This one gets the people going and honestly, it's odd to hear opinions against it. Is it really required? Is it really a problem? Are we doing too much? Much like removing the baffle on a valve cover that'll be fine to run 99% of the time after coating, we want to go that extra mile to ensure a leak-free install. It's about removing the variables where you can. It's about knowing for sure. We're tired of just assuming that "it'll be fiiiine". Wouldn't you want that?Â
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When you bring us your valve cover for coating or baffle services, where applicable, we run it through a cutting procedure in the CNC machine post-coating, to clean up all grommet seats and M6 bolt surfaces to near factory finish. Keep in mind that some of these valve covers are 30+ years old! They've worn down tremendously over time and corrosion has set in. This process takes away just enough material to restore the surfaces without affecting the integrity of those areas. Yeah we could just mask these areas up, but in case you haven't realized it yet, precision is the name of the game. Simply masking the seats also won't fix the scratches, pitting, and corrosion.Â
Most of you say that the grommet will seal just fine over the powder finish and yeah, you're probably right! Again, 99% of the time it probably won't leak, but after several years when the coating starts to degrade? Maybe. That finish layer will thin out and reduce the torque load being applied. What happens then? A leak. Powder also doesn't produce a completely flat finish and it will never be perfect. There's a level of "orange peel" that's evident and the sealing surface is even worse with textured or wrinkle finishes.Â
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We're talking thousandths of an inch here... There's a little something called "tolerance stacking" in the manufacturing world. Tolerances are built into the valve cover, built into the grommet itself, and then you add an additional layer of coating variance which throws everything off. Let us ask you a question... Look at a brand new cover; why do you think manufacturers like Honda leave these areas unfinished? It's because it removes all tolerance-related variables and increases the likelihood of leak-free operation given everything else is within tolerance.
