Having trouble removing camshaft cover!

[Edison Carasio]

I was trying to remove the camshaft cover / valve cover or whatever this weekend and the damn thing wouldn't budge. I need to replace the valve cover gasket. Here's what I did:

Remove air cleaner housing mounting from top of cover

remove the three crown nuts and washers and the grounding wire from the top of the cover

Disconnected the ventilation house from the thing sticking outta the cover

Removed two bolts holding the cam gear cover on

After doing all of this, it still wouldn't move. What did I do wrong?

[Bluntman]

If you are talking about the valve cover and the 3 crown nuts are removed, it is just stuck. Give it a gentle tap with a rubber mallet and it break free. Or put your fingers in the oil filler hole and tug and free it up.

[Bluntman]

Also under the 3 crown nuts are three metal covered grommets ( They are all one piece). You can get pliers to pry those off and that will help also. Replace the grommets also.

[Edison Carasio]

Yeah the grommets came off, it was just the damn cover itself. Thanks, I'll try the mallet method!

[Bluntman]

Yeah the grommets came off, it was just the damn cover itself. Thanks, I'll try the mallet method!

And pull with your fingers in the oil fill hole. That should do it.

[Edison Carasio]

I bought the gasket Saturday. In the box it was just the rubber piece in a rectangle shape. Is there anything else I'll need, or will it just stick to the cover?

[lostforawhile]

I bought the gasket Saturday. In the box it was just the rubber piece in a rectangle shape. Is there anything else I'll need, or will it just stick to the cover?

in the corners where the head goes from flat to round, you need a small amount of RTV at those four corners, first clean the head really well of grease and oil, the gasket will push into the valve cover, then carefully set it down over the three studs, make sure it's not pinched or hanging out, then install the grommets over the studs, and torgue the three nuts, don't over torque or it will leak. I think it's ten inch pounds or something small like that, the gasket acts like an O ring and seals that way.

[Edison Carasio]

This might be a stupid question, but what is RTV?

[A20A1]

Oil Resistant RTV Silicone... it comes in a tube about the size of a toothpaste tube and they sell it at just about any automotive store. It's used to help seal the corners of the gasket where it cups over the cam bearing on either end of the head.

Not sure if it's the same thing as "liquid Gasket" which I don't think I've ever used.

[DBMaster]

This might be a stupid question, but what is RTV?

It's not a stupid question at all. I just learned recently that RTV stands for "Room Temperature Vulcanizing."

[Bluntman]

Well did it come off ?

[2oodoor]

It's not a stupid question at all. I just learned recently that RTV stands for "Room Temperature Vulcanizing."

good to know!

[Edison Carasio]

I got it off. I had to grab it with some pliers at the arc near the cam gear and yank it up really hard. I put the new gasket it but I can't tell if it's still leaking or not since there's so much old oil on the exhaust side of things. Should I have used the sealer to hold the gasket to the cover? I just seated it in there and put it back on real careful, and then replaced the grommets on top.

So I guess I'm gonna have to run to Advanced or Autozone and get some gasket sealer/silicone or something from the way it sounds?

[lostforawhile]

I got it off. I had to grab it with some pliers at the arc near the cam gear and yank it up really hard. I put the new gasket it but I can't tell if it's still leaking or not since there's so much old oil on the exhaust side of things. Should I have used the sealer to hold the gasket to the cover? I just seated it in there and put it back on real careful, and then replaced the grommets on top.

So I guess I'm gonna have to run to Advanced or Autozone and get some gasket sealer/silicone or something from the way it sounds?

you need sealer at the four corners, or it will leak there.

[Bluntman]

For me, I put mine on dry and have had no leaks. But that's just how it worked for me.

[DBMaster]

Yeah, I've been bad all these years. I always seemed to have slight seepage even when I used the RTV at the proper locations - it's in the shop manual. Since I set my own valve lash inspection interval at about 20,000 miles I rarely get enough oil seep to gunk up the engine. I replace the gasket and grommets every time, though.