Does anybody know details about the differences between the different model year GE valve covers? We are playing around with a cheap spark plug cover design for these, and while doing so we were surprised when we found out that they aren't all the same.

For example, look at these 2 pictures. You can see where the dip begins on both the intake and exhaust side start right at the same time on one of the covers, but one of them starts much sooner on the exhaust side in the other picture.

Just wondering if anyone knows why, or if it's a certain year model type deal? My car is a 92 FFS, and mine was like the first picture, but the spare set of valve covers I put on right now are like the second picture. Never even noticed until now

 

good catch and that is very interesting, my original 95 5spd valve covers are like the one on the right, where they are not at an even level.
I also have a set of 96 ones that are also not even, and another random set that are also not even.

I have never seen the even ones on the left if I remember right. maybe the same level was an early year thing they changed since you said yours was a 92? it gives more space to the IACV, It would be difficult to remove it with the throttle body in place on the ones on the left. on the right its much easier.

top view of mine when vvti coils were going in


old pic I dug up showing the step and clearance to IACV


with the cover on its actually pretty obvious they redesigned it at some point cause the factory cover does not even match up lol


Also if I remember right the california IACV's and 96+ have that air hose coming off of the IACV and going to the intake manifold, the hose sits higher so not sure why they would need clearance just for that but more likely they realized to replace/clean the IACV on the original version it looks like you had to remove the whole throttle body which is a pain if you have all the stock brackets in place. Cali changes for emissions didn't happen till like 93-94 when they made some little changes, so maybe they decided to give it some more clearance while they were at it (probably got tired of removing the throttle body so many times... and you cant pull the valve cover without the intake so a simple IACV change becomes involved have to deal with coolant lines on TB etc...)

I know with the little extra clearance on mine, you can remove the IACV just by itself, which I have done in the past several times. I would have been annoyed having to remove the whole throttle body just to get to the IACV easily, so my hunch is it has to do something with that.

 

My 92 was even, like the picture on the left, interesting. I never noticed.

 

Never seen an even set. So I guess the the uneven setup is much more common