Cleaning Up LS Valve Covers With Holley
The LS engine is known for its incredible power and performance. These engines have found their way into just about every vehicle imaginable, from muscle cars and trucks to imports and classics.
Whether you pull one from a junkyard and slap on a turbo for a reliable 600 horsepower or go all out to build a 1,000+ horsepower monster, the LS engine is capable of meeting nearly any performance demand. It’s no surprise that entire car shows and communities exist to celebrate these power plants.
That said, while LS engines excel in performance, their factory appearance often leaves much to be desired. A common complaint is the design of the ignition coils sitting atop the valve covers. The eight coils themselves aren’t necessarily unattractive, but the factory execution—featuring a bulky bracket that mounts the coils—doesn’t do much to elevate the engine’s looks.
Fortunately, there are countless aftermarket solutions available to improve the look, ranging from relocating the coils to entirely hiding them elsewhere.
On this LS1-equipped classic, it was decided to clean up the engine bay without taking on the added complexity of relocating the coils. The solution? A set of sleek valve covers from Holley. These valve covers eliminate the factory coil brackets and allow the coils to bolt directly to the covers for a much cleaner, more streamlined appearance.
Holley offers these valve covers in several finishes, and we opted for the black finish, which complemented the overall black theme under the hood of our car. They also offer other styles that completely hide the coils which are pretty tricky as well.
Removing the Factory Valve Covers
The first step in this transformation was removing the factory valve covers. The process is straightforward and doesn’t require any specialty tools. Each bank of coils is connected via a large white wiring plug, which we carefully disconnected. Next, we removed the spark plug wires from each coil and unscrewed the few bolts securing the coil packs to the valve covers.
With the coil packs removed, we turned our attention to the valve covers themselves. Each one is held in place by four bolts, which we loosened to free the covers. Once off, we took the opportunity to inspect the valve train for any issues. Everything looked solid, so we were ready to proceed with the upgrade.
Installing the Holley Valve Covers
Holley designs these valve covers to reuse the factory valve cover gaskets and bolts, simplifying the installation process. Since our gaskets were in great condition, we reused them without issue. After positioning the new valve covers in place, we secured them with the factory bolts, ensuring everything was tightened down properly.
However, we encountered a slight hiccup during installation. The coils from our LS1 engine were the square-style variety, while the Holley valve covers were designed for the round-style coils. This wasn’t a major problem—replacement round-style coils were readily available at our local auto parts store. We also ordered a new coil harness to accommodate the wiring differences, as the round coils have wiring exiting from the top rather than the bottom.
Wrapping Up the Installation
With the new coils and harness in hand, we finished the installation by reconnecting the vacuum lines and PCV valve hoses. The overall process was quick and painless, taking roughly an hour from start to finish. The transformation in the engine bay was dramatic—the clean, modern look of the black Holley valve covers completely cleaned up the appearance of our LS engine. With the valve covers being black, it helps hide the coils as well since they don’t pop out as they did on the factory-cast valve covers.
Upgrading to Holley valve covers is a simple yet impactful way to improve the appearance of your LS engine. The improvement in looks, combined with the ease of installation, makes this an upgrade worth considering for any LS swap project. Whether you’re working on a show car or a daily driver, these valve covers will give your engine bay a cleaner, more professional look without compromising functionality.
To order up a set of these valve covers or other Holley valve covers hop on SS396.com or give our friendly techs a call at (203) 235-1200!
