Valve Covers

[Rick Coleman]

Hi- Don't mean to sound like an complete idiot, but I keep seeing the term "dripper" or "non-dripper" used in referring to valve covers. Could one of you please educate a new guy? Thanks

[real61ss]

Rick,
Heres a non-dripper valve cover. they were used on the low performance motors

[real61ss]

Rick,
Here's a dripper valve cover. They were used on the hi-po motors. Oil would collect in the top of the valve cover and run down the "prongs" that you see and drip off onto the rockers.
Hope this explains it

[Rick Coleman]

Thanks- What an incredible group!!! You get an answer with photos almost before you get the question out of your mouth! Too cool!

[bobs409]

Tommy, there you go again with those great reference pics again! :D

I believe you said last time that I could use any pics you post. These two would look great on the 348/409 ref pic page.


Bob

[real61ss]

Bob,
Sure, you can always use anything I post.

Tommy

[bobs409]

Great! They'll be on for the next update.

:cheers


Bob

[Fran Preve]

Rick: they were on all 61/62 360/380/409 hp engines silver green paint, all 63/64/65 400/425 hp engines chrome plated. I've got a set over silver "fake" drippers and a set of chrome non drippers sitting over my head as I type.

[real61ss]

Fran,
So the drippers were never used on a 348 hi-po motor? I've never seen them on a 348 but assumed they may have been on the solid lifter motors.
Rick,
thanks for bringing up what you may have thought was a dumb question but really there are no dumb questions here. It's got me to wondering when they started using them and I'm sure Fran can answer that and he may have already answered it because he only listed 409 motors in his post.:confused:

[bobs409]

I would love to know what happened to my drippers! :cuss

Mine is a 63 400hp and when I got it, no drippers! I guess at some point, the covers were changed. I wonder why?

I did see LGC's had repro drippers for about $36 a pop (ouch) that you could tack weld in. This is something not seen so I haven't taken care of it yet. (on my to do list, probably about 40 years from now!) :D


Tommy is right, there are no stupid questions here. Believe me, we all can learn a thing or two. I thought I knew something about 409's until I met up with some of these guys! :p :D


Bob

[Phil Reed]

The 61 360HP 409 engine did not have drippers. They had the 348 valve cover that year. In 62, the drippers were made and the 2-row spark plug wire loom was moved from the middle of the valve cover down next to the bowtie.

[MK IISS]

Fran:

I've got a question, something I wondered about for some time.
You mentioned a "silver green" color of the 409 painted valve covers. Working at my Uncle's garage I had the oppprtunity to see two new '61 409 crate engines and several '62 409 cars. I don't remember any of the valve covers this silver/green color I now see on restored 409s, they were just plain silver, kind of like the argent silver of the '58 Impala wheels.

What is your opinion on this?

Richard

[Fran Preve]

Phil: I wasn't sure, if they didn't have them in 1961 they didn't have them before, I suppose.

Tonawanda put them on MKIV's in 71/72 later?. I remember seeing the drippers and a spot welding machine on the trim line back then. When did they start?. I don't know. As an aside, we sent valve covers out to be "chromed" by an outside source here in Buffalo, Marlette plating. Another aside, I knew (slightly) the owners daughter, Jennifer. But I won't go there.

Richard: I had thought the valve covers were plain silver until I too saw some UNRESTORED original 1962's. There was a "tinge" of green in the color, definately NOT plain silver. Somewhere in the late 80's I had a chance to pick up a set of "fake" drippers from Super Sport Engineering out of Colorado (Phil would know of them). These were "fake" only because what he did was use a spot welder and put spots where the dripper would have gone, from the outside you can't tell there's no dripper under. The only mistake he made was use a FOIL 409 sticker instead of the correct decal (I have decals and haven't changed thm yet). These are painted the correct tinted silver, and he sold the paint too.
Also, they have the correct placement of the wire looms next to the bow tie, as on the chrome valve covers tacked on the wall next to them.

I'd like a true expert, Phil Reed to comment on the tinting of the silver, he should know. I saw Floyd Garretts original 10,000 mile 1962 Impala, I'm sure the silver isn't a staight silver.

[MK IISS]

Fran: Thanks for your reply. Maybe the 62s were a different color then the 61s. 40 some years ago, not sure. Maybe some of the restoration paints have more of a green tint then the original. Just doesn't look right to me.

My '69 L78 had dripper valve covers. I think my friend's '66 Chevelle did also.

Richard

[Fran Preve]

The tint in the silver I'm sure of. Yes, ALL solid lifter big block Mark IV's had drippers, both painted and chrome. As I say, we had a machine that would add them at Tonawanda, spot welded them in. Probably because it was easier to order them plain then add them as needed. We shipped them to Marlette, they shipped them back.