engine and drivetrain Can you date valve covers by type?

[OriginalOwner]

huh, well so he did.  I looked at that but it didn't click, I was more focused on that smashed-down rubber hose and the bug.

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

[Mike Self]

One caveat about using factory sales literature for authenticity--the factory had a bad habit of using the previous year's car and pictures for the next year's brochure.  I have a '72 and '73 catalog with the same picture in each--the small differences between the two years have been airbrushed in.  Especially engine and interior pix can't be relied on to be from the same year car as the brochure.  Those show engines were expensive to prepare, so they used the shots as long as they could get away with 'em.

 

And there are 75 and 76 brochures picturing the same Siennabraun car in front of the same restaurant (?), so you know that's a '75 pictured in the '76 catalog.  

 

cheers

mike

[Conserv]

...And there are 75 and 76 brochures picturing the same Siennabraun car in front of the same restaurant (?), so you know that's a '75 pictured in the '76 catalog.

cheers

mike

Absolutely, Mike. And that's why I'd like to see casting dates to verify the production dates of the various styles of valve covers. So feel free to discard brochures as evidence of anything related to dates.

The '75 brochure was simply recycled as the '76 brochure, and all but one of the photos was taken by August '74, because that is the date of the first versions -- recall there are long and short versions -- of the '75-'76 brochures. This August '74 date explains why a '74-style rear seat appears next to '75-'76-style front seats! The only photo that changes, however, beginning with a February '75 version of the brochure, is the engine photo, from an E12-head U.S.-spec thermal reactor engine to an E21-head U.S.-spec engine without thermal reactor. Given also that there is a February '75-dated E21 head for sale currently, it would at least be logical that the E21-head engine photo must date in or before February '75 but probably after August '74.

But let's forget the specific dates. The August '74 and February '75 versions of the '75-'76 brochures show E12 and E21-head-equipped engines with "BMW" valve covers, not roundel valve covers. I suspect that U.S.-spec E21-head-equipped engines came with valve covers having a roundel forward of the oil filler (not the "BMW" valve cover shown in the February '75 brochure). My '76 49-state version (April 23, 1976 manufacture date) came with a roundel forward of the oil filler, but that's at least 14 months after the photo with the "BMW" valve cover. The February '75 and later brochures simply show that there were still some "BMW" valve covers kicking around between August '74 and February '75. Were these covers then in production? Were they being installed on cars at that time? I can't answer either question yet. But I'm hoping to discover from this thread when the various styles of valve covers were manufactured.

Regards,

Steve

Edited March 1, 2015 by Conserv

[jdamm]

to add my 2 cents, i have a may 72' dated valve cover on my jan 73' built RHD tii.

[Conserv]

to add my 2 cents, i have a may 72' dated valve cover on my jan 73' built RHD tii.

20150301_181536.jpg

So...was there only one style of tii cover ever used and the factory used an 8-month-old cover in January '73? Possibly. But your cover, with its Motorsport stripes, was also obviously "fussed with" after it left the factory. Could it have been swapped, possibly because it was, or at the time it was, painted? Possibly.

Thanks for posting!

Regards,

Steve

[Conserv]

My wire is routed as shown in the B&W manual page Steve posted. I've wanted to tuck it under the breather hose, but apparently over is where it belongs! Mine is a 1974 2002tii, produced 12/11/73.

John,

You will note that my 2762757 (below) is IN VIOLATION on this issue: I tucked the cable UNDER the breather hose and still sleep fairly well at night. It's a more natural run of the wire. I suspect the routing shown in the manual might have been a result of the factory's assembly order: cable being dropped in after the breather hose was already installed. And that IS a reason to maintain what might have been the factory standard. I'm just not worried about it...yet!

When the day arrives that I believe 2762757 needs to have an original York reciprocating A/C compressor -- and that day will eventually come -- I'll feel compelled to correct my other minor transgressions, such as he cable running UNDER the breather hose!

I'm just showing that I'm in charge...right now!

Regards,

Steve

Edited March 1, 2015 by Conserv

[jgerock]

The valve cover from my 5/30/69 2002 is stamped December 1968.  Plain-jane standard issue one.

[kiva667]

 Plain-jane standard issue one.

And which version is that? Ribbing but no roundel?

[jgerock]

And which version is that? Ribbing but no roundel?

[Henning]

Jouuu!

Sometimes I like bombs!

 

Hen

 

[Conserv]

Thanks, Jim,

And a valve cover casting date within 6 months prior to the car's manufacturing date is pretty much what I expect we'll find.

Best regards,

Steve

[OriginalOwner]

OK, I removed the valve cover to adjust the valves.

 

on the cover inside is:    73   with 12 dots.

  --  my '74tii is 2782426, July 1974.

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

[Conserv]

OK, I removed the valve cover to adjust the valves.

on the cover inside is: 73 with 12 dots.

-- my '74tii is 2782426, July 1974.

Cheers,

Carl

Thank you, Carl.

Eight months from valve cover casting date to car manufacturing date: entirely credible as you are the original owner and, I will assume, never knowingly swapped valve covers. They must have either (a.) been running down a sizable inventory of valve covers, or (b.) and perhaps more likely, paid no mind whatsoever to the age of individual inventory items, focusing solely on part number -- and this particular part happened to have been sitting on the shelf for 8 months, maybe next to one that had only been sitting for 1 week!

Much appreciated,

Steve

Edited March 3, 2015 by Conserv

[OriginalOwner]

I have stolen this picture from COOP's post elsewhere .... it shows quite well the configuration of the little air breather hose stub for a tii valve cover ......

 

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

[PaulTWinterton]

So what's the deal on this one?

 

Edit: I looked back to page 1 of this thread AFTER I posted.  "Emissions device" anchor point on cover?

 

How/why did it end up on a 72 car? Darn mechanics again!

 

What year did they start making those covers?

Edited March 7, 2015 by PaulTWinterton