reed valve delete...

Hi and long time no see. Anyway I've been searching for a thread(s) that I've seen in the past having to do with alternate methods of reed valve ventilation or bypassing/capping them completely (as on MKII/ST style engines), when stock airboxes are gone. I tried searching threads before I posted a question, but to no avail. Perhaps I'm searching the wrong way or using the wrong wording?...Anyway any help to a related link(s) would be greatly appreciated. I know APE sells ready-made valve cover caps (or at least they used to) for that purpose but I want more opinions about them...pros/cons etc. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

There's no cons to blocking off the valves.
They are only there to bleed air into the exhaust to dilute the gasses and fiddle the emissions parts per million analyser gizmo or whatever they used.
Leave them open, blank them off, link them together or re-purpose them into top end engine breathers, Your choice..

What he said.

I don't think leaving them open is an option. It causes a lot of backfiring in the exhaust... similar to an exhaust leak, or even worse. When the complete air system is installed, but malfunctions, you get really large backfires and popping. So they just simply need to be capped off air tight.

They are routed to the exhaust port. To use them as breathers for the camshaft housing, you would have to modify the valve cover and seal off existing ports in the head.

Also, on some/most applications, you should not delete the reed-cage assembly, as that has the integral rubber seal for the reed cover. The reed cage is weak and often likes to break during removal if the rubber seal has attached itself too firmly. You just leave it in place, remove the bump tab if necessary, and replace/modify the cover.

I am in process of doing a smog head. Does it matter if I plug on top? Or bottom in the valve combustion chamber?
I just use an 1/8" NPT plug up top of the cylinder head. I mill the ugly block off and bolt a flat plate on like the APE. I make my own flat pieces.
As long as you use the breather on the back end top of engine. No problem.

It shouldn't matter as long as air can't get into the exhaust port.