I am readying a 3.2 Carrera engine for installation in my 76 914. My understanding is that the cast aluminum fins on the exhaust valve covers need to be locally removed to allow for removal of the valve covers with the engine in the car. The covers apparently interfere with the motor mounts.

Can someone provide a picture of properly modified valve covers?

Just mill all the fins/ribs down to about 1/4".

Unfortunately, I do not have access to a mill, and would prefer to remove a minimum amount of material using a Dremel and files. So, I am in search of a picture or sketch that shows the minimum material to remove that will still allow removal of the cover with the engine installed.

Can't help, I asked the same question and the milling job was quick and easy for me.

Pretty simple set up/job, I can't see a machine shop charging a whole lot to do this. Even a big belt sander would work.

Thanks Mark,

Since I do have a mill and a 3.2 almost ready to go I was wondering the same thing. I have only offered up the engine once so I am a little unclear what the clearance is for. I think it involves valve adjustment but what gets in the way of what that the milling solves. Is it trailing arms? No I am sure the engine is right side up. I think.

I ordered Turbo valve covers for my stock six and found out they would not install without some 'machining'. I would take a picture for you, but I don't have easy access to crawl under the car right now. It's the trailing arm mounts that interfere. If I recall, you only need to take off part of the fins near the upper, rear portion of the covers, and not much at that.

If you can wait a couple days, I'll try to get a picture.

As the old saying goes.....one picture would be worth more than a million words! I just need to see which ribs have to be removed, and by how much. A single picture would address my question.

I milled mine (actually scotty b did it) 5/16 across the entire surface. But not much to show in a pic. A belt sander might to it on the cheap.

So, to be clear, you milled off 5/16 or did you mill off enough to leave 5/16 of an inch high fins?

I milled 5/16 from the total height. That is the recommended amount to clear the suspension. I can't imagine a shop would charge more that $50 to mill.

Some people use bolts but then your removing them from the aluminum heads over and over and eventually the threads will wear.

Thanks. I guess then I might time cert or some similar steel thing the heads. If they was coming off, which I hope they aren't. A good number to shoot for. The mill ain't much to look at but it'll do this. Thanks again.

I used a dremel tool, files and sandpaper to do mine while I was temporarily in an apartment when I moved to Southern Indiana several years ago.

It is the suspension consoles that interfere. I was able to get mine off in order to adjust valves and made the modification at that time. I only removed a small portion of the fins where the close fit is. There isn't an interference until one goes to remove and install the lower valve covers.

Some folks have also suggested replacing the problem studs with bolts and keep the ribs stock. I preferred to remove a small amount of the ribs.

I only removed ribs down to the bolt boss level of the valve covers.

Its easy to cut with a dremel tool and much easier with a mill.

If I had a picture, I would post it. Perhaps I should go out and take some pictures one evening this week.

John

Yep, when you try to take them off over the studs the trailing arms get in the way. Milling them looks slick and the turbo cover have more than enough meat on them to do this.

Here you go. The ribs were milled to be the same height as the base of the bolts.

Click to view attachment

Here's another angle, but a little blurry

Click to view attachment

X2 above

- cost me $40 each to have mine done at local machine shop last year

Thanks. Nice color.

OK, let's see if these will help. It was actually more toward the center of the cover around 2 of the bolt holes along the top. This is a stock engine, so if your 3.2 is a little larger, you may need to cut a bit more. Tried to get 2 pictures of each side.
Click to view attachmentClick to view attachmentClick to view attachment[attachmentid=477
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I used a small hacksaw blade, some pliers and a couple files to trim it out. Didn't have access to anything more sophisticated. Just had to take enough off to allow the cover to fit between the studs and frame.

Click to view attachment

Terrific pictures. Thanks so much. It is patently true that one or two pictures are easily worth more than a million words. Thanks.

Use aluminum 911SC valve covers which don't have the ribs and don't require machining. They are inexpensive, plentiful and don't leak like the magnesium covers do.

True if you don't have covers, but why would you go looking when you already have turbo covers?
It's an easy mod, the trimming cost nothing, and the milling is relatively cheap.

We don't know what he has access to. Maybe he has SC valve covers. Maybe machining isn't cheap or easy for him.

Also, for those who find this thread, they'll have another option other than the false pretense that turbo valve covers are necessary.

Several years ago when I bought my 'turbo covers', I wasn't involved in a group like this. My engine leaked like a sieve and I finally figured out it was the valve covers (original, still have them if anyone wants them..). Unknowing, I just searched online and found several places offering the turbo covers, but nothing that was like the originals. I saw notes that they needed to be modified to fit a /6, but came across one place that claimed theirs would. Well, turns out it was an inexperienced sales rep and while I was ticked a bit, the rework wasn't that bad in the scheme of things. I happen to like the fins, and anything that will help draw heat off these engines is OK too.

I assumed he already had the covers, title says "carerra covers", not turbo, so I don't know if this is the same. I assumed it was as he just bought the engine that it already has turbo covers. That's what I based my comments on.
Turbo covers are very common on these engines, of the three core engines I bought 2 had turbo covers on them.

I have the turbo covers on my 3.2. After starting this thread and seeing the responses and pictures, I think that the easiest thing for me to do is to modify my turbo covers. I thought about just removing material locally using a Dremel tool and files. Now, I am beginning to think that the easiest thing to do is to take the covers down to my 6 inch belt sander and sand all of the ribs down to the proper height. I guess my question is that removing all that material removes heat transfer surface. So, I can then expect the covers to run hotter, right? And, with more heat, can I expect to see cover warpage and oil leaks? The ribs in the turbo covers provide stiffening; so, machining them down to a thinner profile will remove some of that stiffness.

Those are my thoughts and concerns. What has been the experience of those that have run the modified turbo covers?

I think that when I install my covers, I'll just drop the engine slightly.

No.

The covers dissipate very little heat. I and many others have run deep sumps in type 1's for years, most people thought this was to reduce oil temps, but it doesn't, the only real benefit is extra oil volume. The cover fins are just to small and airflow too little to make a real difference.
The turbo cover with the fins cut still is IMHO more than heavy enough to resist warping. The biggest threat to warping the covers is over torquing them.

I just took out the studs and used bolts with a flanged head.