Billet Valve Covers - Needless Bling or Preventative Maintenance?
Rennlist Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 810
Likes: 16
From: North Tustin, CA
Just like most people here are saying ... the valve covers that Porsche made are fine for the job and rarely need replacing. They are not really affected by the elements (heat, debris, tension, etc.) but the rubber gaskets eventually go. Some people (and shops) will say that the covers can "warp" over time, but the more experienced shops will tell you opposite.
If you had a lift to use (or borrow a friend's shop) it makes the job much easier. I always replace the bolts when I do these repairs on these cars to minimize the risk of striping them as they do tend to get some corrosive build-up on their surface. Even in the milder climates with no snow or little rain, it's a good policy to replace them. Very cheap additional cost for "while you're in there" type of insurance.
If you had a lift to use (or borrow a friend's shop) it makes the job much easier. I always replace the bolts when I do these repairs on these cars to minimize the risk of striping them as they do tend to get some corrosive build-up on their surface. Even in the milder climates with no snow or little rain, it's a good policy to replace them. Very cheap additional cost for "while you're in there" type of insurance.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,041
Likes: 49
From: Baltimore, MD
The only minuscule benefit to the billet units over stock plastic ones is that the billet ones will help dissipate some transferred heat. The stock plastic ones may deform but theyre plastic... They can be manipulated back into form once tightened back down properly with new gaskets. I went with the Rennline silver ones upper and lower because I thought they'd look cool. Theyre anodized too.
