SID297's DD Explorer Gets Black Ford Racing 3V Cam Covers
A decision anyone who mods their vehicle will face at some point is whether to simply fix a problem or to upgrade the affected part. If you’re anything like me you’ll almost always jump at the opportunity to leave something better than you found it. That was just the chance I was given when I noticed that my DD 2009 Ford Explorer Sport V8 (currently for sale) had a seeping passenger side valve cover.
The prescribed—and cheapest—remedy for this ailment is to install a new gasket and reseal the area where the head meets the front cover with a little RTV. If you chose this route you could buy the new gasket for about $15 from Autonation Ford Parts (formerly Tousley Ford), and then have about $10 in other miscellaneous supplies. Not a steep price for such a fix.
However, we decided to go in another direction. We called up Ford Performance Parts and picked up a set of the factory hot rod division’s wrinkled black powdercoated cam covers (PN M6582FR3VBLK; $279.99). They are exactly as described and look great with the now-classic Ford Racing logo etched in the coating.
Ford Performance Parts starts with brand new, magnesium OEM casting and uses all Ford factory hardware.Speaking of hardware, that’s one of the best parts of this deal. FRPP also includes all-new, preinstalled gaskets and hardware with these covers. That made the decision an absolute no-brainer for us. Fixing the problem and getting much better looks, what’s not to love?
So with the parts in hand we set out to install some shiny new FRPP goodness. Follow along as we go through the install…
We couldn’t be happier with the results of this install. The powdercoated camcovers look great and fit perfectly. The install went smoothly and was a fairly simple affair. The FRPP covers are a huge upgrade in the looks department over the stockers, and after driving a few miles the leak is a thing of the past. That makes this project a win-win. The FRPP parts may cost a bit more and take more work to install than just replacing a single gasket, but the return-on-investment makes this upgrade a gearhead’s bargain.
You may have noticed that the 4.6-liter V-8 in our Explorer is missing its intake manifold. There’s an interesting story behind that, but you’ll have to wait until we release our next article to find out why. To give you a hint, we’re planning no maximizing the level of fun achievable by this fairly ordinary daily driver. I think SVTPers will approve of it.
2005-10 Mustang 4.6L 3V Ford Racing Valve Cam Covers in Black Wrinkled Powder Coated Finish (Part Number -M6582FR3VBLK)
Here where this mods started, the need to fix a leaky gasket.
We already had the top end of the engine apart for a supercharger install, so the time was perfect to swap the cam covers.
Before popping the covers off it's a good idea to use a shop-vac to remove any loose debris. No one wants road grit inside their engine.
I love seeing the UPS guy drop off a box like this.
And here is how the covers come packaged.
Much better looking than the factory units.
The FRPP covers are simply powder coated OEM parts with all the required install hardware included.
Yeah, I think this is a pretty smart upgrade.
One of the biggest selling points of the FRPP 3V Cam Covers is the inclusion of gaskets and hardware already installed on the covers.
Here you can see the integrated oil baffling.
I love modern rubber gaskets. I'd lose my mind if we still had to use cork.
If you have a clean flat mating surface you don't have to worry about these leaking.
It's a pretty simple job to remove the cam covers on the Explorer, just unplug and unbolt everything.
I have to say that I'm impressed with how clean this engine is. The previous owner must have kept up on their oil changes.
Now is a good time to do a little cleaning. You want that gasket sealing surface spotless.
Looks like the oil leak was caused by the factory skimping on the RVT at the joint where the timing cover meets the cylinder head.
They didn't skimp on the other side though.
A razor blade will make quick work of the OEM RVT sealant.
Remember to reapply some sealant before installing the new cam covers. Otherwise you'll be dealing with a mess.
Yeah, these were pretty bad.
Then we just had to repeat the process for the driver's side head.
The stock gasket decided to hang around when the over was removed, so we had to pull it off separately.
The new covers drop right in place of the old ones, an exact fit.
The black wrinkle powder coat is a huge aesthetic improvement over the bare factory pieces.
I never cared for this extended oil fill tube on the stock cover.
So I just left if off on the new ones. I think this is a much cleaner look.
We already had the top end of the engine apart for a supercharger install, so the time was perfect to swap the cam covers.
Before popping the covers off it's a good idea to use a shop-vac to remove any loose debris. No one wants road grit inside their engine.
I love seeing the UPS guy drop off a box like this.
And here is how the covers come packaged.
Much better looking than the factory units.
The FRPP covers are simply powder coated OEM parts with all the required install hardware included.
Yeah, I think this is a pretty smart upgrade.
One of the biggest selling points of the FRPP 3V Cam Covers is the inclusion of gaskets and hardware already installed on the covers.
Here you can see the integrated oil baffling.
I love modern rubber gaskets. I'd lose my mind if we still had to use cork.
If you have a clean flat mating surface you don't have to worry about these leaking.
It's a pretty simple job to remove the cam covers on the Explorer, just unplug and unbolt everything.
I have to say that I'm impressed with how clean this engine is. The previous owner must have kept up on their oil changes.
Now is a good time to do a little cleaning. You want that gasket sealing surface spotless.
Looks like the oil leak was caused by the factory skimping on the RVT at the joint where the timing cover meets the cylinder head.
They didn't skimp on the other side though.
A razor blade will make quick work of the OEM RVT sealant.
Remember to reapply some sealant before installing the new cam covers. Otherwise you'll be dealing with a mess.
Yeah, these were pretty bad.
Then we just had to repeat the process for the driver's side head.
The stock gasket decided to hang around when the over was removed, so we had to pull it off separately.
The new covers drop right in place of the old ones, an exact fit.
The black wrinkle powder coat is a huge aesthetic improvement over the bare factory pieces.
I never cared for this extended oil fill tube on the stock cover.
So I just left if off on the new ones. I think this is a much cleaner look.
-SID297:beer:
