PROJECT 51: Valve Cover. Only a little Brutus-damage here; just a couple of small dents. After stripping the (wrong color) paint, I tried tapping out the dents with a hard-plastic hammer against a wood block, but the cover is made from pretty heavy-gauge steel, and they didn't move much. I can only guess what Brutus dropped on the engine to MAKE the dents!
So, I decided to fill them with lead (getting good at it!). I also blended out the factory-applied lead filler they used around the breather-inlet fitting. (Another advantage to lead is that you don't have to wait hours for it to fully cure. As soon as it's cool you can start filing and sanding.)
After sandblasting, I sprayed everything with primer and the factory-correct color, and then polished the brass "valve clearance" plate and the filler cap.
Now, on to the bottom of the engine: the oil pan (the "sump" in Brit-speak).
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| Valve cover as removed from the engine. A little beat-up and the wrong color. |
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| Removed the old finish using paint stripper. |
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| Area sanded to show the dents. The depressed spots will also be sanded to bare metal so the lead will adhere. |
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| Leaded and sanded. Note the two other dents on the right corner. Those were sanded and filled, also. |
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| Sandblasted. |
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| Several coats of primer. |
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| Final finish. |
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| Ready to install. |
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