1929 Chevrolet International - 4 Door Sedan Project by BearsFan315

6 minute(s) of a 636 minute read

Well today i starting working on the Push Rod Cover. cleaned up mating surfaces, did a few test fits, and made sure the cover fits flush with the gasket installed. I made some custom spaces from small tubing/pipe that will keep the cover rom caving in IF you tighten it up too tight. i also used boned/sealing washers with the rubber side to the cover. i allowed enough space to tighten the cover snugly and not cave it in. it holds the cover flush against the engine block & head.

I also put a bead of Permatex 2 on the gasket to help seal it and prevent leaks. 

The cover will be painted when i paint the engine as an assembly. 

Next up will be the valve cover, as it sits over//on the push rod cover

8-17-2021

Flash Back...

here are a few shots of the NEWer Rocker Arm Oil Feed Line. the tube comes from the Oil Distribution Valve, and rises, then slopes down slightly through the block into the other side, then does a drop the 90+ degree back up, this side is shaped similar to a pee trap in a sink drain. i did this so that if oil gets on the line that the low point will be the lower section and it can drip then run and drain back to the oil pan. did not want it to weep over to the manifold side and have it dripping there. i did test it out with my oil can, slowly put drops of oil random places on the line and then watched it till it dripped. seemed to work, so i am happy with this configuration. I bent the tubing on the bench bend by bend fitting after each bend on the engine using my tube bender

In regards to the leak issues, and slope of the block around the tappets and drain back hole. here are some head on shots, where you can see that at least on my 1929 block that each side, slopes away from the cylinders as well as each side slopes down towards the drain back hole that goes to the oil pan. 

this is why some have oil leaks on the push rod cover. the oil drains towards the cover in the center of each side, and may puddle or weep through the gasket, especially cork. my way to help lessen the leak is to use Permatex No2 along the bottom edge of hte block and push rod cover (both sides of the gasket) and then partially up the sides (typically to the head gasket line). yeah it makes it a pain and destroys hte gasket IF you ever have to remove it, but how often are you removing the push rod cover ?? You could just Permatex one side of the gasket to the cover itself and that may help a ton as well, then if you ever need to remove the cover the gasket will be preserved and can be reinstalled, as it is glued to the cover not the block.

you can see the slight slop towards the drain back hole in the center between rod 3 & 4from the left

same for the right side

ok, so now about the spacers and washers i used behind the push rod cover.

i used a piece of steel spacer, just large enough to go over the 3/8 studs and provide a solid backing for the washers. i cut the steel spacer to length after doing some math. there are 2 shorts pieces, and then one longer piece. these are the sizes that worked for mine, may not work for your, have to test and tweak to your application. 

they are 3/8 bonded sealing washers from the local hardware store. I put them in my vise and then pressed them flat to remove the cone out of the washers. you can cut the sleeves shorter to accommodate the washers if so desire, i wanted maximum rubber against the back of hte cover and no chance of the metal roughing it up or working a hole in the cover.

then installed the spacers on the studs, and slid on a washer, then the cover goes on. I like how this works out and gives support to the center of the cover as well as keep you from over tightening and pushing the center of hte cover in and popping the gasket seal.

This method worked for me previously in vastly reducing/preventing oil seepage from the push rod cover so doing it again on the rebuild.