Has anyone tried this part? I like the design and the price is good:

https://www.jegs.com/i/Speedmaster/746/PCE265.1037/10002/-1

A while back when they first started selling them I wanted to actually see one at the store but they didn't have one in stock. I was kind of worried that it didn't have dowels to keep the seal centered on the cover portion. I didn't want to get one until I actually could hold it in my hands so I passed.

Gus

The point of having a 2 piece front cover was born out of the design of the Chevy piece, where you have to literally drop the pan to get the cover off. Mopar's don't suffer from this "mistake" so all you really doing on a Mopar is adding another place for oil to leak at best.

Looks like with the two piece design you would have to start the dampener on to align the cover/seal then tighten the bolts. I once had a cheap stamped chrome one, and the dowel and seal hole weren't aligned very well. Seal fit tight on one side and barely touched on the other. Eventually leaked.

I've seen stock ones like that too. Just like you said drill the hole bigger and start the damper before tightening the cover

Dowels are useless if the block has been line honed and I'm pretty sure any front seal has enough give in it to compensate for a 5 to 10 thou offset. But to the point, this thing is pointless unless you plan multiple cam swaps. Great for dyno testing but just another place for lpotential eaks in normal use.

Good points. I hadn't thought it through. I currently have a roller cam with a stamped steel cover. The stamped cover clearly allows cam walk (I have a dent in my cover to prove it). I want a stiffer cover, but the cast covers I see out there either won't fit under a stock W/P housing or are expensive

A good number of years ago Muscle Motors was selling a really nice cast cover for around $100.. I'm not sure who cast them but I had seen a couple other vendors with them. I have one and it meets all the criteria - solid casting, accepts stock seal, fits under w/p, all holes line up. Would be worth giving Muscle Motors a call.

I think Hughes and 440 Source sell a thicker aluminum timing covers that will work behind a stock water pump housing

Did this to our stock cover, had a friend water jet a1/8"
thick round piece and welded it to the cover.

Used a bearing button with a few thousands clearance for cam control.

Works great with just a tad interference to the back of the Al. water pump housing.

Joe

Great idea and nicely executed. I also like that valley tray

Thanks, I think it was an Edelbrock tray??

Joe

PS Nice for a change not having to worry about oil being sucked into the intakes.....

Exactly! I'm gonna go to Edelbrock and check out that setup

was that the way the elelbrock tray comes, or did you add the wings for the intake ?
i agree, nicely executed tray !
what did you use for gasket material on the wings ? TIA.

It's an Edelbrock tray, for Victor heads.
I think I used the Right Stuff for gasketing, all around, no other gasket, it's gray
and hasn't leaked so far......

Joe

I tried one it is a piece of junk
No room for cam button or any bolt other than flat 6 point
The screws are so small the allen strips the head out
It's in my junk pile

Thank you Joe.
i wonder if that tray would work for RPM heads ? i haven't done any checking on the internets, so that's the reason for me asking.

That tray will not work for RPM Heads or E Street



See the side bolts on the valley tray / pan that the Victor Heads accept or bolt to

RATS !

well, Thanks for the heads up sir !

That tray is made for the Victor heads on both RB and B motors, two different trays.
They work well on the Speedmaster Victor clone heads also