I need to fix leaking valve covers on my '89 5.0. Would also like to replace the original steel valve covers with something aluminum but not too expensive (and must have all the smog stuff). Has original upper intake and heads. Any recommendations for new valve covers and what gasket set would be the best?
Leaking '89 5.0
- Thread starter Spieg
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I like the Trick Flow ones. These:
They have good clearance even for stud mount rockers while maintaining clearance for just about any intake, they are affordable, they are cast instead of stamped, so they don't warp as easily. Using this valve cover is more critical on an SN95 since there are so many clearance issues. The downside is that they don't come with a fill tube. You have to buy the kit, and drill a hole for it.
For gaskets, I have always just used the rubber ones from Felpro. They don't come up in the parts catalog for an 89', because the rubber option was only made for a stamped valve cover. The only difference is you have to cut the tabbies off, which takes less than a minute. Or you could leave them on, it won't hurt anything. The part number for those is a VS13264R. Or you can have the parts guy look it up for any 85' Ford 302 if you want to be sure. There is also a re useable metal combination style that is fairly expensive. They don't work with my heads though. Before I had these heads, I considered them worth the money. Those never leaked on me.
Kurt
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They have good clearance even for stud mount rockers while maintaining clearance for just about any intake, they are affordable, they are cast instead of stamped, so they don't warp as easily. Using this valve cover is more critical on an SN95 since there are so many clearance issues. The downside is that they don't come with a fill tube. You have to buy the kit, and drill a hole for it.
For gaskets, I have always just used the rubber ones from Felpro. They don't come up in the parts catalog for an 89', because the rubber option was only made for a stamped valve cover. The only difference is you have to cut the tabbies off, which takes less than a minute. Or you could leave them on, it won't hurt anything. The part number for those is a VS13264R. Or you can have the parts guy look it up for any 85' Ford 302 if you want to be sure. There is also a re useable metal combination style that is fairly expensive. They don't work with my heads though. Before I had these heads, I considered them worth the money. Those never leaked on me.
Kurt
The ones I pictures are OEM '87-'93. The oil filler neck and baffle are steel but the cover body itself is cast aluminum. Post a pic of what you have. Maybe what you have on there now is not stock to 89.
The stock ones are cast aluminum for Fox bodies. The SN ones are stamped. Many of the aftermarket ones are stamped out of very thin metal.
Kurt
These are the ones that I had the best luck with. I guess Ford stopped producing them, and they are only available from Mahle now. I have at least one set of these still hanging from my pegboard that are at least 20 years old. These are the 
. It's a metal form with an O-ring style seal.
Kurt
. It's a metal form with an O-ring style seal.Kurt
These are truly the only vc gaskets worth aI recently went to these valve cover gaskets. Not a drop since!
.Spend the extra $10 on these.
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