Hi, I'm new to the forum, although not new to the toyota world. I've own so many toyota trucks, i can't even remember. At the moment, i'm restoring a 1991 extra cab 22RE little guy. I bought it from the original owner and it's never been touched. Interior is mint and clean exterior. The truck has 391000KM. The clutch was gone when i bought it and the engine was pissing oil from about ten places. So i decided to give the engine an overall while out to do the clutch. I'm restoring the truck to OEM specs with OEM parts as much as possible. SO far my only issue is the valve cover. I see a lot of people painting it. I think it looks cool. But i really want to stay with original. So what's the best way to bring back a valve cover to original? Is it simply glass bead it? Sand blast it? I don't think these thing were painted originally. Anyone can help? Thanks

 

I personally do not like the paint either, I would say a nice media blast would do the trick, the 22re sticker is readily available.

I’m not too knowledgeable on the specifics of sand blasting, it is aluminum so I would go for the least destructive option that won’t pit the unit. I would think if you have someone doing it they would be able to make the best recommendation.

 

That's what i thought. I was just wondering if that's how they were new. Funny enough i did own a new 22RE back in the day. But i don't remember. Bare aluminum, oxidize quickly. Anyone tried to clear coated with a mat before?

 

One day I will pull my motor as you are and pretty it up with the rebuild, but I have thought about the valve cover, I personally will just leave it, unless I’m showing it the inevitable is it will wear……a clear might be nice for a while but then…..chipping, yellowing etc, only other thing I would consider would be a matte gray/silver powder coat…..

 

Thanks for the input. I'd love to see if anyone have done this. Sand blasted and leave it like that.

 

Don’t get me wrong, you have options, this is just a pic I found, love the hammered finish, I just personally know my truck has 100 horsepower new, at the wheels…..I don’t even want to know 31 years later so this kind of look would only be enjoyable with a turbo and all kinds of other goodies and at that point I could get more power out of a 3.4 swap.

This would be a slippery slope for me, I would have to make everything else look the same and it still would be a 22re….if your dead set on keeping the fresh aluminum look I think a powder is your best option, any motor I have seen new from the factory turns into what our valve covers look like with age, aluminum just doesn’t stay pretty under an engine bay.

 

I don't give a rats patoot what my valve covers look like, so long as they don't leak.