mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

<FONT COLOR="Red"><FONT SIZE="3">DIY: Moon cut valve cover!</FONT></FONT>

Tools needed:
Valve Cover
Drill
1/8 bit
3 1/2" hole saw&lt;------ May be a hair too big, I don't know for sure. I'll update l8tr.
Pilot bit holder thingy (don't know the exact name, sorry)
Hammer
Punch (or Phillips screw driver)
A buddy (or a vice)
Optional: A file to smooth down the edges.


Step 1: Locate your valve cover, remove it and get your tools ready to modify your valve cover!!!



What your starting out with. I used the pic as a size reference for the cam gears.

Step 2: Measure to find the center of the cams. To the center of the lil slot, it's 2 5/8", approx. May be a 1/16th off or so.


Step 3: Indent the valve cover where your going to drill, and drill a pilot hole. I made my indentions, using the hammer and a punch, about at the top of the lil ridge on the valve cover. Reference t3h pic plz.


Step 4: Put the hole saw on the drill w/the pilot bit. Using a buddy or a vice (I used my good friend Dan) secure the valve cover so it won't move, muster up some courage and start cutting the valve cover. Maybe you'll end up with something like this.

You know I gotta throw a thumbs up in there


Step 5: Optional: Using a file, file down the sharpe edges till they are smooth. Don't want to possibly knick your timing belt when you re-install your valve cover. his may keep you from possibly cutting youself too, but who cares: Your finger will heal for free, you'd have to BUY a new timing belt Plus chics dig scarzz

Step 5 (or Step 6 if optional step is used): Clean the valve cover. Don't want any bits of metal in your engine do you? I didn't think so. Clean it as best as you can.


And.................... Well, I did this about 30 mins ago, and I won't be installing my head untill next weekend, so no finished pics of it on the car, but I'll update whenever I can.

Hope this works for you guys. I didn't see a DIY detailed enough for my liking, so maye this will help somebody one day

If you see anything that could add to this DIY and make it more helpful, by all means, let me know and I'll change it.

Enj0y!


Modified by mac_24_seven at 10:16 AM 7/26/2007

gsrious

awesome diy. you should try to do a follow-up with the plastic cover to match that evenly.

WishinItWas

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gsrious &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">awesome diy. you should try to do a follow-up with the plastic cover to match that evenly.</TD></TR></TABLE>

b20acura

nice diy. post some pics of it on the motor.

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by b20acura &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">nice diy. post some pics of it on the motor.</TD></TR></TABLE>


Thanks.
ANd I shall. it'll go on next weekend, but this weekend it's getting painted

user 3216743

awesome diy. looks fairly easy too

1.8L_allmotormilitia

great success.

Kyle R

iTrader: (1)

Good job man. I love all of your DIY's

TYPE_LS

sweeeet...i know what im gonna be doing this weekend

BrOkEn_Dc2

Lets see it mounted on the car! and painted!

iH8RICERZ

iTrader: (1)

nice write up I should do this for all my valve covers I have sitting around

gsl_05

Very nice DIY article. I have a spare valve cover laying around and think I'ma try this. Props to you

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

DIY: Painted valve cover.. Part 1

This isn;t really a DIY, per se', it's more of a pictage type thing of how things can be going so well, then turn bad so quickly .


It started out well.. I bought my supplies.




Time to try out paint remover.. Never used the stuff before. As soon as I finished spraying it, I took the following pics.. AWESOME STUFF!!!!


OH yeah!!! Things are going niceely.


Just using the hose, it comes off this easy...

And finishing sparying it..


Sweet, this is going good.


Time to wash it off with some dawn to remove any oils and whatnot.


Now, I had to wait for it to dry.. So, I decided to play with some old wheels Andrew has...
Before spray...

After spray.. Sick


and after a quick spray with the hose..

Sweet


OK, back to the valve cover.. It's dry now (hott day in Florida BTW)
So, I needed something to put over the letters on the valve cover, so when I spraye, I could just spray the letters and when I"m done, wipe it off nice and clean.
Not having any jelly or anything, I found some.. Lipstick!! Little did I know that this seemingly, innocent sitck of lipstick would ultimately be my un-doing......

Lipstick applied

Gotta throw the thumbs up in there

So, before I sprayed my valce cover, I wanted to see what it was gonna look like.. So I sptayed another old wheel of Andrews.
Maybe he won't mind


After painting that wheel, on my way back to my valce cover, I figured I"d take a pic of my wifes Accord and my buddy's civic..


SO I put the first coat of paint on my valve cover.
It's suppose to look liek thing.. hammered Bronze.

Doesnt look very hammered.

So I sprayed 2 moer coats on it and.. well, I just wasnt feeling it at all. SO, back to lowes I go to get some more paint. I get a much lighter hammered steel paint.

Somewhat hammered looking. Ehh, not really. But I ilked it better than the bronze-ish stuff.


SO, after 2 coats of that, it's time to remove the lipstick/p[aint from the letters on the valve cover.
Some TP to wipe it off with.


DANGER!!!! I'm an effin' idiot. Sometimes I should just stop while I'm ahead. But nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo....



So, damnit... I've messed it up. Thats ok though, I've got my handy dandy paint remover stuff! I'll just spray it, reove the paint, and re-spray it again.

WRONG!
I ran out of stuff.
&lt;sighs&gt;
SO.... This is what I have now

And after some more spraying..




Cliffs..
Beginning:

After paint remover:

After the bronze.

After the gray.

After I become more of an idiot.



So... yeah What can I say? I'm a n00b Something that can be so easy can turn wrong very quickly.. Always remember that when your working on a car or anything, really.

Maybe I should have just wet with the wrinkle ITR red

Enj0y!

rufridn

i think people use vaseline when blocking off the lettering.

Boostdc4

pretty sure u just sand it off

DrastikJDM4door

nice what type of drill is that

Kyle R

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I would have just sanded the letters (to remove the excess paint). Good luck with round 2

climb_on

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by herecomesboost &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yeah, I would have just sanded the letters (to remove the excess paint). Good luck with round 2 </TD></TR></TABLE>

that what i did and it came out beautiful!!

94 IntegraLS

^Thats what im going to do but I was going to paint mine wrinkle red but now that ive seen this color i think ive changed my mind... I really like how that color looks.

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

Alright... After I got off work, I stopped by Discount Auto and scoped out the paint section.
I did indeed find the aircraft stripper stuff for like $6.xx, so I snagged it.

Came home (like 1 min away ) ate dinner, then went outside to try and fix my gigantic screw up.

before air craft stripper stuff:

After 10-15 mins:

I love it!

So, I came back inside and petted a cute kitten


The went back outside, loaded up the valve cover in the car and drove down to the car wash so I could use the high pressure hose to clean it up good.

Before:

After!

Look at all the paint that came off...



So, I'm back at square one Discount only had wrinkle black paint in stock, so I'm gonna call tomorrow and see if I can't get some on a truck so I can get it tomorrow and spray it at work on Wednesday, so it can cure all day in t3h sun.

Sound like a plan?

Now, I'm off to play some hAL0

mac_24_seven

iTrader: (1)

There's what the Moon cuts look like sitting on the head... Looks awesome. Now, the paintjob on the valve cover absolutely SUCKS.... but it'll be ok

I'll re-do that.


So, I say the measurements are good for the moon cuts!

Ch3mik

great thread. im doin this next

Agent_EM1

nice

Fern413

looks nice...like the moon cut

Byaaah!

Always enjoy your DIY's ...