okay, I have been putting this off for a while but today we reached the breaking point as we needed to purchase more brand-new valve covers from Mercedes in order to Teflon coat them. Over the years the valve covers we have been receiving back have been slowly degrading in quality due to their age. The main issue we are seeing with them is pitting of the magnesium aluminum alloy around the lower bolt holes. When they are still on your car this pitting is disguised by the dirt on them and does not become apparent until we get them fully cleaned off. Once we coat these valve covers the pitting subsides but I cannot justify sending someone a set of beautiful covers with pitting in them. As of right now I probably have six full sets of valve covers that will end up being scrapped due to their condition that I essentially paid $350 a set for.

I am sorry that it had to come to this, as it is surely more affordable for you to exchange your covers then need to buy new ones. We do not see this pitting in the intake manifolds or lower Y pipe, just the valve covers. We will continue the core exchange is on intake manifolds and lower Y pipes.

For those of you that have recently purchased valve covers from us, you have 30 days from the day the coated valve covers arrived to you to get your cores back here for the core refund assuming they are in good usable condition. There is no worry there, we will still honor the original core exchange agreement for those that are grandfathered in. But from here on out we no longer want old valve covers back.I hope everyone understands that this is required to ensure the quality of parts that you pull out of our box.

Thanks, Rob

 

Rob,

Sorry to hear about this. I know you wouldn't have gone this route if there was any other choice.

...now I am hoping mine are in good condition when they get sent to you in a couple weeks.

 

I'm a bit surprised that they are pitting badly. Someone needs to start buying up good valve covers from the junker.

Les

 

I have a passenger side valve cover in great shape if anyone needs one.

 

Hey Rob, is there any way you can unload those pitted ones with a full disclosure to someone who needs them? I don't need them but there might be someone who can use them given they aren't too picky about a little pitting? Just a thought so you don't lose out on any $$

 

Rob,

The pitting you mention, is this something that is aggravated by the cleaning process prior to powercoating? Or is the deterioration already pretty bad before the covers are even touched? Just curious, as it may pay for us to get a line on replacement valve covers. I would love to make mine appear cleaner underhood, I suppose I can remove, clean with a degreaser and then spray them with some 1200° silver engine enamel.

 

I hate to say this, but it looks, to me like sandbasting damage. Some sort of acid would have to be present to eat this away otherwise.

And I've seen my share of sandblasting damage.

Grease and oil wouldn't do it? If so, I expect to see my engine, disintegrated, sitting beneath my car some morning...

 

I think I agree with you, The blasting media should be matched to the material being cleaned, you can blow a hole through soft alloys in no time flat with grit.
A glass bead or a vapor hone would be softer on the alloy.

 

JB WELD.. Sand flush.. CHEVY ORANGE.. good as new!

 

Well...maybe with a WHITE Crossfire. Maybe.

 

Nope.. no mabe's .. its a definate!

 

I think the corrosion is too deep for blasting damage, maybe galvanic corrosion. Is there a clip or something under this screw?

 

Go pop your hood, pops! You have one just like it!

 

The intake on the 6 hides it all and I'm too lazy to take it off.