v6 Cologne rocker cover wanted

[greymrj]

Anybody got a spare near side (oil filler side) rocker cover that they would be prepared to sell me? I'm preparing a 'new' engine for my S1 and one rocker cover is damaged.

[ketvrin]

Hi Richard

you can normally find one (pair) on ebay by searching for sierra cologne or such like... there were some on last week IIRC

K

[greymrj]

Thanks Kevin, that was quick! I have searched for a couple of weeks on ebay without success, I'm clearly not searching cleverly enough as I missed the ones you saw and I've just been back on and found a pair! 160206671672. If I get them I will have to decide whether to dent the offside one or re-engineer that not very attractive alternator bracket.

[Barkychoc]

Aren't 2.8 and 2.9 rocker covers different? Wouldn't want you to get the wrong type.

[dougc]

I think the shape is the same, just that the 2.8 covers have 1 less bolt.

[greymrj]

Thanks Chris, mine is a 2.8 and the ones advertised are also 2.8 so should be OK. I do seem to remember seeing a thread about 2.8/2.9 rocker covers, was someone looking for alloy ones and found that the 2.9 alloy rocker wont fit 2.8 for some reason? I may be totally wrong.

[ketvrin]

I think TVRGIT covered this a while ago... IIRC the 2.8 Alloy ones need a hole drilled (the boss is there) but then you have the issue of the alternator fouling and its not as easy as denting it to fit...

good luck

K

[Podie]

Burton Power used to sell them...

[tvrgit]

The 2.8 has 7 holes and the 2.9 has 8 - the 8th hole in a 2.8 would go through into the siamesed exhaust port so is omitted.

I am not sure that the 2.8 and 2.9 rocker covers are even the same shape at the gasket face though. They might be, but it might not be as simple as drilling another hole. I don't know though.

The biggest difficulty with alloy ones (including the Burton ones) is fouling of the alternator bracket - as Podie says, you can't just dent it.

Note also that (on the 2.9 at least) the rocker covers are fitted back to front - in the Granada the oil filler is on the front right, not the back left (but again it would foul the alternator) - so if you want to buy one, you need the opposite side off a Ford-fitted engine.

Edited by tvrgit on Tuesday 12th February 19:31

[greymrj]

Thanks tvrgit, I wasnt aware that they were reversed, I will look out for that. I'm going to stick with steel ones for the time being at least.

[grumpytvr]

Regarding alloy rocker covers see here:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=392050&hw=+%2Balloy+%2Brocker+%2Bcovers 

I don't know whether you'll have the same problems with the alternator on a 2.8. The alloy items I bought would fit either 2.8 or 2.9. The 2.9 required an extra hole drilling (which I never bothered doing as I discovered I couldn't get the one of them under the alternator).

Alloy covers do come up on ebay from time to time prices vary but seem to start at around £50 up to mortgage required.

- Which reminds me I must get rid of mine if any one's interested!!

[greymrj]

Thanks 'grumpy' I followed up that link, interesting. I am going to look at that alternator/rocker clearance issue and see what can be engineered rather than bash the rocker box. I won the rocker boxes on ebay so I should be OK now, I'd love the alloy ones and to sort out the alternator bracket issue with them but could I justify the money????

[ketvrin]

The required "Bash" is not that big or bad really and is pretty well hidden away on assembly.
I had the additional complication of a mate who saw the dent and helpfully knocked it out but didnt say anything while I was brushing mine down and repainting them, something that really had me confused when I came to fit everything again... if a jobs worth doing its worth doing twice eh ?

K

[clarenceboddiger]

ketvrin said:

I had the additional complication of a mate who saw the dent and helpfully knocked it out but didnt say anything while I was brushing mine down and repainting them,

[greymrj]

Just a couple of points that might be of interest to someone:
I got the rocker covers off ebay, not a bargain but a fair enough price. They are ex 2.8 Capri. The seller, ID: capri_bits2 , provided a very good service and is breaking other 2.8's and can be contacted direct. I recently bought a pair of the 2" engine mountings, in almost new condition. Why I didn't go to him first for the rocker covers I do not know!
Just to confirm, the left and right rocker covers are indeed reversed on the TVR! Thanks for that advice, had I bought just one I might have been silly enough to have bought the wrong one!
Rocker box to alternator bracket clearance; when I checked it carefully they interfere by less than 2mm and for about 15mm along the bracket. The bracket is VERY thick at that point so I have ground the bracket back (that whole bracket is an ugly thing!). Dont think the weight saved will make much difference!