Smelly Valve Gaskets

[babydbb]

I recently bought my first Corvette, a beautiful 1985 two tone silver L-98..... along with only 53,000 miles it also has a serious need for new valve cover gaskets... one problem, how the heck do I get the valve covers off!?!?! I got the covers completely loose by taking the four bolts out but it won't physically come out.. there is not enough room. What else needs to come off in order for the covers to come out? My baby needs new gaskets, or else we can't go out and play. Anyone think they can help me?

 

[berky2500]

Welcome to the CAC! The most awesome forum for the Corvette, plenty of helpful people here...

Sounds familiar, one of the first jobs I did on my car. The passenger side is no problem not much in the way, you do have to take off the fuel rail cover. The drivers side is a different story, you can either remove the air pump and bracket in front of the valve cover, major PITA! It is probably how the Chiltons and Haynes will tell you to do it, but I don't recommend it.

A tip I got on this forum, remove the cover on the windshield wiper moter at the rear of the valve cover. You need a very short torx bit and a wrench and a lot of patience. One of the screws is in a very tight place, but once out, you can pull the cover off. Pay close attention to how the tripper arm is oriented under the cover so it goes back on the same way.

Remove the fuel rail cover and you will have just enough clearance to fight the valve cover out. Clean off the old gasket and you will be off and running. No more drips down the sides of the block.

Enjoy the car, I've put over 6000 miles on mine since April 1st and use it as my summer daily driver. I'm starting to get sad about having to park it in just less than two months.

 

[rrubel]

I found all I had to do was loosen the AIR pump and bracket, not remove them, and I could wiggle the valve cover out.

Be VERY VERY CAREFUL tightening down the valve cover hold-down nuts. They only need to be torqued to 100 INCH-POUNDS (NOT foot-pounds) and will break very easily.
[RICHR]

 

[muskiemike]

Hello,

I have an 84' and also have asked and rec'd the following information regarding replacing the valve cover gaskets - Also if you do not have a repair manual it might worth your time to visit your local library - it will give you additional info and perhaps some confidence - from what I can garner by the best gasket you can - Fel Core makes some of the best, and others recommend the rubber ones not cork - here;s a link for you:

http://www.federal-mogul.com/cda/content/front/0,2194,2442_7204_9116,00.html

Assuming you have your socket set with a couple of extensions, your new gaskets, something to clean the old gasket material off of the heads, a small tube of thread loc and your gasket cement.

The passenger side should just come off by removing the valve cover screws and just pulling on the cover. They may be a little sticky from age but other than that no big deal. On the drivers side it is tight because of the alternator but you can loosen it and make room and then it's the same as the passenger side.

Once you get the covers off and if your lucky the old gasket will have stuck to the cover. Make sure you scrape off the old gasket material off of the covers and if any stuck to the head clean that off as well, be careful not to gouge the valve covers if you use a scraper.

Take your gasket cement and apply to the valve cover side of the gasket and to the surface of the valve cover, let them set till they get a little tacky then put the gasket on the valve covers and let them set for a little while so when you put them back on the heads they will not fall off. Then put them on the heads being careful not to pull off the gasket when you put them back on.

Put a dab of thread loc on your bolts and hand thread all of
them back in. Most people who do them a lot just tighten them down by hand but I used my torque wrench and tightened them all down to 50 inch pounds(note inch pounds not foot pounds). Then of course tighten back up your alternator.

Most of all good luck - and thank others on this formum for the above information.