Great techinque for removing Valve Cover

[mattdev]

I just took off my valve cover the other day and discovered a great technique for removing it. This way will make it MUCH harder to put a gash in your head, or valve cover, gasket surface.

First I went along the HEAD side of the gasket w/ a razor blade to free up the gasket. (The valve cover side of the gasket is actually recessed into the cover, so you would be cutting gasket on that side.)
After it is free from the head (enough to slide relatively easy) I stuck a putty knife and slid along the same side to free it up some more. Then slide a 2nd putty knife, on top (or under) the first. THEN insert a screwdriver between the two knives and pry. I used a rubber mallet to hammer it in and the seal broke once it was in. Try this in a few locations along the front just to spread the load and it should just come off clean. I only had to do this on the front and the rest all came off cleanly w/ it.
I did have to remove the radiator hose so be sure you have a pan ready for a small amount of coolant. Obviously when it is cold...

And a putty knife is obviously interchangeable w/ any thin, bendable piece of metal...

That should do the trick

 

[VTEC_THIS]

Great, thanks for the tip!

 

[VanIsleDSM]

Some people's valve covers must be a real pain to take that many steps in such a process just for the valve cover.. I've taken off 3 and each time I just put a 2x4 against the front of the cover and hit it with a hammer.. or put the oil cap on and yank a bit.. never taken more than 30 seconds for me...

..but hey.. if it's that hard to get off you don't want to be gouging the head or the cover, good trick.

 

[pooker]

Thanks, that is a similar method I have always used.

 

[eboy0]

Seriously, I just unscrew the screws and stick my finger in my oil cap hole and pull up lightly, comes right off....
Good little writeup there for those who are having problems.

 

[joeybags7112]

I think the people having trouble removing the cover is because the person who put it on last was afraid it would leak and used gasket sealer on the gasket. There is no need if the cover is in good shape and tightened down properly, except by the half moon.

Joe

 

[mattdev]

Wow, lucky people. Mine was a B-I- itch to get off. This technique was the only thing that worked. It was actually my dad's idea so props to him

 

[Laysher91]

Thats how I do my valve cover and oil pan too Way to spread the word!

 

[steve-o_95_GST]

Wow Ive never had a valve cover that was that hard to take off. What do you guys do WTF All Ive ever had to do was grab the oil cap and the breather and it would just come right off.

 

[marcmsj]

Wow Ive never had a valve cover that was that hard to take off. What do you guys do WTF All Ive ever had to do was grab the oil cap and the breather and it would just come right off.

Agreed. I've done mine twice now and it wasn't a problem at all. Be sure not to over torque those bolts, in fact, they shouldn't be torqued down very much at all and no silicone needed.

 

[kmoore]

Mine was an absolute PAIN to get off. Didn't take no 30 seconds for me. More like 30 minutes. I was pushing and pulling with my ENTIRE body wait on the thing. I almost thought there were still bolts in place.

 

[mattdev]

Yeah, that's how mine was. I'm a skinny kid so I used mechanics instead of brute force (story of my life...) Yeah, I used a hand driver to tighten, not even torqued hard. I Just used RTV on half-moon seal, spark plug gaskets, and around all the corners and points.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Some people's valve covers must be a real pain to take that many steps in such a process just for the valve cover.. I've taken off 3 and each time I just put a 2x4 against the front of the cover and hit it with a hammer.. or put the oil cap on and yank a bit.. never taken more than 30 seconds for me...

..but hey.. if it's that hard to get off you don't want to be gouging the head or the cover, good trick.

My experiences, exactly. But for those who have it stuck on there real good and want to avoid any damage this is a great tip.
Thanks to the OP for contributing.

 

[diablos991]

I have had trouble removing a valve cover only once. (not 4g63)

I just used a rubber mallet and gave it a few taps in some key locations and it was unstuck.

 

[EDM95]

How do you remove a 420a VC? I have the gasket for it, so i want to take it off and paint it with some red high tep paint.

 

[super97gst]

How do you remove a 420a VC? I have the gasket for it, so i want to take it off and paint it with some red high tep paint.

removing your 420a valve cover is the same as all others. you just need to pull all of the valve cover - head bolts out. then take a 2X4 and put one end of it up against the cover and tap it with a shop hammer. if it ends up being really stuck use the above method for removal.

 

[turbo_chick]

. sick way to do it

 

[Defiant]

I just gave mine a hard look, thought "Noob", and gave it a good smack with the palm of my hand.

Came right off.

 

[super97gst]

I just gave mine a hard look, thought "Noob", and gave it a good smack with the palm of my hand.

Came right off.

you know, that usually always works for me too. sometimes though i dont even have to smack it around, it just falls off for some reason.

 

[EDM95]

Thanks, I also painted my heat shield i hope it will look ok.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

I just gave mine a hard look, thought "Noob", and gave it a good smack with the palm of my hand.

Came right off.

Why am I imagining this in my head ?

 

[chodaboy3545]

+1 Nice Thanks

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Anyone have any luck not using any sealant and just using straight gasket for their valve cover?
I'm well over a year, maybe 2, with no goop and no problems. Not even a sliver of a leak.

Maybe thats normal, but I was told the manual demands some sort of goop around the cemi-circles at least.

 

[super97gst]

I've been running just a gasket with no sealant for about 1 year, and nothing on the half circle. no leaks so far.

 

[Defiant]

The manual (and, the cars) want sealant at the corners of the half-moons where there's nothing to really seal the joint.
Silicone seal tends to lubricate the channel gasket around the rim of the cover, letting it shift and develop leak paths. Put that part on dry, inside the groove and outside.