Any luck with your search? I have a nice set of polished M/T valve covers with no holes in them. They have a Ford script on the one end and H/P 427 on the other. I'd like to get $250 for them. I can text you some pictures if you are interested.

Fred

Just got my '86 F-150 with a 406 in it running. The battery in it was new last year. I've been running the truck for a few weeks with no issues. Get in it yesterday hit the key and it started slower than usual. Thought to myself well that's odd... Took it around the block, got it home shut it off, hit the key and just a click. Voltage at the battery was around 14.7. Put the boost pack on it and fires right up. My 86 year old grandfather shows up I tell him whats going on. He said try a different battery you probably got a bad cell. Different battery and bam fired right up. Other than the possibility of being a defective battery, what else would contribute to killing a battery cell like that?  I ran that battery all last summer with the same alternator when I had a 352 in the truck and never had an issue. The battery has never been on a charger or boosted since I bought it, besides yesterday.

Fred

I for one would like to know where to buy Dykes rings. I bought a set of OEM std bore Muscle Parts pistons from John V. last yr and haven`t found any rings. I can send the pistons out and have the top ring modified but is it worth the cost? Any one know who would still be producing them?

Call Total seal and give them the dimensions of your ring lands. My rings were somewhat of an off the wall deal and they had no off the shelf rings that would work. I'm not sure of the cost to cut a piston to use a shelf ring. But my ring package was $360 shipped. I'm learning the hard way your better off just ordering the pistons you want to accept the ring package you want.

In typical fashion I'm not done putting my 406 together and I'm thinking about the next build. I have a set of .040" over 390 JE Comp eliminator pistons. They have had a ton of work done to them and are pretty darn light. I bought them and they had very little time on them and had the old rings.. The ring lands are cut to run a spacer and a dyke ring so I stuck with that package. Sent the old rings to Total seal and had them put a package together for me. The sales guy at Total seal was pretty impressed with the setup. At the time I was building a strip only engine but may have changed directions.

How well will Dyke rings live on a limited street/ strip application? Say 11:1 compression, 7000rpm max and maybe 500-800 street miles and 25 passes a season. I'd like to run Molnar rods, a crank that's lighter than stock, TFS heads and a hydraulic roller. Keep the pistons and rings? Ditch the idea and run a conventional ring package? I have ZERO experience with Dyke rings and appreciate any input.


Fred

I like to use Simichrome polish with a wool or foam polishing pad on my pneumatic mini buffer.. I hit my centerlines once a year on my Galaxie and they shine like Chrome.

I received my first quote...…..

$650 !!!???!!! 

What's normal for chroming a set of valve covers?  I was thinking maybe $250-300?  For $650, they will receive a very nice coat of paint LOL

$650 is definitely on the higher end but I'm not surprised. There is a lot of prep work before a part even sees chemistry. Think of all the nooks and crannies on a valve cover that have to be polished. Especially if a VC is blasted prior to.

After polishing, parts will get a high build of Acid copper. Polish again if needed. Then a high build of a Bright Ni followed by a "Flash Chrome".

Your probably looking at 2 hours of tank time and 4 hours of polishing depending on the condition of the VC's to start.

VHT in Ford blue is $9.99 and you can touch it up when you scratch it. 

Sandy's Bumper Mart in Syracuse, NY does nice work. They've done a few things for me that I couldn't plate at our shop. If the valve covers were polished I could plate them for you. I'm sure you can find a plating shop in your neck of the woods that can help you out.

Another .007" I don't think is going to be the end of the world. I'll spend the money and order up the cometics. I'd like to get the 4.165" bore gasket but they are out until July through Summit. Do you have a source that might have some in stock? If not I will order the 4.25" bore gasket.