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re-chrome valve covers

Discussion in 'Engines' started by Beau, Oct 11, 2019.

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  1. mapism

    mapism Senior Member

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    I see that you also have, as Beau mentioned, the air intakes blowing right towards the outboard valve covers.
    Maybe that has something to see with their (relatively) early corrosion.
    Though I must say that the manifold, turbo, aftercooler and all the rest of the engine looks immaculate - I wish mine were as clean as yours!
    Or did you possibly respray them, on top of the valve covers?

    Thanks for your kind offer.
    Yes, I have MANs as per my previous pic, and all the valve covers, outboard ones included, look still far from needing a repaint, in spite of the fact that they are older than yours (2003, with 1500+ hours).
    But never say never! It certainly doesn't hurt to include any suggestions you can send me in my MAN folder, for future reference.
    You can reach me via email using my username plus "@yahoo.com" as address.
    Thanks in advance!
  2. mapism

    mapism Senior Member

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    They are not moved also in my boat, and the same MAN dealer who used to support the builder on new installations told me that he always advises against remote oil filters installations.
    According to him, even if it's a MAN approved alternative, it makes oil circulation upon startup a little bit longer.
    But In practice, I think that's splitting hairs a bit, and to be honest I would have liked the convenience of having the filters inboard on both sides!
  3. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    I was about to mention that. Even Slerays had the filters remotely mounted to the inside.
    There may be a ready to bolt on kit available for you.
  4. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    As much as I like a nice looking and clean ER, I can help wondering why would anyone want chrome accents down there.

    the C32s on the boat i run had the chrome upgrade... chrome cam covers, chrome pipe to the aftercoolers (that went when the aftercoolers were upgraded...) and... clip on chrome Secondaries and Oil filter covers!! I mean why would anyone want to hide their filters !!! Don’t you want to spot a leak?

    just like Lazzara installed powder coated solid doors in front of the chiller rack and the watermaker/fresh water pump rack. One of the first thing I did is pull that crap off. When I walk in the ER I want to see equipment... when running I want to be able to move the camera and see stuff, even zoom in the WM gauges or the chiller control panel.

    machinery needs to be clean but functional
  5. BoulderGT3

    BoulderGT3 Senior Member

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    Compared to other MAN boats I've been in my covers were in decent shape for plated ones. I don't think the venting had any impact based on the others I've seen. If you've got painted ones, cleaning and respiring is easy. It's the plating that's a problem or a little more tricky to deal with.

    Here is a before and after with the least textured wrinkle finish.
    IMG_2326.jpg
    IMG_2326.jpg IMG_2327.jpg
  6. BoulderGT3

    BoulderGT3 Senior Member

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    There is decent room on that side.. Probably nice to pick up a little more room in between the engines. My tech had a reason why he wasn't a fan of the remotes if you didn't have to have them but I've forgotten the reason. I think in this application it's probably 6 of one and a half dozen of the other.
  7. BoulderGT3

    BoulderGT3 Senior Member

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    I've been on a couple of MAN boats that had a gold package meaning the valve covers had some kind of gold plating. Much more sensitive than chrome. The ones I saw pitted in a year or so.
  8. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I manage a 2007 Sunseeker predator with 1100 common rails with the white painted valve covers, they're pristine and have never been touch up painted or anything. I saw gold ones that were already pitting on a brand new boat some years back......LOLOLOL
  9. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    Same reason I had chrome valve covers on my 327 Chevy - looks nice when you open the hood. Plus that's how Man delivered the engines.
  10. captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    Awww, come on guys. A "little Chrome" never hurts! I was responsible for this house of mirrors as the build engineer. 2nd engineers job was to walk around the engine room with a roll of paper towels and Windex...

    41. Odessa Engine Room.jpg 40. Odessa Lazarette.jpg
  11. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    my point exactly - looks very nice when you lift the hood. In your case - excellente!
  12. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Different on a classic car... you go to a show you open the hood... on a boat nobody but the crew and mechanic see the ER.
  13. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Then they (crew and mechanics) curse the guy that spec'd all the mirrors and chrome...:cool::cool:
    Luv Ya Captholli but that was a curse on the crews forever.
    Paint rules.
  14. BoulderGT3

    BoulderGT3 Senior Member

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    If I could have done anything I would have done chrome the way they came. Second choice was gloss white but that was very hard to do and looked like a goopy mess if the covers weren't perfect. I really like medium black wrinkle but it's not my first choice.

    Warning to anyone trying this, be very careful of gasket surface and the coating that is on the back of the covers. Too much blasting and the interior coating blisters and it would be straight to the oil system
    . IMG_0586.jpg
  15. captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    Unfortunately this Christensen was one hull behind the "King of engine room mirror stainless" John Staluppi's Casino Royale and once the owner of Odessa peered into his house of E.R. mirrors the die was cast for hull 34. Couldn't say no to the man paying the bills and convince him that a little stainless goes a long way with copious amounts of Snow White Awl-grip. Tried to talk him out of 50 % of it but failed. Odessa is ten yrs old now and a charter horse but the engine room still looks decent.
  16. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Then all is good.
    You do have to find the rite crew (pay) to keep that mirror grade up. :rolleyes::rolleyes::D:D
  17. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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  18. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I was a deckhand on a megayacht many many moons ago on a 170'+ Feadship. They had me polishing stainless steel in the engine room while on generator for the entire day, many many moons ago.......never again! It was much more elaborate than the ones posted by Captholli as it was a 2 story tall engine room.
  19. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    everything is relative . I didn't hit the outside covers as oftenyjsy I did the inside, so mabe there is a lesson there?
  20. Fiammetta42

    Fiammetta42 Member

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    I have gold valve covers on 2876 circa 2003 .They are pitted .Initially I painted them with a shiny gold but a couple of seasons later .....heat soak the gold paint lost its shine and dulled down to amber .We removed them and used a stripper to take the paint off ......I just accept the rustic patina of them now .
    Interestingly when doing the valves earlier this year the inside is gold and immaculate as new .Its just the exterior surface open to the engine room air ....presume enough obvious salt concentration that pits .

    I noted the gasket is a combined metal and rubber thing that sits precisely in a grove on the underside.When fitted sealed from the ambient atmosphere.
    My concern “ sending them away “ for plating / professional finishing etc would be that gasket grove gets done ......so when returned the OEM gaskets don’t quite seal as did before .
    So I,am just living with my pitied / slightly scabby gold valve covers .