2nd Gen "How To" Valve Cover Gasket Replacement

VC-Bolts-Loc.jpg
If you have access to one, get out a compressor and blow out around the valve cover and those 2 bolt holes in the middle of the valve cover. This...
By Qik · Mar 13, 2018 ·
  1. Qik
    If you have access to one, get out a compressor and blow out around the valve cover and those 2 bolt holes in the middle of the valve cover. This will save you some clean up time.

    Tools you'll need:
    10mm socket-
    8mm socket-
    socket extension-
    Ratchet-
    Flat head screw driver- to help remove various wire fasteners-
    Small Torque wrench- Most torque wrenches this size will offer both inch-lbs and newton meters. 10nm is 88.50 inch-lbs.-
    Small hook tool or small flat head to remove old gaskets-
    Clean rags or shop towels-

    Remove everything from the Valve Cover. Remove air box/intake (makes getting to the wiring in the back detached from the valve cover easier), remove coil cover, Coil wiring (the wiring pops up and off of the valve cover, just lay the wiring back, be sure to not let them get twisted around), pop out the coils. Disconnect all elec. connections attached to anything on the valve cover and lay them to the side and out of the way. Loosen all of the circled 10mm bolts, the one in the middle of the back (RED) has a 8mm nut securing the ground, you'll have to remove that before you can loosen the bolt under it, all bolts will remain attached to the valve cover. Once all are loose remove the valve cover (pull it up with a bit of a wiggle) and move it to a work bench/table to remove all of the old gaskets-
    VC-Bolts-Loc.jpg Clean up the edges well with a clean towel now and once again prior to re-installing the cover. Clean out around those middle bolt locations as dirt may have fallen in during loosening and removal of the valve cover. This pic is prior to cleaning to show where the oil was leaking in the front by the turbo. That yellow boxed portion or half moon as it's called in the Bentley manual, you'll have to apply silicone gasket in that part per the manual prior to installing the new gasket. I put lines where I stopped with the silicone on mine, run a thin-ish bead from one of those red lines to the next.
    VC-Cams.jpg
    Gasket locations to swap out. That bottom right tab that's circled, try and pull the main gasket up from there, it should come out in one piece. The bolts will fall out as you remove the old main gasket, don't lose em! They're all the same except for the middle back bolt has that post on the top for the ground wire. Pay attention as you remove the middle section gaskets as the spark plug hole gaskets have little arrows pointing in towards the valve cover, that's the way you need to re-install the new ones. The gaskets that the red arrows are pointing to, each side of them are different, the smooth side seals against the head, the new ones will not stick in there like the rest of the gaskets. I just set them in/on the engine where they're supposed to go in between the cam shafts, center them good around the bolt holes and watch them as you re-install the valve cover, I didn't have any issues doing it that way. Be sure to stick the bolts back in (except for those middle 2 so you can keep an eye on the gaskets you set in the engine) prior to setting the cover back on the engine, they'll want to push the gasket out as you push them in. Double check that the gaskets are all pressed in nice and firm before you re-install the valve cover. Don't forget to slap on your high temp silicone, and read the instructions on that stuff prior to use. Once you've pressed the cover back into position, drop the middle 2 bolts in.
    VC-Gasket locations.JPG
    Be sure to check that your timing chain guides are in good shape/not broken- Also, those silver spark plug hole sleeves, pull them out and slide them back into the valve cover (from the top) after you've removed old and re-installed new gaskets. There's a small square opening near the top of all of them and they'll clip/pop back into place. It'll be obvious once you set them in there and give em a turn to line them up.
    VC-TC Guide check.jpg
    Installation of the valve cover is reverse of removal. Get all bolts run down only slightly snug with your socket and extension by hand (start in the middle), then get out your torque wrench and tighten them to 10 NM or 7.3 ft. lbs. in the sequence below, don't forget to re-install that ground wire in the back and it also gets torqued to 10 NM.
    VC-Bolts-Loc.jpg
    Go for a test run (after silicone sets) and check for leaks.

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