Valve cover removal - Help Please

[SP2]

On my 81SC I have gotten the nuts and washers off the upper and lower valve covers, but I can't figure out how to get the covers off. The lower are the turbo style covers. Do I aim a big screwdriver somewhere and then hit it? I thought I would ask before I do something stupid.

I had managed to get the covers off last year, but the engine was out of the car and I really don't remember how I did it.

Thanks,

[equality72521]

Make damned sure you have all the nuts off. When you're sure give it a little tap here and there with something fairly soft like a piece of wood. It should break free.

[DSPTurtle]

I like to use a rubber mallet... just hit the corners. Even if you are sure that you have all the nuts off, check one more time. Plus you might want to make sure all the washers came off too as they might be holding some tension on the cover. Try to keep prying with a screwdriver to a minimum as you will easily score the aluminum mating surface.

[SP2]

Thanks Mark and JB.

Man, this is the hardest thing I have ever done. The engine is in the car. I took your advice and hit the corner of the intake cover near the corner with wood, hitting the wood with a hammer. I was then able to stick my finger in the spark plug hole and pull the cover off.

I can't find a good place to hit the lower cover. It is still not off. I give up for today. I did manage to tighten up one valve. Man, you can't see what you are doing. I know John Walker told me it was a "feel thing" but I don't have that feeling yet. If I can't get this done by tomorrow, I might just button it up, stick in some cheap oil and limp over to JW's shop later this week for him to do it. I managed to rebuild my 915 and work on the engine with it on an engine stand, but this is way harder.

[equality72521]

Yeah, I seriously think I'll pull the engine next time I adjust the valves. I can pull it in under 4 hours so I think I'll be time ahead by pulling it. Hell, it sucked while engine was out.

[RWebb]

4 hrs = time ahead?????


this is not that hard, just go for it.

i fyou use a screwdriver push it right into the gasket and then loosen the valve cover - it will come off esily

[equality72521]

Originally Posted by RWebb

4 hrs = time ahead?????

Yes. I just did it with the engine out and it was a pain in the rear. I was standing there thinking how the heck does anyone do this with it in the car. Just changing the #1 spark plug is an ordeal.

[OldTee]

Originally Posted by SP2

Thanks Mark and JB.

Man, this is the hardest thing I have ever done..

I found this to be a very satisfactory solution to a lot of my problems. You can build some ramps and park the car over it. There are several manufactures better than (Bend Pac) the one shown here, but for me it has been a winner.

[fred cook]

I have a 1980 SC coupe. When I do the yearly service (filters, plugs, dist. cap, rotor, valve adjustment and oil change) I usually set aside an entire Saturday. It usually takes me about 6 hours to do all the work and clean up tools, etc. One thing that I found that makes the #4-6 valves easier to do is to unbolt the a/c compressor and move it up on the engine. This helps get the hoses away from the rocker cover making it easier to adjust the valves and change the plugs. I never had any real problems removing the exhaust (bottom) rocker covers. The #4-6 intakes are the ones that I have found to be the most difficult to reach/see. Like JW says, this is a job that you just have to develop the "feel" for. Hang in there, you can do this job! Good luck with your project!

[rusnak]

I'm having a hard time understanding this. You can use two screwdrivers, one on each side of the cover opposing each other, and walk the cover off if it is that stuck. Usually with persistant and light tapping it just pops right off. Get the car high enough so that you can work comfortably, and clean your work area so you feel ok moving around under and around the back of the car. The bottom valves are the easiest for me by far. I have heard of people removing the catalytic, etc but I just get in there with fingertip control. On the AC compressor, I just tie it off with a piece of rope and thick padding on the rr fender and hang it off to the side.

[SP2]

Thanks guys for the advice. I took RWebbs advice this am and just went for it. My valve covers were on there tight. JW suggested I put copper gasket sealant on the covers. I don't know if that was the problem. I don't know if my covers are machined differently, but there is no good edge to grab. So I used a gasket scraper tool that I bought on sale at Napa last year on sale. It looks like a fat tipped screwdriver with a sharp edge. I lined it up on the paper gasket and then hit it with a hammer. The exhaust gaskets were stuck onto the engine side very well, and I had to use a razor blade to get it off.

I tried the backside method for the first time and like it alot. I am a bit of a purist and thought I would never do this, but I had no confidence in what I was doing with 456 intake. With the lower cover finally off, I could see what I was doing and adjusted the first exhaust clearance the old fashioned way until I thought it was perfect. Then I tried the 0.0025 GO and 0.0030 NO GO on the same valve and it was perfect. So I seemed to have validated this technique for my car and I did all the valves this way. 2 hours for 456 and 1 1/2 hours for 123. All of my valves were slightly loose except exhaust 5 was way too tight.

I am hoping my car feels more powerful when I am done.

Fred, I don't know how you do everything in 6 hours. That seems incredible to me!

[john walker's workshop]

copper sealer on the other gray gaskets, but NEVER anything on the rocker cover gasket. tsk, tsk!

[RWebb]

Congrats - it gets faster & easier over time.

Maybe JW will post how long a full boat re Fred takes him....

[fred cook]

RWebb, good idea. I would like to know if I am getting the job done in "Book" time! Of course the first time I went thru all this it took more than 6 hours. But, after maintaining the car for a little over 7 years I pretty well know which tools to grab and the best sequence of events to avoid wasting time. Also, I worked as a full time mechanic (Alfa Romeo specialty shop) for 3 years. That was, shall we say, in my youth. To make things move along smoothly I first put the car up on jackstands and start the oil draining. Then I remove the driver side large heater hose and the air cleaner cover. I then replace the air filter, oil filter and the fuel filter. Next the a/c compressors is unbolted and tied out of the way. Then I pull the plug wires off the spark plugs and remove the rocker covers. At this point the oil has finished draining and the drain plugs go back into place. I turn the crank to TDC making certain that the rotor is pointing towards the #1 distributor terminal. Then it just a matter of turning the engine for each set of valves and checking the adjustments. Sometimes the rocker gap is right on and no adjustment is needed. After I have done all 6 cylinders, I go back around one more time to double check the gaps. While the rocker covers are off, I change the spark plugs (after checking the gaps). Using a clean shop rag I wipe up the residual oil and reinstall the rocker covers with new gaskets, nuts and washers and reseat the plug wires on the new plugs. The a/c compressor goes back in place and the belt is tensioned. Moving to the distributor, I pull the plug and coil wires, replace the rotor and cap and reseat the wires in the distributor cap. Add new oil and crank the engine to check for oil and fuel leaks. If everything checks out then the heater hoses go back in place. Put the old oil in a container to go to the recyler, pick up and clean the tools and let the car off the stands. Clean up the mechanic (me) and go for a test drive. Good for another year!

[SP2]

JW: I see I must have got that part wrong. The gaskets came off with a little bit of work from the tops, but the exhaust valves need quite a bit of razor blading. Oh well, I won't make that mistake twice.

Fred, your order of things is pretty much exactly how I envisioned doing my car. Except you do it in 6 hours and I am still not done after two days on my back on a hot driveway!

John, so how long does it take you to do the tune up?

[RWebb]

"The a/c compressor goes back in place ..."

I forgot about all luxury stuff on the newer cars.... 6 hrs might be blazing fast on them. I bet a Mitchell will have some times.