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Valve Cover Question

SubwayGuy

SubwayGuy

Who is this guy?
Today I tried changing my front valve cover gasket. All was going well until I got to the bolt holding the bracket on that goes over the cover itself. I got the one off to the side off first and then tried to get the bolt with the star pattern next to the fuel injector. I was taking my time and slowly loosening it and then it started to get harder and harder to loosen, to the point where I couldn't loosen it anymore. I found this odd and just decided to throw everything back together to avoid damaging anything. Does anyone know why this would happen? What should I do to remove it next time? Thank you.
 


your taking the tensioner for the supercharger belt bolt? look inside its a 13 mm nut, a 12 point deep socket fits well in there. or a thin walled socket.
 
No its the big big metal bracket that the dog bone connects to. The bracket itself is held on with 2 bolts, one off to side just beneath the upper intake manifold and another right next to a fuel injector.


This isn't my car, but I circled the bracket I'm talking about and approximately where the bolt is located. The bolt I'm pointing to started to get harder and harder to loosen.
 
oh, n/a and that crap bolt, easy way is to remove the fuel rail, or do the good old 1/4 turn flip the open end wrench another 1/4 turn and so on and on.
 
I was thinking of removing the fuel rail. It's only held in with 4 bolts, 2 on either side right? If I go about removing the fuel rail, are the injectors like snapped in place and take a bit of pulling force to remove? And I was doing the 1/4 inch turn technique and once it got maybe less than 1/2 of the way out it started to bind up. I'm afraid that if I keep trying to loosen it, I'll strip the threads or something. But with the length of the wrench, I don't have a lot of gripping area and the harder it gets to turn, the more my hands keep slipping off.
 


your on track for the rail, the 4 little nut in the corners, unplug the injectors then pull up firmly and slowly the injectors slide out the holes they are in.

when your ready to put the rail back on, clean the injector holes with Q tips and brake cleaner then oil the O rings on the injectors and push them back in with a little wiggle if need be. if one of the O rings come out torn you'll need to replace it, or you can just plan to replace them all. iirc they cost about 8 bucks. cut the old one off with a sharp razor to avoid breaking the injector tip.
 
They had to make those brackets so hard to remove haha. I really don't want to remove the fuel rail if I don't have to, but it looks like it might be my only choice. What about the stuff called AT-205? Says it seals leaks, wonder if it might slow down my oil leak.
 
change the gasket lol

if you can find a l67 coil bracket and dog bone mount, swap that in there, it wont ever break like that one you have does, and it comes off much easier.
 
What's the difference between an L36 and L67 bracket, aren't they the same thing? And if they are different how would they still fit?
 
cause everything's the same bolt hole wise on both engines. its been done before.

the l67 bracket is also cast iron, its not gonna ever break,
 


Ok. Last time I went to the junk yard, there was a GTP there. Can't remember if everything was still there. I think it was because I remember seeing the supercharger and everything on it still. How much do you think it'd be for the parts? And to be specific, I need the bracket itself and a new dog bone, or just the bracket?
 
just the bracket, you can re use your icm and coils, or take them with the bracket.

your dog bone is the same.

and you'll need that 12 point deep 13 mm socket now to get the tensioner off it lol
 
For reference last time I pulled the bracket for someone it was $30 hell if you strike out I may actually have a extra bracket.


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Cool. I will check it out this weekend. I think I'll give it another this weekend or in 2 weeks. I really hope I can get the stupid bolt lose this time. This will be my 3rd time trying to replace this gasket haha.
 
Definitely change the gasket, PO of my '98 SE said screw the valve cover gaskets, I spent more time cleaning gunk off that engine and subframe than I did pulling the engine, replacing gaskets, and reinstalling combined. All because of bad valve cover gaskets leaking oil all over the engine and mixing with dirt and crap, over the period of 200k miles or so. Whatever you gotta do, make it happen, or you'll hate yourself down the road.
 
I can already see the area above the headers is covered in oil, the A/C compressor is covered a bit, the entire right side of the subframe (right side if sitting in car), and the splash shield is full of it. Literally the entire front side of the engine is full of oil and then it drips everywhere! Ugh need to change this gasket A.S.A.P.
 
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