One of the valve cover baffles has broken off

I finally had some time to do very basic start. I didn't have enough clay to actually fill even a single side of the valve cover which I wasn't thinking I would need to fill it but the top set of valves are so close to the bottom of the valve cover I barely got an indentation. But I could see where the bolts are. What I noticed was how close the one valve is to the oil baffle. If it's not or wasn't hitting the baffle that would be a miracle. Let me know your thoughts.

Secondly, as we talked about the new covers are a lot lower than these. As you can see by the lower set of valve imprints they are deep. I didn't use a seal because I just wanted to know where to drill through the old valve covers but a seal is what like 1/8" thick? I did check the seating of the new covers they do fit and seem to seat but I haven't rotated the engine yet. You told me that the valves don't move all that much and being stock you wouldn't expect any problems.

I was really curious about your thoughts on the valve and the baffle. It's the 2nd valve from the right. You can see where the baffle used to be by the 2-90 degree straight pieces of metal coming down from the top.

You're talking about the new covers? I was talking about the old ones because I couldn't figure out how that baffle came apart. It was literally torn off but how long was it like that? And while that valve might explain 1 side of a split baffle it doesn't explain the other side which when I had the cover off the first time was still intact. Even looking at the location of the other 3 valves across the top they are literally against the side of the valve cover.

But yeah, I'll definitely test around both baffles on both sides because they are in totally different places than the old covers.

Yesterday, I got my weekly update from camaros,net and it just happened to have a post about valve lash. I thought I'd compare notes but the words were getting heated so I thought let me see what other posts are out here and it seems that it's a hotly debated topic about how to accomplish the task after you find out if you have solid or hydraulic lifters. One person discussed what you told me but most were doing it on a cold engine in firing sequence and then turning the engine 90 degrees some OCIC, I think it was, acronym. I'll post the thread here just so you can look at it and offer your 2 cents https://www.camaros.net/threads/valve-lash.477993/#post-1783238825 And like I said that's just one of many that have difficulty agreeing.

So, stick with what you told me including "Turn the wrench an additional 1/8 - 1/4 turn to set the lifter preload."? I felt like they couldn't even agree on the amount you had to turn to preload it.

I've had to replace the front suspension springs and I need to do the hood and the trunk. Now I'm thinking about the valve springs. I don't know how old anything in the engine is or if it was rebuilt a couple thousand miles ago. Is there a way to know if these springs are sprung and have seen better days?

I was just about ready to bump my engine to check the valve covers to ensure clearance. I already noted I was a screw short and that the rubber grommet that they gave me for the PCV wasn't big enough for my PCV. I tried to use the old grommet but it's not soft like the new one and isn't giving a 1/16th to go in the hole. I guess I could grind it down a bit.

It was then that I realized I had 2 holes on one side and one on the other. What the heck. Never in a million years did I even look at these for extra holes. I either didn't see it or I never handled them together to realize that it was 2 different holes. Anyways it's an actual hole but I have no idea what it's for or what to do about it. Oddly it has a rubber grommet on it where the other one was in the bag with the screws. I would have just moved the PCV to the other side but it doesn't fit there either. Can I plug the odd hole somehow?

The first 2 pics are just the grommets beside each other. They're not that really much different size wise just one's hard or aged rubber and the other is willing to squeeze into the hole. The 3rd pic was what I was planning to use for the PCV hole. The 4th pic of the hole in the other cover is for what?

PS. Since I was down on the ground thinking maybe one of the valve cover screws jumped I decided I might as well check for a center bolt on the drive pulley and sure enough it wasn't covered over like I had thought. Just can't see it because of the radiator being so close. That's a good thing. No valve cover screw however.

What's your definition of a bolt? A screw? I always thought a bolt had to do with the absence of a slot(s). But from the dictionary a bolt is a connector that holds things together with the help of a nut. Another childhood theory up in smoke. So the crankshaft is a screw?

So what am I looking for to put in that hole? My air cleaner isn't a snorkel type which had a puck on the snorkel with a hose connected and it's not the type with a filter on the side of the base of the air cleaner. I have an open sides air cleaner with a base and a lid.

I have the PCV and the filler cap.

Is this push in something I can get from Autozone or is it a specialty that I would have to find from Eklers or 396, etc?