was just dirt, until I tried to remove it. You would think steel wool would remove it! The SOS pad just polished it a bit, but left the stains intact. Whatever that stuff is, my guess is it has been there for quite a long time.

 

The pics of your car when you bought it is there one of the Arm washers, do they look black or plated. we thought they were plated but now they are saying black.

 

The pictures were taken with a Kodak instamatic camera. To say the least it was not very sharp.
I have tried to enhance the pictures with modern technology but that is the best I can get.
I only have two. You have to remember that nobody took pictures under the hood in those days.
I was just so impressed with the bling I had to take a picture.
I always thought, that even back then the 69 Z would be a classic.
I am not sure what you are talking about. by the Arm Washers?

 

Hey Stewie after some serious research I finally found some Flitz! I went to the Flitz website, but all of the stores they listed as stocking their products, said they discontinued it. I know have a small bottle to try out. It is the Metal Polish, liquid. I will post the results. I sure hope it works. If I like the result I will by more.

 

Mike, only tried it on a few parts like the alum fan clutch but I've had good sucess restoring small alum parts with 15-20 PSI glass beading. JohnZ and others have mentioned the low pressure is key in not disturbing the material structure. Just a thought to try and its cheap

 

Thanks Chick. I will try that.

 

call Don up,he did my intake and it looks really nice plus hes not that far from you.he has a tumbler that will make it look like new

http://deweysheads.com/HDBD_home.html

 

Thanks Rich. Email sent!

 

Yes Needle bearing roller rockers,

Those were a $10 pair of valve covers, I picked up at Super Chevy Atlanta 2006... LOL



Original Z and Finned Vette Valve covers look like tail housings on Muncies... Pressure Cast Aluminum... parting lines, casting flash, and irregular finish, cover on steering box. Holley Baseplates, there are plenty of like finishes to compare to.

I also use the wheel brite acid with a scotch brite if they are BAD!!! 0000 steel wool with Natural Aluminum Preserver works wonders as well.

 

Yes Needle bearing roller rockers, those were a $10 pair of valve covers, I picked up at Super Chevy Atlanta 2006... LOL

Hey James. Yes those valve covers came off Lloyd's car. I have a bunch of parts including the M-20 Transmission. Do you have any info on the transmission or any of the other parts that I have acquired? The reverse gear was toast and a bunch of other internal trans parts. It seemed to drive fine when Lloyd got the car. Amazing at what can lurk under the surface.

 

Wow, right on for RAMAIRDAVE! Those look awesome

 

The trans was never gone through, however I will tell you WE were never EASY on it... many times that engine saw 8000, never raced it with the Roller Cam and engine built, id tyhe cam still in the engine or did you hit the JACK POT with that?
It was custom designed by Dave Crower for the engine, car specs gear ratios etc. I found it extremely easy to drive.

 

Hey James. I have not hit the jackpot yet so to speak with the cam, but the valve train is available. I have not quite made it that far in my build yet, but I may consider the cam and valve train as an option. It sure is great working on that car with Lloyd. I am really enjoying working on such a fine piece of history and learning so much about what is correct and what is not. I couldn't ask for a better car to learn on.

 

The valve train?
There was over 1800 tied up in the cam, HIPPO lifters, custom push rods, springs, retainers locks, etc. EVERYTHING IS MATCHED, you don't want to mix and match any of that stuff.

 

I would not mix and match it. I am building a 1970 LT1 that will wind high. I am just getting the parts together.

 

Well I tried the Flitz tonight as well as brasso and neither product seemed to work. Perhaps I need industrial help. I was hoping to not have to blast the valve covers but perhaps I have no choice.

Perhaps these pics are will give a better idea of what I am dealing with. Like I said I am going for more of a polished look, like they would have looked new. So far my experience with blasting aluminum has only been with my transmission case. I also had my alternator rescind.

I am also trying to understand the process of re-skinning. How does this process work, what does it do and what is the final look. Also can you polish once re-skinned.

I have heard this term used and think it may be the way to go on all of my aluminum parts, valve covers, transmission case and intake.
Here are the pics

Here is the look I am going for. Most of the pictures I have seen of restored cars have valve covers that look like this. Is this correct?

 

If you look at their website under products you will see the first item is the paste. That is what I used. I think the cream formula has more abrasives in it. It is too bad that you couldn't get some of the product. As usual it is probably only available in the US. ]
I need to stock up so I am going to try to have some shipped to my summer place in Maine and see what happens.
I am really surprised that they didn't come up a lot shinier. Did you give them a good buffing?

 

If they are stained they will still buff to a shine but the stain remain. Aluminum, like any object, is porous to a certain degree. Whatever stained it must be cleaned. If someone already attempted to clean it, they may have left an irregular finish. We used acid on the aluminum flatbed deck to maintain it. It must be rinsed thouroughly and turns the metal white; figuritively speaking. No matter how much a wrecked car puked contaminents on it. The side rails were polished and it will destroy that shine. There are countless aluminum acids available to clean aluminum, many for wheel maintenance. Professional suppliers and metal finishing sites abound. Caswell Plating for one but don't ship internationally. Acids are in your kitchen in the form of fruits, even vinegar is an acid. These also clean aluminum. I use acids to clean and antique metal; they are dual purpose. The search engine is a powerfu tool.

 

Any brand names?