While my head is off....

[jeblack123]

Enjoying my drive. Temp goes up, then way back down. (Apparently the guage uses real mercury and when it braks the tenp guage falls). Strange chatter from engine. Engine stops. Pull over. Lots of white smoke. No compression. I'm not happy.

Anyway, other than the obvious, while my head is off the engine, what additional things should I make sure I take care of? What can I do cosmetically to the cover (i.e. powder coat) to improve the looks while it is disassembled? What can I do to raise money for this inexpensive adventure? (just kidding... sort of....)

James

[jeblack123]

that should read "breaks" not "braks"

[Bonnyboy]

James, its really personal preference but I have heard over and over that a clean cover in the dull finish is better at heat dissapation than something that is polished up or even worse spray painted with aluminium paint.  Powdercoating just seems like a waste of effort. 

I have thought long and hard about changing appearances of various items but as I get deeper and deeper into my resurection I am appreciating the subleties of the car the way it was originally supplied by the factory.   I ground down and then powdercoated my vintage motorcycle frame and after everything was done - it just didn't look right.  Its missing the bumps and spurs that are found on the frames when they left the factory.  Guys in the know always ask what happened to my frame - was it damaged?  I reply, nothing - it was a long winter and I was bored.

I met a guy with a silver powdercoated cover and the first thing he said when he opened his hood was "I didn't do that".   

[Nate]

There's a treatment referred to in the biz as "walnut shelling" which is similar to powder coating that you may want to look into.  Getting all the bits cad plated could be a nice look as well.  But making improvements on a car is like making improvements on a house.  Once you remodel one room the rest of the house looks like sh#%, so use your discretion.  As the other member stated, I would not take a wheel to the valve cover.  We drive classic, German sports cars not bored-out Chevelles...