[Andrew]

I got this cam cover in a lot of parts over the weekend. The number cast in the underside is 1050201510E01. Can anyone ID this? I wonder, but am prepared to be disappointed, that it's some kind of GTA item. My parts book shows 105020151001 (no E) as a normal 105 cover, and the listed GTA part is 10532...

It's not like any other normal 105 dished type cam cover I have seen, and it must be relatively early because it has no tangs on the front for hold-down bolts. On the other hand, it has the venting fitting, which would indicate a later item. Its dark, rough appearance inside and out, and the E in the PN lead me to think it might be Electron rather than normal aluminum? It's a very rough casting compared to most 105 cam covers, so I'm assuming sand cast rather than mold cast? Any help IDing appreciated. Thanks

Andrew

 

[emr5503]

It appears that it is a magnesium valve cover, but not for the GTA because they did not have a side vent. One of my Performance Options catalogs shows a front view of a FI formula 3 engine that has the side vent blocked off, but can't tell if it is mag., but I would assume so.
Ed

 

[Seinista]

early TI Super maybe?

 

[Andrew]

I wouldn't expect a TI Super to have the side vent, but it's true I forgot to look in the Giulia sedan parts catalog. So I'll check.

Note that the Alfa Romeo script is very thick and not well defined, which I thought was common among GTA pieces compared to pedestrian, sharper aluminum ones. Is mag the light color seen here when machined?

Andrew

 

[Zagato_Olaf]

105.02

I got this cam cover in a lot of parts over the weekend. The number cast in the underside is 1050201510E01. Can anyone ID this? I wonder, but am prepared to be disappointed, that it's some kind of GTA item. My parts book shows 105020151001 (no E) as a normal 105 cover, and the listed GTA part is 10532...

It's not like any other normal 105 dished type cam cover I have seen, and it must be relatively early because it has no tangs on the front for hold-down bolts. On the other hand, it has the venting fitting, which would indicate a later item. Its dark, rough appearance inside and out, and the E in the PN lead me to think it might be Electron rather than normal aluminum? It's a very rough casting compared to most 105 cam covers, so I'm assuming sand cast rather than mold cast? Any help IDing appreciated. Thanks

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

The partnumber 105.02 (0151001) relates to the first series Giulia Sprint GT (1963 - 1966). In that period, all castings were sandcastings. They started mold casting at the end of the 60's (1969?). What the E means, I don't know.

Ciao, Olaf

 

[Gordon Raymond]

GTA valve cover?

I have a GTA cover from late 65, or early 66. No vent, painted inside green zinc chromate, rough finish inside and out that looks nothing like the one you have photographed. I believe Olaf is correct. When magnesium is machined, it's bright, but oxidizes quickly to grey. The GTA stuff turns almost black.
Cut a thin sliver off it somewhere unnoticeable and light the sliver. (NOT in your fingers!).
If it burns bright white, it's magnesium, if it melts, aluminum.
Gordon Raymond

 

[PSB]

Checking in is it a Mg Item...
I like the f-3 mag idea myself...
Cool Find.

 

[benjoys02]

gtv cover

the valve cover on my '66 gtv looks identical although mine has been powder coated by the p.o. but my '67 does have the two front holes/eyelets in front of the cover (i have not taken pics). i have never seen a gta magnesium cover w/ a breather opening on its' side.

 

[Andrew]

It is functionally the same but I have never seen another with the rough, dark casting surface. That's what I am mainly curious about. Once machined, it does look like regular aluminum, but in rough, as-cast form, it's not like any other I've seen. I would guess 101 Spider Veloce, early Sprint GT, early Duetto, or early Super.

Andrew

 

[emr5503]

It doesn't show up in any of the performance options catalogues that I have ('68 - '77). Was hoping it would show up in the GTAm era with the SPICA or Lucas injection.
Ed

 

[ossodiseppia]

There are two ways you can check. One, check the weight of this one against one that is known to be aluminum. Two, file a few bits off and light with an open flame. If it sparkles and catches file, it's magnesium. If not...pfffffffffffffft.

 

[giulia_veloce]

Hey Guys.

The GTA original cam cover is about half the weight of a normal one.
I know this as I weighed it.
And I regret Selling it

Robert

 

[giulia_veloce]

Also,
I did sandbllast it when I owned it.
Very soon after,I put it on the wall in my office and it went black.
Normal Cam covers,when sandblasted stay aluminium-new look,but the GTA cam cover went black after a few weeks.

 

[gtaj]

for it to be a gta mag cover, you're going to want to see the "circle c" (competition) on the inside. as far as i know, there are no part numbers anywhere on the cover. and no side vents.
here's a pic. by the way they leak big time.

 

[alfaward]

I may have one cam cover of the part number 10532.... I believe it is a 1300 magnesium not alloy aluminum and if so what's it worth. Been in a bag a long time on a shelf.

 

[Gordon Raymond]

GTA valve covers.

gtaj is correct. Having lived with one for 40 years I know how to stop the leaks. Mine also has the circle C marking, it's a '65 vintage that goes with a sandcast head (also a leaker). Back in the day, the cam cover gasket was a rubberized cork thing. It was soft and easily compressed. The cover itself was porous as was the sandcast head. Painting the inside of the cam cover with Glyptol after being sure it was flat, plus a wrinkle finish on the outside, fixed the cover itself. It then had to be torqued down evenly, only compressing the soft gasket slightly. Problem is, the aluminum head and mg cover expand at different rates. Thus it leaks, unless the gasket can compress and move. Current hard gaskets do not work well. The best solution to both the cover and sandcast head leaks is to make the material less porous. This can be done with a pressure applied epoxy used in vintage aluminum casting restoration. I have used this on a Ferrari transaxle case with great success, but not on a GTA head or cam cover. Years ago, some sandcast GTA heads had this application after some had leaked moisture behind exhaust valve seats, blowing the seats out when hot enough. Not good. Gordon Raymond