67 L-71 valve cover attachments.

[Richard S.]

"Each valve cover is secured with seven hex head bolts with tiangular plate, five of which are painted and two zinc or cadmium plated that secure spark plug wires." I'm not clear on this statement. Are the triangular plates on the two unpainted bolts painted or not? Thanks.

[Joe L.]

Re: 67 L-71 valve cover attachments.

Rick-----

The valve cover bolt reinforcements (triangular pieces) were all painted. The 2 unpainted bolts were the result of a change made at the St. Louis assembly plant in which the bolts installed at the engine plant were changed to a slightly longer bolt to accomodate the extra thickness of the spark plug wire shielding grounds.

[Richard S.]

Re: 67 L-71 valve cover attachments.

Thanks Joe. "A slightly longer bolt" eh?? Well, I didn't seem to get these slightly longer bolts from LICS when I ordered the correct bolts.....and the JG doesn't mention that either. I'll bet the head markings on those two bolts could/may be different from the others as well. Anyone know for sure??

[Richard S.]

Re: 67 L-71 valve cover attachments.

Well Joe, I just found some pictures I took of two SURVIVOR BB cars that were being judged in Orlando....and dam if the triangles are not painted on the two unpainted bolts. What do I do now? Thanks.

[Joe L.]

Re: 67 L-71 valve cover attachments.

Rick-----

Well, I wonder if someone isn't doing a little "restoration" on these "Survivor" cars. I suppose it's possible that the reinforcements could have gotten "flipped over" when the bolts were removed and re-installed at St. Louis. I doubt it, though. I can see no reason, whatsoever, that St. Louis would have changed these reinforcements and, as far as I know, they didn't.

[Richard S.]

Re: 67 L-71 valve cover attachments.Thanks Joe. *NM*

[Bill Becker]

Re: 67 L-71 valve cover attachments.

Rick,

My 67 BB has made it through a few juding events with just the two bolts unpainted. Mine were SBCs while the painted ones are TRs although I don't think it will make any difference if they're marked the same. No difference in the length. My take on the painted/unpainted difference was that it was probably easier to grab a couple of new bolts while attaching the ground wires than trying to retrieve and keep track of the painted ones, or that the painted ones were removed first, and then the ground wires were attached somewhere else down the line.

Bill Becker

[Jerry Clark]

67 L89 Sidebar

of the 34 original examples I have seen on E Bay the valve cover bolts and reinforcements have varied widely,
Would anyone care to speculate on the paint / unpainted botl and reinforcement configuration of these early chrome vakve covered BBs?
jer

[Richard S.]

Re: 67 L-71 valve cover attachments.

Bill, thanks very much for your input. I think what Joe advised regarding longer bolts is very interesting and I'd really like to find out more about the size and headmarkings if I can. I was hoping for some response from the more senior members involved in 67 BB survivor judging. I think Wayne Burkhart owned the survivor cars in Orlando. It would be nice if someone with a survivor car could actually pull one of those bolts and post the findings on length and headmarkings....or maybe someone like Kieth Biggers would know.

[Wayne W.]

Re: 67 L-71 valve cover attachments.

I can tell you that they are definitely longer. Not much, but just enough to make up for the extra thickness of the wire ends. The ones that I have seen have had SBC head markings and are unpainted. Thats not to say that some may have had other markings. The reinforcement is painted engine orange. I have pictures if you like.

[Richard S.]

Re: 67 L-71 valve cover attachments.

Wayne, thanks very much for your response. Pictures would be much appreciated.

[Joe L.]

Re: 67 L89 Sidebar

Jerry-----

As you know, L-89s were the only 1967 Corvette big blocks to be equipped with chrome valve covers. Since only 16 were originally produced, there couldn't have been more than 16 different variations, assuming that every one was different. However, I would strongly expect that the valve cover bolts and reinforcements were zinc plated steel on all or most of these. Alternatively, the reinforcements may have been plain steel. I would not expect any other variations. Certainly, I would not expect any to be painted.