Stop me if this will be a mistake. My son is taking my tarnished crusty 44 year old valve cover with him to work tomorrow to plastic bead blast it. 

My only fear, can't look worse, is that it will it be so clean that it will tarnish quickly. Don't want to clear coat it, do I? How about an oil finish with a rag? Do it and don't worry about it? How have others cleaned/restored their Z valve covers?

thanks again guys!

I blast-cleaned my cover using fine-grit glass.  Afterwards, I dressed it with 'Gibbs' brand fogging oil (aka 'snake oil').  I'm happy with the result, but it is not an OE look.  If you want that, it looks like vapor bla$ting is the way to go.  The OE appearance looks 'harder' than what you'll get with typical media blasting, although walnut shells might come closer.

Bead blasting will make it look great....especially if you you spray it with a VHT aluminum paint. Just make very sure he screws it down tightly to a piece of wood (with a gasket) and tape up the vent on top to keep all contamination out of the valve cover.

Edited October 30, 20177 yr by Diseazd

Thanks namerow, I guess I'd like to stay kind of oem looking in that I wouldn't paint the stripes our anything. If it's a little shinier our duller but clean and cared for looking, that's ok. So the oil worked to keep tarnish down? Probably collects dust tho? Just give it a wipe once in a while?

Here’s three that I did that way.....

5 minutes ago, Diseazd said:

Bead blasting will make it look great....especially if you you spray it with a VHT aluminum paint. Just make very sure he screws it down tightly to a piece of wood (with a gasket) and tape up the vent on top to keep all contamination out of the valve cover

 

You thinking media well get stuck and come loose in engine later? Seems compressed air should clear it, no?

VHT paint? What is it? Looks beautiful. 

If you look inside your valve cover, you can answer your contamination issue.....yes it will contaminate your valve cover. VHT is a high temp paint, although the valve cover doesn’t get that hot, I still prefer a higher temp tolerant paint. I use aluminum color.

I understand, the baffle inside. Mine is glued (or something) along three if the edges (looks like someone long ago broke off a few of the screws). I shoved a cork in the vapor tube on top and packed paper towel in the open end of the baffle inside. Thought that would be safe enough. I'm thinking clear rather than silver paint tho. Have you tried clear and didn't like it? 

10 minutes ago, Dlobi said:

VHT paint? What is it? Looks beautiful. 

Of course it looks beautiful.  But that's only as long as you never touch it with oil, fuel, or any kind of cleaning solvent.

8 minutes ago, Namerow said:

Of course it looks beautiful.  But that's only as long as you never touch it with oil, fuel, or any kind of cleaning solvent.

That's kinda why I was thinking a light thin rub with some kind of oil that I could just buff a little when needed. 

Hmm

10 minutes ago, Namerow said:

Of course it looks beautiful.  But that's only as long as you never touch it with oil, fuel, or any kind of cleaning solvent.

Not true.....5 years later....still perfect....oil and gas have had no effect......just wipe off.