[Guest]

Ok, I started my 30K service o

Ok, I started my 30K service over the weekend. Got the car up on jack stands, engine cover off and stored inside in a safe place, wheel well off, etc....

Went last night I went to get the cam covers off and get the engine at TDC on cyl. #1, get the cam index marks lined up, so I can begin removal off the belts.

I took the air pump off (it had been disconnected by the P.O.) and took all the 10mm nuts off the cam cover. I pried, pulled, tugged and pushed to try and get this thing to break loose and it wouldn't hardly budge. Now I know sometimes gaskets can stick but this is ridiculous. The only nuts that come off are those 10mm nuts right in plain view, correct? (also, Dist. nut in cam cover is out and hoses are also lose. (should I remove the dist completely?) I did get the top part to break free a little, but it seems stuck on the bottom edge across all 4 cylinders. I don't want to try and pry on this thing on the mating surfaces b/c I don't want to give myself a permanent leak. I did use a slender putty knife to get part of it to break a little, but I can't get much of anything on the lower side as the exhaust headers are in the way.

Anyone have a suggestion other than to just keep trying? Did I miss a nut/bolt somewhere?

I'm certainly not looking forward to doing the front bank in light of this trouble.

 

[Guest]

Hi Sean,

there's no wa

Hi Sean,

there's no way for us to know if you missed a nut somewhere.

Sometimes the covers are on fairly tight. If you pull the distrib and flange you can get an opening to use a lever on the underside of the cover. Once it's popped loose from it's seal you can carefully walk it up and off.

Regards, JRV

 

[Guest]

I had the same type of problem

I had the same type of problem with my water pump. The pump was stuck on the housing. It took quite a bit of force to get it off. What about wooden wedges? They should be safe and the wood will give before the aluminum will. I have seen Orange RTV used quite a bit on valve covers before. It takes a good amount of force to break its seal. Just try to get one section and lift from there.
Why not go ahead and remove your dist. You will want to replace the seal anyway during your 30K.
I also mark my cams with paint too. Just to be safe. Call me overly cautious but I would rather play it safe than sorry on the timing belts. I just changed mine 3 weeks ago so if you have any questions feel free to email me. I think I have pics of the tensioner assemblies apart too.

 

[Guest]

JRV, my question wasn't we

JRV, my question wasn't weather I missed a nut so much as are those 10mm nuts on top of the cam cover the only ones to take off? Is their something else holding on the cam cover that I'm missing besides those 10mm nuts and the distributor?

Richelson, wooden wedges is a good idea. Someone suggested using a plastic spatula to try and pry it off as the plastic won't scratch the mating surfaces.

Sounds like I should go ahead and pull the dist. I've got the gaskets so I might as well do them too.

 

[Guest]

You need to remove the distrib

You need to remove the distributors and then us a rubber hammer . Also as JRV mentioned you can leverage a wooden handle under the cam cover and wedge it up. Also a trick I use when reinstalling the cover is to take your finger and put a thin film of white lith. grease on the head surface and take a thin coat of blue silicon on the cover and place the gasket (make sure you get the green gaskets)on the cover. Let it sit and then install. You will find that the gasket comes right off and the head is clean when you do your next valve check.

 

[Guest]

OK, you can all slap me now.

OK, you can all slap me now.

I'm fiddling with this thing and I KNEW something was just not right. It really should not be so hard to remove, RTV or no. Well, I take the front one off, no problem. Comes right off. I decide I should probably put the plugs back in to prevent dropping anything into the engine and when I take the rags I'd stuffed down the plug holes off the rear bank, TA-DA, two nuts still on the covers. The rags had covered them up. DUH, I felt so dumb.

It's amazing what you remember when you start working on cars again, and forget. I remember learning as a young kid when I used to help my dad with stuff that if it doesn't feel right, don't force it, something is wrong. Step back and look at again.

At least I didn't damage anything.

 

[Guest]

Hey Sean, glad you solved the

Hey Sean, glad you solved the tighter than H%$L cam cover mystery.

BTW: Look what I found for you:

remember when you came by my shop and saw Tennis Balls in the stacks of my Miura Carbs and thought it was quite funny. Well I knew you would get a good laugh out of these pics.

TENNIS BALLS

If they're good enough for McLaren they're good enough for me and my Miura I suppose. Of course McLaren used the special quick release verions with the string...

 

[Guest]

That is a Ford DFV Cosworth V-

That is a Ford DFV Cosworth V-8, yes?

Tennis balls-HA, my wife was more confused that me on that one!

Great pics and good memory too.

 

[Guest]

That is a Chevy engine

That is a Chevy engine