Valve Cover Gasket Replacement + more - Tips or tricks?

JohnnyC · Post by **JohnnyC** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:39 pm

I'm about to replace my valve cover gasket... I'm wondering if you guys have done one of these and have any tips, tricks, or suggestions?

I'm doing an oil change, switching out spark plugs, and ignition wires at the same time.

Heres what I have ready to go for the whole job:

1. Valve Cover Gasket (from 360 Dynamics)
2. Permatex Gasket Maker (sensor-safe ultra grey RTV silicone - high oil resistance high temp 625f) **
3. Fram Tough Guard 99% multi-pass efficiency Oil Filter
4. 4 Quarts of Castrol Syntec 5w-30
5. 4 NGK V-Power (V-Groove) spark plugs
6. Spark plug gapper
7. Standard OE Performance Ignition Wires (from 360 Dynamics)
8. Torque wrench

** Not sure if this is the best gasket sealant I should use? If you have a suggestion for some other brand/type, please let me know)

The plan:

**Disconnect the battery**

1. Drain the oil
2. Remove the spark plug cover
3. Disconnect spark plug wires (just off the plugs for now)
4. Disconnect breather hose
5. Remove Valve Cover
6. Clean the oil up from around the spark plugs.
7. Remove the spark plugs
8. Remove the old Valve Cover Gasket.
9. Clean up around where the old Valve Cover Gasket was and Clean the Valve Cover.
10. Put some of the Gasket Maker stuff at the required spots where elevation changes on the gasket
11. Install the new Valve Cover Gasket.
12. Install the Valve Cover.
13. Install NGK Spark plugs.
14. Replace ignition wires one at a time.
15. Put the spark plug cover back on.
16. Attach the breather hose.
17. Remove the old Oil Filter.
18. Install the new Oil filter.
19. Put the oil drain plug back in.
20. Put the oil in (Exactly how much should I put in?)

I'm 95% certain I have everything I need to get the job done right. Tips, suggestions, or ommisions I need to include in my plan or supplies?

lanos2001 · Post by **lanos2001** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:52 pm

well never replaced the valve cover but one thing missing from your list. disconnect the battery. i'm sure you knew that but thats just too important to not mention especially since you're messing with the ignition.

nick

JohnnyC · Post by **JohnnyC** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:25 pm

Yeah... I had left that off my list. I do that before I do almost anything to my woo.

I usually just disconnect the negative cable. Is that how you do it or do you do both cables?

daewoomofo · Post by **daewoomofo** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:28 pm

let the silicone dry before you start it up, jsut let it sit over night, while you have the valve cover off yo should paint it!

JohnnyC · Post by **JohnnyC** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:40 pm

daewoomofo wrote:let the silicone dry before you start it up, jsut let it sit over night, while you have the valve cover off yo should paint it!

I considered painting it... but I think I'm going to go a different route then painting. My plan is to polish the metal itself. Not something I'm doing when I do the valve cover gasket... just something I'm planning on working on after I clean up the engine... That valve cover gasket has been leaking a long time (longer then I've owned my woo)... the engine below it is dirty... real dirty. Once I get that all cleaned I'll start on my polishing process.

And I'll definately let it sit overnight so the silicone has time to dry.

I figured I would do the job on Saturday afternoon and let the car sit until Sunday afternoon to make sure it has time to fully cure before running it.

(the package says 24 hours to fully cure)

On a more detailed note:
The manual says to:
"Apply a small amount of gasket sealant to the corners of the front camshaft caps and the top of the rear valve cover to cylinder head seal."

Could someone please explain EXACTLY where they are talking about?

The next step says to "Install the new valve cover gasket to the valve cover" then "Install the valve cover"

So am I applying the sealant to the valve cover, or the engine where it connects or both?

lanos2001 · Post by **lanos2001** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:58 pm

i just disconnect the negative.

nick

Audacity Racing · Post by **Audacity Racing** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 10:24 pm

it's where the camshaft seals are... it's where the gasket rises in elevation. just make sure to put sealant around (say 2" proximity) to where th cam shafts will be (two on each end)

JohnnyC · Post by **JohnnyC** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 7:36 pm

Gettin' started in a little bit here. I'll post some pics later just because it's interesting

JohnnyC · Post by **JohnnyC** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 10:19 pm

WOO boy is it dirty in there!!

and the underside of the valve cover gasket!

So how would you go about cleaning this mess up?!

hah

DomWoo · Post by **DomWoo** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 10:48 pm

JohnnyC wrote:
daewoomofo wrote:let the silicone dry before you start it up, jsut let it sit over night, while you have the valve cover off yo should paint it!
I considered painting it... but I think I'm going to go a different route then painting. My plan is to polish the metal itself. Not something I'm doing when I do the valve cover gasket... just something I'm planning on working on after I clean up the engine... That valve cover gasket has been leaking a long time (longer then I've owned my woo)... the engine below it is dirty... real dirty. Once I get that all cleaned I'll start on my polishing process.

?

the easy way to polish your valve cover.. dont go straight for the can of polish like most people would and waste hours and hours polishing it up.

get a FINE wire wheel for a angle grinder, it usually looks gold and has very fine wires

go over all areas of your cover with that untill you feel the tarished aluminum has been takin off thenget some mothers aluminum polish and go to town.. it might take you 20 minutes to polish the but thats better then taking forever to remove the layers of nasty with just regular polish..
Could someone please explain EXACTLY where they are talking about?

DomWoo · Post by **DomWoo** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 10:50 pm

looks line my old head lol.. the only thing you can do about that is run some engine cleaner in your oil.. thats what i was told anyways

JohnnyC · Post by **JohnnyC** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 11:14 pm

My old valve cover gasket was brittle... and rock solid. Definately needed doing.

I've cleaned out the groove where the gasket goes and I'm working on cleaning up some of the inside of the valve cover. Should go to gether quick as can be after I finish cleaning it up some.

So how many quarts? Just under 4?

JohnnyC · Post by **JohnnyC** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:18 am

Hmmmm I'm a bit worried about the whole thing. The new valve cover gasket was different then the old one in some pretty fundamental ways.

First of course it has the round under plug parts attached where the old one appeared to be two seperate pieces.

Second... and this is the part that kinda spooks me a bit... The old Valve Cover Gasket has a lip or wedge on the top that fits into the groove in the Valve Cover and is flat to lay down on the bottom half (You can see the lip around it where it is flat and somewhat shiny in the 1st of the above pictures. However... the new Valve Cover Gasket has a lip or wedge on both the top AND bottom. It looked like it should go into a groove on the bottom too... It wasn't flat at all. It's the same shape of course, jut not flat to lay down on the lip of the bottom half.

So... I put down a layer of silicone around the entire lip of the bottom portion as a precaution in the hopes of making a good seal. I was especially careful around the parts where the elevation changes. That being said, the Valve cover does not sit as flush to the bottom as it used to with the old valve cover... So uhhh... am I going to need to replace this Valve Cover Gasket with a different one or is it alright that it has that lower fitting portion and nothing to fit into (just up against)?

I private messaged Tom about it, but I don't think he's checked the site yet tonight.

Other then that... (and possibly that too) went great. New ignition wires and spark plugs are in.. the new oil filter is in but I'm waiting to drop the oil in until later on (giving the silicone longer to cure before I add the oil in.

I also won't be starting it up until tomorrow sometime... that way it will have time to fully cure before I put pressure on the seal.

Any thoughts on this?

JohnnyC · Post by **JohnnyC** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:43 pm

Still haven't added the oil yet in hopes that someone knows something about this different shaped gasket...

Here is an image to help illustrate what I'm talking about:

Thoughts?

JohnnyC · Post by **JohnnyC** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 3:06 pm

Just talked to Audacity... He says it's called a "positive seal" design and it's okay... Whew... okay... I can stop worrying so much now.