How do you replace a valve cover gasket?

Answer 1

First, make sure to clean off any crud build up around the general area where the valve cover meets the head. Doing this will prevent too much crud from falling into the top of the head when the cover is removed.

Next, you will have to remove the two nuts holding the air filter housing onto the valve cover. There should be two nuts holding this bracket down. Don't loose the two metal caps that sit on top of the rubber washers. Without them the nuts will bear down into the rubber washers which will wear them out quicker.

Remove the (3) nuts holding down the valve cover. Be sure to save the metal bracket that holds the clutch cable, if you still have that bracket.

With a flat-head screwdriver or other flat object, gently pry around the junction of the valve cover and head to free the valve cover. If this is the first replacement of the valve cover gasket the head surface under the gasket should visibly show where the gasket was leaking.

Be sure to use a putty knife to thoroughly clean off any gasket remnants from the surface. You can use a little solvent to try and help free some of the residue but DO NOT allow any of this fluid to mix with the oil or get on any of the rocker assembly.

Now's the hard part, getting the old gasket off of the valve cover. If yours is anything like mine was then it's rock hard and a complete pain in the butt to get off. I had to use a small flat-head screw driver or a phillips-head to kinda chisel out the gasket from the groove it was lying in.

After removing the gasket and thoroughly cleaning the surface down in the groove I removed the rubber washer type seals where the valve cover bolts come through the top of the valve cover. This will most likely need to be replaced too. To save money make sure you buy the gasket with the replacement rubber washer type seals. I can't remember exactly what they're called but you should be able to recognize them when you see them.

Thoroughly clean the inside of the valve cover from any crud and you might as well clean the outside too while you have it off.

Place a small bead of silicon gasket maker into the groove of the valve cover where the gasket will sit. Also place a small bead on the top of the head where the gasket will sit. DO NOT put so much that it will bleed into the rocker assembly and mix with the oil when you tighten down the valve cover.

After you place the new gasket onto the valve cover place the cover back onto the head. Put the new rubber washer type seals in their three holes and put the nuts on finger tight. DO NOT forget to put the clutch cable bracket back on or your ground wire that came off the right side of the cover.

With your 10mm socket tighten down the middle nut first and then your outside nuts. Make sure it is tight and secure.

Put the air filter assembly bracket back on and be sure to put the steel caps on over the rubber washers so that the nuts do not bear down into them. Be sure everything is tightened down and you're done. Congradulations!!!

The rubber washer type seals are termed "grommets". There's a valve cover gasket w/ grommets kit that is sold and is cheaper to purchase than purchasing them seperately.