Hood clearance with trickflow H/C/I. HELP Me!

[King Cobra 22]

As some of you know I bought a Trickflow H/C/I street kit.My car is at the shop and today he was supposed to be done.When I got there he was having trouble putting the trickflow intake on and told me that the valve covers(ones that came in the kit) were higher and a PITA to put on.Everythnig else was fine though.
Well the bad part is...he is telling me I am going to need a 1/2in spacer for the intake maniflod to fit. The other part is when I close my hood the center rib on my stock hood is hitting the intake manifold and he is telling me to buy a new cowl hood! I'm kind of mad because hoods are expensive and I dind't think/know I was going to have to get a new hood and spacer.Plus I'm short on money.Also my car is going to be in the shop for maybe another week now!

My questions are:

I have been looking around for a 1/2 in spacer and all everyone has is 3/8 or 1in.Where can I get a 1/2in. spacer?

I was thinking of just cutting the center rib of the hood out for clearance instead of buying a new hood.The mechanic was telling me it would still hit when I go WOT and the hood might crack.

Has anyone cut the hood or have to buy a cowl hood for clearance?

Is this stuff all really necessary for a H/C/I install?If I would of known this I would of waited longer to save more money.

 

[Guero]

thats bull**** my friend put the same kit on there and needed nothing else but what was in the kit. and the hood didn't hit. maybe your just special

 

[King Cobra 22]

I'm thinking maybe they sent me the wrong valve covers.Is there a difference in height between 1.6RR and 1.7RR trickflow valve covers? I'm wondering if thats the problem.

Another thing is the hole where the PCV valve goes in is right under the intake manifold and you can't put the PCV valve in.Is that normal too?

 

[loudpedal99]

I have a 3/8" spacer on my TF combo (using GT40 intake), and I'm sure that if I didn't have a cobra R hood, it wouldn't have fit. It would hit on the forward part of the upper intake. The spacer really does make everything fit easier; I'm using fox valve covers to clear my crane rockers, and I still had to modify the oil filler to clear the intake tract.

 

[final5-0]

Just use shorter covers!

Fox vc's would most likely work.

Grady

 

[95opal]

not sure about your valve cover issue, but im runnin a 3/8 spacer on my tfs street and stock hood w/ no probs. if anything you might have to grind down the egr valve a little to clear the valve covers but thats about all i can think of that would be a problem.

 

[a50sn95]

I run the TW's with the Street Heat and a 3/8' spacer. I use Fox V/C's to clear 1.7's. Had to grind the bottom of the EGR to clear the V/C, and I get a slight rub on the blanket, but not enough to do anything about....
I don't know anything about the TFS Valve Covers, though...
There is a short and a tall, if I'm ot mistaken....

 

[a50sn95]

Another thing is the hole where the PCV valve goes in is right under the intake manifold and you can't put the PCV valve in.Is that normal too?

Huh? The PCV goes in the hole at the back of the lower intake.....

 

[GRGT1994]

I have the TFS top end kit too - with a 3/8 inch spacer, and no clearance issues. The EGR was close, but I didn't have to grind it down. And the hood does rub the intake at that same center rib, but it has created no issues. Well, I have rubbed the nice paint off a spot where it contacts at WOT, but no "cracking." Maybe if I had a 1/2 inch spacer I would have an issue.

BTW, I think those taller VCs are needed with the Twisted Wedge heads. Call TFS or Summit Racing tech line. They know their products very well and can tell you exactly whats up and what you need.

 

[MysteryMachine]

summit has the 1/2 inch spacer thats where i got mine you get it and all the bolts you need for it. Your problem is probably with the egr I have fox covers and i didn't want to grind anything thats why i went with the spacer but i have a cobra r hood so i don't have any problems

 

[94opalgt]

1/2 inch spacer?if you get one of those you will need a new hood.i have that set up with a track heat intake 3/8 spacer and all i had to do was remove the hood blanket and it didnt rub at all.the guy working on your car is full of sh**,put a 3/8 on it and if you dont mind it rubbing on the blanket and rubbing the paint off the intake,drive it home.

 

[King Cobra 22]

I called summit and jegs along with a few other places and none had the 1/2in spacer.I am hoping to just get a 3/8in spacer and have that work but the guy at the shop insisted a 1/2in plus a new hood.

I'm goint to give trickflow a call and see what they think.

 

[a50sn95]

I see Trick Flow doesn't even list a 1/2" spacer. I REALLY though they did. Still it's only 1/8" more than a 3/8"'s, so I don't think it would make that much difference. Just get the 3/8" and make it work.
Oh. You MAY need to do something with the EGR tube from the header, too, depending on the brand of headers, etc....
Dennis

 

[MysteryMachine]

thats odd i got mine from summit. Yeah get the thing from 5.0resto for the egr tube it makes it a little longer its like 10 bucks

 

[94opalgt]

you do not need a new hood,there are plenty of guys in here running those intake with out clearance problems.your guy is full of dung,is he trying to sell you a hood or something?the most its going to rub with a 3/8 spacer is the blanket.

 

[mackey]

not sure about your valve cover issue, but im runnin a 3/8 spacer on my tfs street and stock hood w/ no probs. if anything you might have to grind down the egr valve a little to clear the valve covers but thats about all i can think of that would be a problem.

Same thing here.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

It would be cheaper to buy the AFM steel chrome dipped valve covers for $75 rather then spending $600+ on a hood, paint and spacer. I run them with a Holley Systemax which I was told would never clear the stock hood and it did. Tall valve covers are a killer sometimes.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

 

[King Cobra 22]

Well today I talked to a guy at trickflow and he told me that the kit should clear the hood with no problems.I gave the guy at trickflow the number to my mechanic and he talked to him.Trickflow is also sending a 3/8in spacer with overnight shipping to the shop all for free.
The guy at trickflow told the mechanic he had to do some grinding and it will work with the 3/8in spacer.
So far things are starting to work out for me.

I took the hood blanket off of the hood yesterday.
Do I need the blanket? Will everything be alright without the blanket on the hood?

 

[GRGT1994]

I took the hood blanket off of the hood yesterday.
Do I need the blanket? Will everything be alright without the blanket on the hood?

Yes. The blanket is just for fire suppression - if you have a fire. And even then it's not all that good at suppressing an engine fire. Rip that sucker outa there.