69 Valve Cover Bolts

[Terry M.]

Re: nope - no small blocks

Juliet,

As Joe and Roberto reported you, and I, are out of this loop. My comments pertain to those engines assembled in Tonawanda New York, the Mark IV, big block. At that, as Joe pointed out earlier, they also relate only to those engines with painted valve covers. For my (former) years that is 1971 & 1972, but there are some other years including, but not limited to, 1965, 1973 and 1974. I'll quit there because if I go any farther I run the risk of getting in way over my head. There are others here who can nail down BB painted valve covers by engine and year far better than my guesses.

Terry

[Don O'Connell #33101]

What club was that....

Terry,

I think I just became a member of Dale's "I forget the question" club. In this case I forgot I changed the question from bolts to "washers". What I meant in the previous post is that the "washer/wedge" was not in either section, the bolt is certainly in the U69 section with the plug wires.

Don

[Terry M.]

Re: Welcome to the NCRS (Never Could Remember...)

OK - I can relate to that club. Now you have paid the initiation fee. We recognize each other by the red face.

The lack of the washer/wedge in the 1969 AIM leads me to conclude that they reused them, but as I said in my inappropriate comments about painted RA covers, I have seen the washers/wedges under the radio ground wires unpainted on covers that were painted. I didn't have a chance to examine them to see if they were just turned over, and I'll have to look in the 1971 - 1972 AIM to see if washers/wedges are called out there. Perhaps they are not called out in 1969 because there is no reason to change them there due to unpainted covers/washers/wedges in that year.

The later AIMS are in the garage and I am off to my day job, which this week is at night. Another reason to consider joining Dale's club.

Others owning 1971 or 1972 AIMs may wish to post results of their investigation of the U69 section sheet 7 in those years to satisfy the curious prior to my return.

Terry

[Terry M.]

Re: 1971 & 1972 AIMs

Just had a chance to look at 1971 & 1972 AIMs and no mention is made of the washers/wedges, so first blush conclusion is that there was no effort to change these when spark plug wire grounds were attached to RA cover bolts in St. Louis.

One interesting (to me) note is that on 1972 Mark IV (which had AIR injection pump and manifold trees) RH spark plug wires attached to 3 different RA cover bolts - only one set of wires is paired up. So 1972 Mark IV motors might have 5 bolts of one head mark and 9 of another.

Learn something new every day.

Terry