Drain holes on the top of the valve covers ?

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Soliton
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Drain holes on the top of the valve covers ?

Post by Soliton »

Hi chaps.

I am considering a modification and want to poll the collective wisdom to see if there are any conceivable issues.

The valve covers have finned channels running fore and aft. The also have fins running transversely (same alignment as the heads) at the front and rear edges of the cover. The transverse fins mean that any liquid caught in the top channels remains in the channel until it is either boiled off or cleaned out (oil on the left hand side)

I am considering drilling small holes to act as drain ports in the transverse fins (one for each channel) at the front and rear edges of the covers. This should allow liquids to drain and not pool.

The holes will be polished smooth and then repainted to prevent the magnesium allow from oxidising.

Can anyone see any issues with this concept. (I am already aware of the issues retaliating to fine shaving of magnesium.)

As an aside. If you tell your significant other, or friends, that you are going to strip the paint from your upper triple clamp, brake and clutch mater cylinder covers, grind the paint back to the bare metal and mirror polish them...get you compatriots to beat you with a cricket bat instead. The headache will be shorter, as will the time it takes to do it.

Rs,

Sol
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riceburner
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Re: Drain holes on the top of the valve covers ?

Post by riceburner »

Shouldn't any liquid caught be 'burnt off' (as in evaporated off, rather than flammated), anyway?

Can't say I've ever noticed any issue with liquid being caught in the fins....

If you have oil on the outside - then there's something else wrong, this a BMW, they don't do external lubrication..... ;)
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Re: Drain holes on the top of the valve covers ?

Post by BadToTheBown »

I"m having trouble believing you would have a problem with this, hell, I might do it to, may even remove them entirely...
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Re: Drain holes on the top of the valve covers ?

Post by CycleRob »

Soliton,
I remember considering exactly what you described, drilling drain holes at the low point of the seamless fin joining point. For some reason I did not do it, maybe that it was not needed unless we washed the engine. Can you show us some pics?
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