Pass. Side Valve Cover - checking my sanity

[QuickWE4]

Driver's Side Valve Cover - checking my sanity

Hey Guys:

Changing the valve covers this weekend. I've already printed some notes from the board related to the pass. side cover, but have a question the driver's side.

I've removed the alternator bracket to allow the wire harness to come up somewhat, and I was able to break the vc loose pretty easily. It's still a very tight fit however.

Do I need to unbolt the wire harness bracket from the firewall to get that harness to move up and away more? Just doesn't seem like it has a lot of give.

Also, shoudl I start unplugging vac lines by the EGR? Just want to hear any tips or tricks to doing this right.

TIA
Rich

 

[Worthog]

Yep, just remove the harness from the firewall and you should be able to coax the thing out pretty easily. I broke the plastic the first time I pulled the VC because I wasn't gentle enough.

I've never had to remove the vacuum lines by the EGR, but I do remove the one that goes to the evap/charcoal canister as its really short on my car.

 

[QuickWE4]

Thanks Eric.

Can I unbolt that clip from the firewall or just separate the plastic connector? I don't want to break the connector, and it's proably brittle and such....

Last question: using cork gaskets, some say use a sealant, others say install em dry. I'd think that they'd go on dry - correct?

Back to the garage...

Can't wait to get to the pass side.

Rich

 

[Worthog]

Yeah, that plastic is always brittle. You can try to gently detach it, but if it doesn't want to go, you can always unbolt it.

I install them as dry as possible. First make sure both surfaces are as clean as possible. I use a little bit of spray on gasket adhesive to hold the gasket to the valve cover, then I torque the cover bolts in a criss-cross pattern to make sure it goes down evenly. Be sure not to overtighten the bolts. Also, make sure the gasket doesn't 'squirt' out the back or you'll have to pull it right back off again.

The passenger side is bad on some cars and easy on others, just depends on how your motor sits in the engine bay. All I ever have to do on mine is pull the harness away from the firewall, pull the plug wires, and remove the wastegate solenoid.

 

[Black Box]

I guess my pass. side valve cover was one of the hard ones....I had to move the harness out of the way, remove the heat shield for the breather, and remove the hard coolant lines and it was still a PITA to wiggle out.
Driver's side was relatively easy tho.

Steve

 

[QuickWE4]

Well, got the driver's side off after about 20 min of fiddling. It's nice changing gaskets on a low mileage car - gasket pulled off with the cover and it's perfectly clean. I'll go over where it seats anyway.

I was able to get some extra play from the harness but undoing the clips on the pass side.

Not sure how I'm gonna get it back in there though...that harness still doesn't move much.

Anyway, I have all weekend so...

Rich

 

[QuickWE4]

Well, finished up the driver's side and it really wasn't too bad once I got everything out of the way.

Now I'm at the pass. side and it seems like it's getting hung on the rocker arms towards the firewall. I can almost tilt it enough to get it loose then it hits the heat shield on the a/c box.

I did loosen the bracket that holds the coolant lines to the manifold, and I can move them a bit (maybe 1/2 inch). Question is, is it necessary to remove the heat sheild for the A/C box? The bolt on the bottom is a real pita to get to.

It seems that if I cranked it by hand, I might get the clearance. But to crank it by hand, wouldn't I have to be able to get back behind the i/c fan and what not? Sorry, I know it's a stupid question - only motor I ever turned by hand was a beat 396 that was on a stand.

Rich

 

[Worthog]

You can turn the engine by either removing the cover over the torque converter and grabbing the flex plate/flywheel, or if you're stronger than I am you can try turning it with the intercooler fan blades.

Almost forgot to mention that you can quickly remove the IC fan(3 bolts I think) if you would like to get a breaker bar and socket on the balancer bolt.

 

[Black Box]

I didn't remove the heater box shield but that bottom rear bolt took a while to get loosened up with a wrench. If you completely remove the coolant lines you should be able to 'roll' the VC up (towards the intake), and then pull it forward. You may have to wiggle it out. I didn't have to turn the motor over but I may have gotten lucky and the rocker arms stopped in the right place, or at least close.

Steve

 

[QuickWE4]

Well, finally got both vc's on the car.

To do the passenger side, I loosened the wire harness and removed the bolt from the little clamp that holds the coolant lines to the manifold. Then, I loosened the nut where the coolant line goes into the manifold and removed the heat shield by the turbo. This allowed me to swing the cooalnt line up quite a bit and, ultimately, enabled me to get the valve cover out.

While I was rooting around, I changed the O2 sensor. Found that my current sensor was cracked where the thin part meets the larger part of the sensor. Good thing I changed it, as I had been getting these errant code 44's lately, and couldn't figure it out.

Overall, not as bad of a project as I had originally estimated.

Naturally, after I got the passenger side on, I noticed (only then) that the Buick Motorsports valve cover did not come with a grommet where the pass side breather goes. ASSuming that I was supposed to use the old grommet from the stock vc, I removed it and tried to insert it into the vc. Next, I dropped the grommet and it landed in a place that I can't reach - it's like above one of the crossmembers.

But, nonetheless, the valve covers are in and they look sharp.

Thanks to the board for all the help on this project.

Rich

 

[Black Box]

Where'd ya get the Buick Motorsports VC's?
I want a set in the cast aluminum finish!

Steve

 

[QuickWE4]

Hey Steve....

Ordered 'em from Postons this past week

Rich

P.S. Kirban just stopped carrying them - they were discontinued (at least in his catalog) this past week.

Poston's had plenty in stock.

 

[Black Box]

Thanks, gotta order me a set.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Steve