"How To" - Replace Valve Cover Gasket and VCT Solenoid

[..:: sleestak ::..]

i have noticed some oil in that little square area that is sits in, and also down where my plug boots are.....thinking i may be doing your little how to soon.

[JohnMichael]

If you have that little leak in the square part, you can probably acutally see the gasket bulging a little in that area. For some reason, that's the first spot to go on our gaskets...

I guess now is as good a time as any for an UPDATE: I still have a great seal on my gasket and there has been no other leaking from anywhere on the Valve Cover. The first time I tried seating the seal back down, I over-tightened one of the cover bolts and snapped it off at the head!! I was so freaking angry, I had to get my buddy over at Meineke to use some EZ-Outs on it.

[Poney]

Very sweeet write up. I just sprunk a leak myself. Is it neccessory to remove the valve cover ? I removed the selenoid by just removing the spark plug cover. I noticed thats where the leak was, and i put it back on.

[penguin]

"The first time I tried seating the seal back down, I over-tightened one of the cover bolts and snapped it off at the head!!"

Torque wrench.

Well worth the investment. Since I broke down and bought three 15 years ago I haven't twisted off a bolt (small 3/8 calibrated in inch lbs, larger 3/8 in foot-lbs, and a 1/2 in foot lbs for lug nuts etc.) Sears often has the medium 3/8 and 1/2 on sale for $50-60; however, SK is the only source I have found for the smaller inch-lb wrench, although I an sure there are other, similarly pricey sources.

SK makes a nice torque wrench calibrated in inch-pounds which works good in the 5-6 ft-lb range.

http://www.sktools.com/productcatalo...token=94539830

The SK isn't cheap, but (1) you can usually find a cheaper source to order over the net, and (2) since they last virtually forever, you might as well buy it now and use it the rest of your life... it doesn't take too many "twisted bolt/easy-out/helicoil saves" over the years to make it a worthwhile investment.

[Anaxagoras1986]

One thing I would note is that make sure you get the VC gasket comes WITH grommets. Some of them come without the grommets.

[JohnMichael]

Poney- my leak was on the V/C Gasket itself so I HAD to take the cover off for the replacement gasket.

Penguin- I thought about spending the extra cash for a inch/pound torque wrench but then decided against it...boy, hindsight sure is 20/20, eh?

Ananottypingtherestofyourname- Good point, I also had to replace some of the broken bolts with new ones, and those also come with new little rubber grommets. Expensive little suckers too...

[Poney]

JohnMichael- Thanks for the write up. very handy, and well put together.

my selenoid was in two peices ! i removed the screw and took the selenoid off and had no idea the rest of it was in the engine. I have no idea how that happaned, but id sure did leak oil lol

[..:: sleestak ::..]

so anyone know the torque specs on the bolts for the valve cover?

[JohnMichael]

It's right at 5-7 INCH-pounds...I would simply hand-tighten as I tried a Torque Wrench and cracked two of my bolts in the block. It was poo-poo trying to get those suckers out.

[hydromind]

My brother has the leak at the solenoid and changed his gaskets. He seemed to do eveything correct accordiing to directions above, and it still leaks. any ideas out there? Thanks!