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Cheapo Design
Dodge Dakota
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9/10/2005
21:53:31
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 Subject: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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I was at the Arca race today, and they had all these Dodge vehicles on display...I looked at the new dak, and I saw PLASTIC valve covers? Is it me or is that some kind of cheap engineering?
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Jecht
Dodge Dakota
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9/10/2005
22:35:38
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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they are accually a composite material. I forgot what is in it but its not plastic.
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Mikey440
Dodge Dakota
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9/10/2005
22:39:52
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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This ain't news, manufacturers have been using composite valve covers for years.
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intense blue
Dodge Dakota
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9/11/2005
00:48:43
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Think about it, how much strength to you need in valve covers? Last time I checked all they had to do was keep the oil inside the engine. Plastic, or composite is light and performs the job well.
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craig
Dodge Dakota
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9/11/2005
12:42:08
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Ford has done this with the modular 4.6 for 15 years. I haven't seen 1 failure, and I've seen a LOT of those motors go a very long way. I think some of the very early fords had issues with cracking, but not recently.
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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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9/11/2005
12:48:44
|  RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Yea, the so called "composite" valve cover and
intakes sound to be the greatest thing since
bread and butter BUT the first time your engine
overheats for any reason like water pump went bad
or hose broke, get ready to shell out money for
those covers also. They will warp to the point
that you'll have to replace them. A new gasket
won't work either.
Before AMC went belly up, some half wit engineers
came out with a "redesigned" head for their 258
I6 engine. It had a composite valve cover. The
engineers thought it was the best thing they ever
came out with, there was NO bolts around the
cover, just two on top. The first time the engine
overheated, oil ran down the side of the block.
AMC would not admit to the problem so the owner
had to have a "kit" installed to hold the covers
in place. That didn't work either because it still
leaked oil from the back of the cover down the
bell housing.
Just one more reason AMC lost their ass and was
sold to DC. Guess what, a lot of AMC's engineers
also went to DC. Kinda makes me think a little.
So don't think for one second you're looking at
something better when you see more and more
composite junk under the hood. It's just more
trouble down the road that DC will STICK us with,
with the scaled back 3/36 warranties. That's
right fokes, no more 7/70.
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wondering
Dodge Dakota
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9/11/2005
14:44:41
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Hey Radio you wouldn't happen to also be Figols would you? You both whine about the same.
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Caulk04
GenIII
9/11/2005
16:49:13
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Old timers...heh.
Plastics have come a LONG way. I don't know exactly what the covers are made of, but there are many plastics out there that will stand up to various forces (heat, stress etc) better than your old stamped steel valve covers.
I will say though, its hard to dress up a plastic engine compartment like you could with chrome covers...
One last note, I'd rather have the plastic covers than the cast magnesium ones on my '02. Magnesium is very wear prone and god help it if it ever caught on fire...little fire will turn into big one.
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Gary F
Dodge Dakota
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9/11/2005
20:37:07
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Radio, if my engine overheated the valve covers would be LAST thing I would be worried about. I've seen lots of the Dodge/Plymouth Neon engines (SOHC) go over 100K miles with no problems and they use a plastic intake. The 4.7L uses a plastic intake and no one has had a issue. Radio, how about moving into the 21st century. Plastics have come a long way.
Caulk, plastics can be chromed, so I suppose it is possible to have a chrome engine compartment after all!
Gary F
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Craig
Dodge Dakota
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9/11/2005
21:18:32
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Radio, I think you're thinking of 20 years ago. I have NEVER seen a failure of a Ford valvecover in a 4.6, and I've been around them forever. I haven't even noticed them to leak any more than a metal valvecover.
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Boydzz
Dodge Dakota
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9/15/2005
10:32:31
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Here's the real scoop on the plastic valve covers. straight for DCX...via another great site:
http://www.reubengathright.com/2004DodgeDakota.html
http://www.reubengathright.com/Dev_4-7Lv-8Engine_Valvecover.pdf
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daveshotdako
Dodge Dakota
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9/15/2005
12:49:53
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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another correction for you radio. i have an 85 jeep cj7 with the 258 inline 6. when i bought the motor to replace the 4 banger that was in it, it had the plastic valve cover. no problems whatsoever with the plastice valve covers on these motors unless you overtightened them and cracked them. also they all had bolts around the outside of the valve cover as well as the two in the middle. i did replace mine with a polished cast aluminum piece but i wouldnt have had a single problem if i left the plastic one on it.
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davec
Dodge Dakota
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9/15/2005
16:36:24
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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I believe those "composite" valve covers are made of magnesium. Very light material...the 4.7 weighs in about 40lbs lighter than the 5.2. All in the name of fuel mileage...lol
dave
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Kowalski
GenIII
9/15/2005
16:58:35
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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davec - while the older 4.7s like my '00 came with the magnesium covers, they did switch to composite ones at some point. Stil save weight but cheaper for DC.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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Craig
Dodge Dakota
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9/15/2005
19:50:14
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Anybody know if the 4.7 uses laser welded (hollow) cams, or if they're solid?
Ford has been using the laser welded hollow camshafts to save about 40lbs in the motor. Outside of the very early troubles, it's worked out.
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GraphiteDak
GenIII
9/16/2005
01:25:27
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Has anyone read the 4.7 section on the allpar site? http://www.allpar.com/mopar/47.html
as well as some other places that has pix.
Most of the 4.7 page on the allpar site was writen when the engine first came out, so you notice they talk about "future" ideas, etc.
But they did a lot of different things with the 4.7 vs. old school LA engines. Like the Bed Plate main bearing caps. The windage tray. Etc. All stuff you had to have made aftermarket for old school hot rod engine comes factory on a 4.7.
It doesn't sound like this is a weak engine.
But as far as overheating goes. I'd be more worried about the aluminum heads than the valve covers!
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beaker
Dodge Dakota
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9/16/2005
11:19:51
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Does anyone know if the newer valve covers will fit the older 4.7 heads?
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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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9/16/2005
20:42:07
| RE: 4.7 Plastic Valve Covers
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Hay daveshotdako if you would READ what I said,
you would have read that the cover would leak
AFTER it over heated!
GAWD, READ the DAMN text!
Yours has bolts all around the cover ONLY because
the KIT was installed to keep it from leaking! If
it was done right there is also a 1/4 x 20
bolt in the very rear of the cover to. If none
there, it was never a completed job BECAUSE unless
the head or entire engine was removed there was no
way to drill and tap it!
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