Passenger side valve cover removal

[franklin2]

Anyone have a trick to get this thing off? I took the fuel filter off the bracket, and got the valve cover loose, but I can't get it by the HVAC housing near the firewall.

I was going to go ahead and take the alternator off, and then the large filter bracket, and see if I could slide it toward the front. I am not positive though that it will go high enough to clear the rockers arms to move it forward.

I posted in another forum and one person said they work it to the rear and then over to the glowplug relay in the back to get it off. I am going to try that in the morning, unless someone has another suggestion or method of getting it out.

 

[Optikalillushun]

BTDT, and a lot of swearing in between. i just wiggled and wiggled, and worked it until it popped out. it goes in 100x easier, trust.

 

[franklin2]

BTDT, and a lot of swearing in between. i just wiggled and wiggled, and worked it until it popped out. it goes in 100x easier, trust.

Do you remember which direction you were wiggling it?

 

[Fozz]

It is a pain, but I remember taking off the fuel filter assy (like you did). If I remember correctly, I angled the cover front end higher than the rear and while keeping this angle, try to slide the cover over the rear-most rocker. Do this by first moving the cover (with slight angle) rearward and down towards the tranny. Once you clear the rear rocker, bring the cover forward, up and out. I probably did a poor job of trying to write what I'm picturing in my head, but with a few beers and bad words you should get it out.

Good luck.

 

[HammerDown]

Make sure you don't knock off any hard pieces of gasket material down the oil return holes...or leave any small pieces hidden under a rocker arm etc

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Fozz is correct, it WILL come out if You fanagle it properly.

 

[damac]

Don't know if our layouts are the same?

I just did this the other day when I was putting air into all the cyclinders. On another note I accidentally ripped the oil fill tube out of the engine block and have no idea how to get it back in, lol. So with that and its hold down bracket out of the way it made it doable. We also have ac.

 

[franklin2]

I asked also over in another forum, and someone responded with a method that worked without taking the filter bracket and the alternator off. He said to pull the front of the valve cover up, slide the cover to the firewall, and then rotate the front of the valve cover toward the intake manifold. It barely makes it but it works. The rearmost injection line and the rear rocker is where you have the most trouble. I doubt this would work with a engine that had a turbo though.

The old gasket does fall apart and into the engine, you can't really help it. But luckily in my case they were big pieces and easy to retrieve.