The Hemi Valve Cover Gallery- Post pics here

HEMI PENCIL SHARPENER ......... thx .. steve

 

WOW ! thanks for that pick

 

Ok scooter, ya got to me...

Basic Imperial



No-Name Dodge truck


Basic Industrial. Not sure what the last owner needed the extra holes for....


and how about a couple of Marine covers



.

 

Here's my newly chromed industrials

 

Just after being removed from the boat! 57 392 375 hp solid lifter with chrome dimple covers

 

I decided to chrome my IMPERIALs and put them on the FrankenHemi. Can't wait o see 'em done!

 

Well, since this thread has new life ... I'll play:

The HEMI32 coupe started life as a Hot Rod in 1955 ... including a 331ci Chrysler HEMI with stock (painted) valve covers ... but by 1957, the covers had been chromed:

circa 1958 ... chromed covers on the 331ci​

In the late 60's, the 331ci got a set of M/T Aluminum covers ... and in 1975, we used these same covers on the 392ci Chrysler HEMI:

circa 1975 ... M/T covers on the 392ci​

... I'm still running that same 392ci (& those same covers) today!

 

@Bass, Very nice covers! ... and yes they are rare ... just 2,402 '57 Chrysler 300 C's and only 809 '58 Chrysler 300 D's were produced ... and I can't imagine that a whole bunch of extra sets of Chrysler FirePower 300 C & D style covers were ever manufactured.

our '57 Chrysler 300 C (392ci) ... yep, there's "bumps" under those plug wire covers



one of our '58 Chrysler 300 D (392ci) ... "field condition"​

 

... and then there's my HEMI "Valve Cover Gravity Racer":

​

In the late 80's, Goodguys started Valve Cover Races (ala a Cub Scout Pinewood Derby) ... here's mine "in action" at the 1987 Goodguys West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton, CA:

HRM photog Philippe Danh snaps a photo ... which later appeared in the January 1988 (40th Anniversary) issue *


Lost to a damn SBC cover! ... though in my defense, I did run in the Stock class and he in the Modified class​

* HOT ROD Magazine - January 1988 - pages 130 & 131​

 

Quote - Lost to a damn SBC cover! &#8230; though in my defense, I did run in the Stock class and he in the Modified class<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
__________________

You should have been running a Hemi valve cover from a blower driven Hemi, then you would have been sure to win!

 

Big Daimler...

 

I chomed the Imperials too, great lookin covers.

 

Yes! Very sexy indeed!

 

... Oh those damn Brits with their 2.5 & 4.5 litre "HEMI's"

 

Here's a few more pics of early HEMI valve covers culled from eBay:

Dodge Coronet D500


Moon


Made in Mexico . . . SIMILAR to O'Brien Truckers . . .
but rough castings and the spark plug holes will require machining​

 

H

 

Whoa, these ^^^^ and the Edmunds ones are the best so far I think. I would love to have a set of either. Very nice.

 

Saw this engine at a local car show. 392 Chrysler.

 

Here's mine. Looks like I need to do something with those plug wires...

 

DeSoto

 

Nice marine covers 73RR.

Eye eye Captain!

 

God Damn! Is that a Greavette?

 

WHOA! Good for them! Those are pretty neat!

 

heres mine.....chromed imperials w/ dimples in my 50 merc

 

WOW! Never seen dimpled Imperial covers! I wonder how rare those are...

 

Here is a set that I don't think are on here as of yet. I spent almost 3 years looking for a set - couldn't even find a picture of them, let alone a real set. Somebody finally convinced Donovan to recast 6 or so sets of them to help restore some cacklefest FEDs - I managed to get my name onto the "list" and got a set. When they arrived - I was like a kid with his first minibike at XMas.

They fit the 417 head profile exactly right - much better than anything else I've found. This engine will be in my 34 coupe sometime next summer . . .

 

The 417 Donovan was the first purpose built aluminum nitro hemi motor. It was designed with the same dimensions as a 392 - most of the parts will interchange (cranks, rods, cams, etc). Donovan created a few different sets of nitro aluminum heads - all were similar. The 417's ran a larger bore than you could bore a 392 to - like 4.250+ - so the chambers are a bit bigger than a 92. As the heads were for race only, they only have water on the exhaust sides -- and come with dry decks.


My Madness . . .:

I located a set of 417 heads and decided I wanted to build a 392 block with 417 heads - for the street (blown). I could have bought the HotHeads setups - but they come in a box, I wanted something that I had never seen on the street. Took almost 3 years of work to rework/rebuild the thing and fabricate the goofy stuff. The engine has not been fired yet (next spring) - and I'm hoping that we can move enough water through the heads to cool it. Given that they are aluminum and there is water jackets on the exhaust side, I believe/hope it will cool. The engine is patterned after a late 60's top-fuel motor.


Things that are different between the 417 heads and 392 heads:

1) Due to the huge ports, the pushrods have been moved out at a wider angle. This means that you'll need a rocker setup that is designed for the 417. Also, the valves are a bit longer as well. I had Rocker Arm Specialists make my rocker setup -- 2 year project in itself. Gary at RAS is great - but very busy.

2) Getting Water Into Them: We drilled the lower part of the heads to pickup the small water passages from the 392 block and bring it into the exhaust water jackets of the heads. That isn't enough water though, so we drilled a 3/8 NPT water port in the block - at the back of the cylinder bank - to route water from the cylinder bank into the head and circulate it back to the front of the block. I'm also running a high-volume BBC race pump.

3) No Oil Pressure Hole in the Heads: We ground a little oil transfer 'slot' on the block to bring oil over to the stud hole (from the block's oil pressure hole) - where it will work its way up to the rocker shafts.

4) Due to the huge valves, we had to "eyebrow" the block for valve clearance and the pistons are custom venolia slugs. (Man they do nice work!). Also, we had to enlarge the pushrod holes in the block deck -- Smith Brothers made the custom push rods.

5) Welding/Rework: The heads had to be totally redone - welded up the entire deck surfaces, 4 exhaust ports had cracks, all plug holes, chambers, etc.. Even though they came off of a running nitro FED car, they needed a huge amount of work to get them ready for a street motor. I knew that going into them - sometimes you have to roll the dice and see WTF happens. (Fowler Racing Engines in Columbus did all the ugly head work - can't say enough about them).


Anyway, here are a few more 417 heads pictures: These are two different sets (needed a spare - in case this damn thing works and I manage to hurt it!):

Spare Set - Ports are a Bit Smaller:











Set on the Engine - Don't have a picture of the chambers: