Hot Rods Florida Man replaces valve cover gaskets on a Hemi

I tackled the leaky valve cover gaskets on the Hemi in the roadster today. I was dreading it, but it went really smoothly. I had to hammer and dolly the flanges flat as they were warped under the 6 bolt holes. Tomorrow I’ll try to get the oil off the engine and get it repainted it’s original silver. It’s looking kinda shabby after 4 years of regular use and leaking oil. I was pleased with how the plugs looked, I’ve never had them out since pulling this engine out of our ‘52 DeSoto wagon and building the roadster around it. Nice and clean, evenly tan color, and no sludge or build up under the valve covers or in the heads. Confirming the engine had been freshened up by some previous owner.

 

Back in the late 60's I had a 54 Chrysler New Yorker that I drove back and forth to college. I'd go home some weekends which was a 100 miles one way. The plugs in that old Chrysler were a perfect tan color. I did run it pretty hard, it would cruise easily at 80 with a lot left.

 

What, no Chaos in the ***le?
reads post - Ah this is to be continued...

 

The perfect engine for a roadster like that.
Glad you've kept it on a healthy diet.
Thanks for the pics.

 

“That thing gotta Hemi Sweet”
Dan

 

I never worked on a Hemi ,
I wonder how many designs where experiment with before settling on
Whats used / shown & why?
Seems a better way could have been
Incorporated used.
Spark plug tubes made in cover ,
Then on head a pocket for flat
rubber O -ring / cork O ring
Or
On cover pocket for flat O ring &
Pocket on head for flat O ring the
Spark plug tube screw into cover &
Tighten against both O rings

 

I was apprehensive to open this thread, - expecting another disaster.
Pleased it went well this time !

 

I drug my heals doing it because I was afraid of somehow ****ing it up. Last year I replaced the plug wires, which had been on it for decades, and it resulted in tearing all the plug wires apart as the boots were fused to the porcelain. Probably because they are all new and I’d lubed the boots, they all came off easily. I also bought a set of thin wall deep sockets at HF, so the sockets fit in the plug tubes. There are a LOT of places for oil to leak out of these things, so I was concerned I’d make things worse but looks like a success so far.

 

It is a design that encourages oil leaks and a messy engine bay.

 

Last time I saw the rockers of a DeSoto hemi I was in high school and we were replacing the valve cover gaskets of my friend's '57 white four-door with the 341 Firedome - for the same reason. They're leaky ****ers. Still leaked after the first try, so siliconed the snot out of 'em the second time around and that did the trick.
By the way, what's the difference between a Firedome and a Fireflight? Or is it Fireflite?

 

FireDome is the moniker slapped onto this first generation DeSoto engine. FireFlite is the second iteration of, a raised deck, more displacement engine. Which shares nothing with this little 276, nor any of its Hemi cousins, Chrysler or Dodge.

 

Congrats, nice when a plan works out!

 

Not busting on Hemi , Just wonder
Why that design they settle for ?
Same with SBC , why they did not add
Extra bolts like BBC , I know close to
10 yrs later . & Other brands Why not add more hold downs .
Again I never hand's on a Hemi ,
Did the after market add the spark tub's
Maybe in way I am thinking ,
"Aluminum covers" , is all the later
Hemi & 426 like what shown in post #1
how tub's used ?
The Stamp steel / Tin covers .

 

If you don't want to use the wire cover pans, do this trick. Fold over the edge of the sparkplug tubes. Need to make a simple jug out of hard wood. I used oak. This seals the stock rubber donuts perfectly. Actually, its a good idea when using the wire pans too, instead of juggling those washers.

 

Thanks, Brian. SO now I know that it was a Fireflite we were wrenching on. Man that '57 had torque!

 

Doesn’t that make the tubes too short?

 

No. The tubes stick above the top lip of the factory donut. By forming the lip (about 3/16"), the lip is about the diameter of the donut hole dip in the cover and it crushes the rubber donut into a perfect seal.
This is for a Chrysler. Check tube height for a Dodge or Desoto, I have never worked on those. I would guess they are very similar, use the same steel washer/pan tech.

 

I see. With the stock plug wire covers, which my engine still has, it seems to do the same thing. The cover rests on the washer, which, as it is clamped down, presses the washer and rubber grommet down against the valve cover.

 

That's the theory. I just built a 331 for a guy who wanted to keep the wire pans so I ***embled it with the washers. Took forever to get the washers to stay over the rubber, get all the wires to behave in the pans, and cinch the whole thing down with the 3 screws. The washers kept slipping off the tubes.

 

I just finished up changing my seals. I was going to go back to the covers but decided to stay with the Hemi rubber seals. I found that the tube seals seal up quite fine without washers, the tube seats nicely. I also removed the compression seals on the plugs. Since my 330 is recessed into the firewall I can’t get number 7 tube out however I was able to remove the plug. I guess my next step is to make an access panel so I can remove the tube and replace that seal.

 

Ain't hot roddin' fun?!

 

oh yeah!!

 

Happily I didn’t have that happen, although I did briefly consider putting it back together without the washers. The only issue I had was that I’m using pretty short 1/4” tapered head SS machine screws to hold the covers on, and wit the new, pliable grommets I had to push down on the covers, one bolt a time, to get the threads caught. The old ones were squashed, dry and brittle, the wire covers touched the valve covers without out the screws in.
Tomorrow’s project is to wire brush the exhaust manifolds. Paint them with some Rust-O-Leum Bar-B-Que black, then clean and paint the engine silver. Again…

 

Another reason for not using the pans I’m running 8mm Taylor wires. It’s a bit crowded in those pans. Oh, I ended up breaking my dipstick tube messing around trying to get that #7 seated. Kinda a weird place for the the dipstick being at the crack of the block. Didn’t take much to repair the tube given I have access panels on the firewall.

 

I managed to break the dipstick tube off too, I’m not sure how to get the broken off part stuck in the block out, it’s under the edge of the firewall.

 

Big sheetmetal screw & slid hammer
Or screw & rod that you could use Vice grip & tap up with hammer

 

Firedome is a two barrel, Fireflite is a four barrel.

 

Happens to them all sooner or later!!