so does this make anyone else feel retarded?

[Avery4jc]

had to swap on a new valve cover gasket tonight on the driver's side...I figured it was a 15 minute job...haha was I ever wrong.

I ended up wasting a bunch of time trying to save time (you know how that goes) until I finally just decided to take the AC Compressor off its brackets to give me enough room to slide the valve cover down (the thingy on the inside of the valve cover where the PCV Valve plugs in wouldn't line up between the rocker arms)...anyways its done now

I spent quite a while getting the old gasket off of the heads as well as getting the build-up off of the valve cover... (check out all the black chunky build-up around the edges)...

 

[pauly383]

Its a little finagling , but I can do mine without removing the compressor . I tack the gasket on the cover first , so it stays while I finagle it . I would also put the studs on after the cover is in place so it can be finagled better . Rubber ones can be finagled better .

 

[Avery4jc]

Hmmm didn't think about pulling the studs...

I didn't have any problem with the gasket...after I cleaned up the heads I layed it in place over the studs then just worked on getting the valve cover in place...

 

[mudboggink5]

Its ok, when i did my valve covers, my truck did not want to start. I brought it to my mech and ended up being a loose wire. When you work with tight spots it takes some time.

 

[Avery4jc]

Yep I was ok with the wires but the vaccuum hoses were giving me some problems but I think I got them back where they belong....I normally take a hi-res pic of the area I'm working in so when I go to put it back together I can look where everything was but I didn't this time....I didn't think I would need it

 

[thatK30guy]

Its a little finagling , but I can do mine without removing the compressor . I tack the gasket on the cover first , so it stays while I finagle it . I would also put the studs on after the cover is in place so it can be finagled better . Rubber ones can be finagled better .

Got a hard on for the word "finagle"? Four times it was used.

 

[obijuan]

yeah thats definatley the hard side, what i like to do is leave it stuck in there for a little while after trying to finagle it. then i get a drink and come back and sneak up on it. goes right in and the valve cover never even saw it comin. you also got to stick your tongue out the right way.

 

[pauly383]

I dunno , just a weird sleepy night , my 8 year old computer chair died , and I had to sit in another from the other room .

I hate the new chair , no large back , no where to rest my head

 

[vortec]

yeah, it took me longer than i expected, too. about 45 minutes to do both. i've done it in 5-10 on some other gm v8s. dang egr valve is in the way on the passenger side of mine.

 

[Avery4jc]

yeah thats definatley the hard side, what i like to do is leave it stuck in there for a little while after trying to finagle it. then i get a drink and come back and sneak up on it. goes right in and the valve cover never even saw it comin. you also got to stick your tongue out the right way.

Thats basically what I did...I worked on it for a while...got it off and scraped off some of the old gasket...then my dad brought home some dinner so I stopped and ate in the bed of my truck...
Then I got the rest of the gasket off and then some guys from down the street came over (bunch of college football players) so we were chillin'...then my mom decided it would be a good idea to go get 5 huge pizzas and a bunch of soda so obviously the starving college students stayed the rest of the night...
I eventually got it finished working off and on between slices

 

[obijuan]

do you live in a TV show?

 

[Avery4jc]

Uhhh no not last time I checked...lol what kind of a random question is that?

 

[original balzer]

Reality TV has made normal life seam like a TV show? It does kinda sound like a comedy just it never got to the funny part. Like an efilant sitting on your truck. (eh-phil-ant) why does beer take over after a while? Im gunna go ask Elle Funt.

 

[Tabb]

Mine has the center bolt valve covers. It takes a little finageling on the drivers side but I think it a little easier than the old style valve covers.

 

[lectric80]

Mine has the big old style compressor on it, so removing it isn't optional. There doesn't appear to be any other way of replacing the gasket, I have been trying to find a way to avoid it, since my gaskets are due for replacement. Maybe I will wait until I drop the new engine in, that should be happening in a couple of months. They don't leak real bad yet.