5.0 valve cover options

[tripog]

Anyone have a link for a known working set of valve covers for the 2000 5.0 explorer? all the ones i find either have the oil spill spout in the wrong location or they don't have the little baffle thing underneath the spill spout.

Has anyone ran into excessive oil consumption issues with aftermarket valve covers that do not have the baffle?

 

[410Fortune]

Nope
I have used aftermarket tig welded aluminum high rise and Cobra mustang aluminum valve covers on these engines, no oil consumption issues that I'm aware of
The oil fill on the explorer can be tricky to match valve covers too...you may have to rig something up, like on one of my builds I have to remove the intake air tube before I can fill the crankcase, no biggie. We welded a piece of steel tube onto the new valve cover and used that to hold the fill pipe and cap. Also had to plug off the hole on the other side (drivers) I just welded that one shut with a large flat washer
The baffles are nice to have but not needed and usually the first thing to go when you install roller rockers

 

[tripog]

Nope
I have used aftermarket tig welded aluminum high rise and Cobra mustang aluminum valve covers on these engines, no oil consumption issues that I'm aware of
The oil fill on the explorer can be tricky to match valve covers too...you may have to rig something up, like on one of my builds I have to remove the intake air tube before I can fill the crankcase, no biggie. We welded a piece of steel tube onto the new valve cover and used that to hold the fill pipe and cap. Also had to plug off the hole on the other side (drivers) I just welded that one shut with a large flat washer
The baffles are nice to have but not needed and usually the first thing to go when you install roller rockers

this is just a basic ford explorer, i'm not trying to turn it into a wannabe offroading or race truck, I just want to stop the oil leaks. I cant believe its so hard to find an actual quality replacement part for these. guess ill just have to deal with rusty pos valve covers with a metric ****load of rtv.

 

[410Fortune]

You can get new basic valve covers for $30+
If you are looking for a replacement set of stock valve covers have you considered the junk yard?
Craigslist?
Use felpro gaskets and you will not need RTV
If the valve covers you use are crappy and pitted then just a thin film of RTV on both sides of the gasket should do it

 

[tripog]

You can get new basic valve covers for $30+
If you are looking for a replacement set of stock valve covers have you considered the junk yard?
Craigslist?
Use felpro gaskets and you will not need RTV
If the valve covers you use are crappy and pitted then just a thin film of RTV on both sides of the gasket should do it

No junk yard near me has them, all the basic ones have holes in the wrong location or holes in both sides which I don't feel like plugging. I just want a set of oem ones in good condition.

Mine are in bad shape they do have felpro gaskets, rtv, even the little clamp force spreader things and after a while they develop a leak so much that it's not worth pulling the intake off every year to regasket and rtv the covers. Most of them have bad rust around the sealing area and I'm sure eventually I'll probably be able to put a finger through some of the cover. While I'm sure I could epoxy the sealing area, you would think it would be easier to just replace them.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Are new OEM covers not available?

 

[tripog]

Are new OEM covers not available?

I couldn't find any but I don't know what the part number is, if you can find it or a place that sells em let me know.

 

[Turdle]

86-93 mustang valve covers will put the oil fill in the correct place, but I am not sure if they will clear the rockers.

SVE Mustang 5.0L Aluminum Valve Covers - Polished (86-93)

There are other brands of this style cover out there.

 

[tripog]

86-93 mustang valve covers will put the oil fill in the correct place, but I am not sure if they will clear the rockers.

SVE Mustang 5.0L Aluminum Valve Covers - Polished (86-93)

There are other brands of this style cover out there.

For 130 dollars I should have to struggle with an oil fill spout like that.

 

[Mbrooks420]

What’s to struggle with? I’m sure if you search around you can find used OEM covers.

 

[410Fortune]

the aluminum valve covers will fit
For most stock like covers you will simply unscrew the mustang style oil fill and screw in the explorer piece..... Summit has a set of stamped steel covers for $30

 

[Turdle]

Ok, then struggle for around 50 bux

1986-1993 Ford Mustang Factory Stock 5.0L Aluminum Valve Cover Passenger SBF OEM | eBay

I was just giving you an idea on what to search for. You might have to have an oil fill spout fabricated.

There is good stuff in this thread. Read if you are interested.

Searching for usable Tall Valve Covers 5.0

 

[tripog]

Ok, then struggle for around 50 bux

1986-1993 Ford Mustang Factory Stock 5.0L Aluminum Valve Cover Passenger SBF OEM | eBay

I was just giving you an idea on what to search for. You might have to have an oil fill spout fabricated.

There is good stuff in this thread. Read if you are interested.

Searching for usable Tall Valve Covers 5.0

That's definitely more reasonable, do you know if that oil filler neck is pressed in or if it's welded?

 

[tripog]

the aluminum valve covers will fit
For most stock like covers you will simply unscrew the mustang style oil fill and screw in the explorer piece..... Summit has a set of stamped steel covers for $30

When you say stock like do you mean like oem Ford or stock like reproductions that sell on eBay and Amazon? There a lot of reproductions that look like they could work but most of those have the oil spout hole in the wrong side and no little baffle thing like the stock valve cover has.
It would be nice to just get a definite these work without any issues, the oil spout will be in the same spot with no removing the airbox to fill oil, no breather hole that could leak on the driver's side. It's kind of ridiculous this is such a task.

 

[Turdle]

Yeah, Ford already had the explorer redesign on the table, but needed to use up a bunch of pushrod 5.0s they had stockpiled, while also succumbing to the pressure to V8 an SUV. The combination created quite a can of worms for anyone wanting to modify anything.

 

[tripog]

Yeah, Ford already had the explorer redesign on the table, but needed to use up a bunch of pushrod 5.0s they had stockpiled, while also succumbing to the pressure to V8 an SUV. The combination created quite a can of worms for anyone wanting to modify anything.

Yeah I never thought of all things I wouldn't be able to find simple plug and play valve covers for a traditional Ford V8. If I needed to keep the spark plugs wires routed the same way I would be royally screwed.

 

[Turdle]

If you haven't already noticed, the explorer oil fill spout is held in place down against the valve cover by a small section of radiator hose with a clamp on either end.

If you can find a new chunk of good rubber, and your oil spout is in good shape, all you need is a 1" metal tube to clamp it to. The mustang cover tube could be cut flat 1" long and you might be good to go. People will think you have a mustang engine. Applause!

If you need to do any welding though, oil is not your friend. in the link above I actually baked the covers hot to burn out oil, then bead blasted it all clean. Getting this area clean enough for leak proof welding might be difficult. The material is thin.

 

[tripog]

If you haven't already noticed, the explorer oil fill spout is held in place down against the valve cover by a small section of radiator hose with a clamp on either end.

If you can find a new chunk of good rubber, and your oil spout is in good shape, all you need is a 1" metal tube to clamp it to. The mustang cover tube could be cut flat 1" long and you might be good to go. People will think you have a mustang engine. Applause!

If you need to do any welding though, oil is not your friend. in the link above I actually baked the covers hot to burn out oil, then bead blasted it all clean. Getting this area clean enough for leak proof welding might be difficult. The material is thin.

That's one thing I was considering, was just hoping there would be an easier solution. I'm not messing with it till spring when I transplant the drivetrain into a rust free 4.0 explorer I have. Just want the parts on hand.

 

[Turdle]

Ok, 1" was understating this, but pictures in post 553 here will show . Any valve cover which has neck like that should work if the diameter is close.
Sorry for pimping this thread but it is where I knew a picture was stashed.

Betty's "I want to be a mule" progress log thread

 

[410Fortune]

I am pretty sure I have a set of covers around here somewhere if you want to buy some used OEM ones? I will have to go digging........