Series-1 Valve Cover Baffle Removal - Ok to remove rivets?

[ksbeta]

I'm looking to get a couple of Series-1 Valve Covers powdered coated, but the internal baffle is riveted in. Has anyone removed that baffle before? Am I alright to pop those out, so long as I re-rivet when finished? I'm nervous to remove that baffle without learning whether its been done, and couldn't find anything. Most other posts allude to those being screws, but I suppose those are later-model Valve Covers.

[John Coffey]

Why do you want to remove the baffle? If you're powder coating the cover just have them mask off the inside if the valve cover so no coating gets in there.

[ksbeta]

They turned me away this morning. Partly because they feared abrasive stuck behind the baffle from blasting would damage the motor (a valid concern), but also because that bead of material that runs along the baffle edge would melt in their ovens. Told me to come back once I had the baffle removed.

[John Coffey]

OK, that makes a lot of sense. Looks like a good coating shop. You can carefully drill out the rivets and then either re-rivet or drill and tap for machine screws. If you go for the machine screw route be sure to use red Loctite when installing them.

[pbarcher]

Bill,

Did you ever remove the baffle? How did you reinstall?

Peter

[ksbeta]

Hi Peter,

I think I saw your car at the Manassas show, but somehow missed you. Looked good out there.

I did not remove the baffles. They were riveted in, and I couldn't get the warm-fuzzy feeling that anyone had every had them go back in properly.

I brought AMSCO a spare oil cap, they bolted the VC to a wood plank, and plugged the breather vent, then went to work stripping. I cleaned it real well when I got it back, but they did a wonderful job - I didn't clean much.