1200 valve cover damage

[dan filipi]

Starting to put this 1200 back together, found some damage on the inside lip of the valve cover grooves on one end where the seal sits on both covers.

Any ideas what would cause this?
I have seen similar damage on 1100 covers.
Stress crack/breakaway of some kind?

There's a small gouge in the top outside of one of the covers, doesn't look to me there was enough of an impact to do this though.....

(In blue is where the lip is bent some and cracked at the cover)

 

[slabghost]

Looks like someone smacked the covers loose with a mallet to me.

 

[brianinpa]

My thoughts also as the extra covers I have also have the same damage. Caveman tech is one thing, but neanderthal tech is completely different!

So lets take it one step further, any harm with using them as they are or even breaking that piece off completely?

 

[backyardtrouble]

..I was thinking it came from the P.O. myself...maybe they hit it with something laying around, moving it, or something like that, like slab said...never seen one like that, that didn't get hit with something.

 

[slabghost]

They look like they will still seal well enough for use to me. I would use some sort of epoxy to reinforce the cracks though. Don't want pieces breaking loose in use.

 

[mcgovern61]

I have an 1100 valve cover like that and it didn't leak. The seal on the rubber gasket still worked since it is mostly just a splash guard for the oil.

I would venture to say that cover was dropped.....fell off the table/bench...

 

[joedrum]

sheesh ive never seen that before

 

[dan filipi]

For the life of me I can't see how this could happen mechanically so I'm not going to worry about it unless it leaks oil.
Thanks guys.

 

[AApple]

Swag.....perhaps a PO dint get the seal properly down in the groove, and just cranked down on the bolts. If the seal was hanging over that edge, it could crack it like that.....I've seen it done on oil pans, and other thin sectioned aluminuminum parts. I would put some Aviation sealer on the seal, and in the groove, and run them.....I don't think they would leak....at least not from there. k: