The Stickman

Ok my new Magnesium vlave covers arrived today. They are very tall, light, and very cool. Now my question is what do I do with them? Do I leave them as is? Polish them? Or paint them? Also what about PCV? Should I just do a PCV on one valve cover? PCV on one breather on the other? Or a PCV on both teed off to vacuum?


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66ninetyeightls

If they are truly Magnesium you need to be very careful when drilling them for a PCV. Magnesium can ignite from the heat of drilling and once it starts it can't be stopped. It even burns under water.

joe_padavano

Where'd you get those in mag? I have an aluminum set that I got decades ago.

66ninetyeightls

Apparently Mondello has them.. Last engine on the bottom of the page.

http://www.mondellotwister.com/engines.html


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OLDSM...b#ht_500wt_924

TK-65

Most polishers wont touch those things. My friend, who is a top notch polisher, caught himself on fire from a set of wheels he was polishing. The dust ignited on his clothes and he almost burned alive. That was the last time he worked with magnesium.

joe_padavano

I'm still struggling with the concept of mag valve covers. The density of magnesium is about 60% that of aluminum. That means that on a 5 lb valve cover, you'd save 2 lbs, or 4 lbs total for the car.

The Stickman

Actually they are 4 lbs. I weighed them. I remember feeling one of the cast aluminum versions of this valve cover and it weighed a ton. I know my Rocket racing ones are very heavy as well. I got them off ebay. The guy says he has a couple sets. Go fight over them.

The Stickman

I was considering doing it by hand with no power tools. I might drill the the holes for PCV by hand with a non power drill. Just to be safe.

joe_padavano

4 lb each or total? If 4 lb each, that's 8 total. Aluminum would be 13 lb total, a savings of 5 lbs. Of course, I'm assuming the wall thickness is the same. I guess I'll have to weigh my aluminum covers now.

The Stickman

About 4lbs each. When I weigh my Rocket Racing valve covers be prepared to be shocked. I am betting they are way over double these.

joe_padavano

I can't speak to the Rocket Racing covers. I have the exact copies of your mag covers, but in aluminum. I bought them new from Oldsmobile back in the 1980s.

380 Racer

I have sheet metal right now but if I were to buy new ones a place down in Florida makes carbon fiber covers.

nukesec1

Sheeeeyat! Those are COOL! +2 Cool points for The Stickman!