68 Clutch Inspection Cover

[Jeff P.]

My original is dented pretty good. I ordered a replacement (painted black) and tried to strip the paint off. LOL. No luck. I don't want to blast it, for the finish. Does any vendor sell a natural steel one. I've had no luck. How about a shot peen ? Thanks, Jeff

[Richard M.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

Jeff, It's probably powder coated. I've been seeing many black parts suppliers using the powder coat finish lately. It's very hard to remove.

You may get the same finish from other suppliers as many get them from the same manufacturer.

It may be wise to scuff it with Scotch Brite and recoat it with the appropriate color.

Rich

[Jeff P.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

Thank you Richard , I figured it was powder coated. Paint will not replicate a raw metal finish. This is why I thought of shot piening it at a facility. Thanks for your help.

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

My original is dented pretty good. I ordered a replacement (painted black) and tried to strip the paint off. LOL. No luck. I don't want to blast it, for the finish. Does any vendor sell a natural steel one. I've had no luck. How about a shot peen ? Thanks, Jeff

Jeff-------


I think the source of all the covers is GM and the GM covers are painted or powder-coated black. It's been this way for many years (but not always). Yes, there is a difference in the finished product if you paint over the powder coat. However, I would not go through the trouble of trying to remove the powder coat for this reason.

By the way, the original cover for your car did not have the integral clips which fasten behind the lip of the oil pan. If the one that came off your car did have the clips, then it's not the original. The original part number was never changed but the clips were added somewhere along the way but well after 1968.

The clips were a HUGE improvement and, personally, I would never again use the original style cover. The clips prevent the contact of the cover with the crankshaft flange which occurs if the cover is even slightly distorted inward which is a common occurrence.

[Jeff P.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

Thank you Joe. Here are pictures of the 68 SB. And I believe it was a Corvette Central cover. Not for the rust around the starter port I would clean up and use over. Would shot piening clean this up? Thanks again. image.jpgimage.jpg

[Gary B.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

Jeff,

I'd try first something less aggressive than shot peening on your original cover, like bead blasting. That should clean it up, depending on what pressure you use.

Gary

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

Thank you Joe. Here are pictures of the 68 SB. And I believe it was a Corvette Central cover. Not for the rust around the starter port I would clean up and use over. Would shot piening clean this up? Thanks again. [ATTACH=CONFIG]70271[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]70272[/ATTACH]

Jeff------


For some reason I thought you were talking about a 1968 big block although I have no idea why I thought that.

Your original SB cover was GM #3788422. That's the one you have pictured on the left. The one on the right must actually be some sort of reproduction as it's not the GM piece sold for the past 40+ years. As a matter of fact, without a change in part number, the clips were added to the 3788422 sometime before it was discontinued and replaced. A photo of such a 3788422 is included below

The GM #3788422 was discontinued in 1975 and replaced by GM #354497. It's the same EXCEPT it has the integral clips I spoke of. A photo is attached below. I can see no difference, at all, between the version of the 3788422 with clips and the GM #354497

As I mentioned, for a driven car I would never use the original style cover. NEVER. GM did not add the clips because the original style cover worked just as well. They got this 100% right. They made the same change (but without a change in part number) for 1966-74 applications using bellhousings for 14" flywheels. That cover was GM #3843943 and the version with the clips is also shown below.

For 1975-81, all of which used bellhousings for 14" flywheels, GM used cover GM #340252. This cover has always had the clips. However, the clips are different and larger than those added to the 3843943 cover or those used for the 354497. Why? Well, for 1975 the oil pans changed and they used a larger lip on the oil pan rear seal area. The combination of the larger lip and the larger clips on the 340252 cover made for a more secure and reliable prevention of cover contact with the crankshaft flange. The same lip is used on the 1975 SERVICE replacement pans for 1963-74 Corvette applications so the 340252 should actually be used when these pans are used. However, the 3843943 will function OK. The 340252 is also pictured below.

By the way, every NOS GM cover I have (and I have many) are PAINTED and not powder-coated. In fact, they appear to be DIP painted.


DSCN3303.jpgDSCN3304.jpgDSCN3305.jpgDSCN3306.jpgDSCN3307.jpgDSCN3308.jpgDSCN3309.jpgDSCN3310.jpgDSCN3311.jpg

[Patrick H.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

Jeff,

I'd try first something less aggressive than shot peening on your original cover, like bead blasting. That should clean it up, depending on what pressure you use.

Gary

Agreed. You probably can strip the paint, and just lightly bead blast the rusty area. Paint it orange and put it back on.

Or, buy the GM #354497 that Joe mentions, paint it orange and install it.

Patrick

[Gary B.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

...Or, buy the GM #354497 that Joe mentions...

Yes, a total $28 from gmpartsdirect.com inc. S&H costs.

Gary

[Patrick H.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

Likely less than that total from a local dealer. I found that parts prices can vary greatly depending which local dealer I call. For my newer vehicles I've found a 40% difference at times. No shipping then, either.

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

Likely less than that total from a local dealer. I found that parts prices can vary greatly depending which local dealer I call. For my newer vehicles I've found a 40% difference at times. No shipping then, either.

Patrick-------


Well, you're lucky that you're in the midwest. On the west coast the vast majority of dealers charge OVER the GM list price. On a lower priced part, the premium can be 100% OVER GM LIST PRICE. On a higher priced part, one might get by with 10-20% OVER GM LIST PRICE.

[Jeff P.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

Thank you all. I tried to strip the replacement but it was powder coated. I'm going with your suggestions and locate a GM.

[Mark E.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

Joe- How do you know this stuff? Do you have a secret data base, or just a photographic memory for Corvette part trivia?

Are inspection cover clips something that's checked during Flight judging?

[Patrick H.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

Are inspection cover clips something that's checked during Flight judging?

They are now.

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Clutch Inspection Cover

They are now.

Patrick-------


...but only by judges that are VERY thin, virtually anorexic.