Valve cover gaskets

[4WRXter]

Soooooooo, I think the valve cover gaskets are leaking, may need to be replaced on our FXT. Passenger side is leaking enough so that there is smoke intermittently. I crawled under, pulled off the plastic belly pan, got a flashlight and searched for oil drips.

It looks like it's a project over my head. But give me some idea what to expect. Does the engine need to be lifted. It looks pretty tight to me.

 

[Chris]

Pull the plug boots out. Or if it has coil on plug, pull the 10mm nuts out that hold those in, and pull them off. It's easy.

Next pull the valve cover breather hoses off.

Then take out all the valve cover bolts.

replace the vc gasket, grommets that go around the bolts, and the plug tube seals. Most kits will come with all those.

then just put it back together.

The most helpful tool here will be a 10mm ratcheting box end wrench. There probably isn't enough room to get a regular wrench in there. And with a normal box end wrench you'll spend the rest of your life getting 1/8 turn at a time.

 

[i-wagon]

My sohc 2.5I I had to remove airbox on pass side, battery and tilt the motor on drivers side. Not horribly difficult just time consuming

 

[Chris]

You actually had to unbolt the engine mounts? wow.

I didn't actually do mine in car... I cheated and did it with the engine out for other things...

 

[CoupedUpSubie]

The bolts holding the valve covers on shouldn't be very long. Like Chris said, if you can get a ratcheting 10mm wrench you will be 10x happier then if you try a socket or regular wrench.

Whenever something in that area has to be done on my car I pull everything I can that doesn't require major work. You end up with lots of room to work.

 

[HR radness]

It's tight but you just have to wiggle them out. I have the pass side valve cover if you need one

 

[4WRXter]

It's tight but you just have to wiggle them out. I have the pass side valve cover if you need one

Thanks Rad. I was at EG today, and got the gaskets, spark plug tube seals??, and 4 plugs to change while I'm in there. Tomorrow or over the weekend, I am gonna' tackle it. Hopefully I won't have to put the car and some parts on a ramp truck and send it all to a real mechanic.

Oh, and BTW, while at said dealer, I spied a silver BRZ, and a black XV(is that the right model, the new, factory, jacked up Impreza?????) Anyway, they are both pretty nice looking IMO. Maybe I can talk my wife into the XV, sell or trade the WRX, and I'll take over the FXT.

 

[4WRXter]

Alright. I learned a few things today. In no particular order.......

Put the car up on ramps or jack stands. You won't have to bend over so far.

The bottom bolts are easier to access from underneath.

Also, I think, it's easier to take the coils out the bottom.

The belly pan should be removed, 'cause wrenches, bolts, etc. may be dropped.

After the covers are put back in place, just start some bolts to hold it. Then look VEEEERRRRRRYYYYYY carefully all around and underneath to be sure the gasket didn't roll out of place. If this happens and you miss it, oil leaks out because the gasket doesn't seat, and it gets torn. This in turn causes a second tear down. :-( :-( :-( And you need another gasket!!!!!!

 

[Matt]

At least you did it by yourself though. It's all a learning experience. Great job.

 

[Chris]

This is how you start. I started working on my car by doing spark plugs and wires, and just moved on from there. The more you do it, the better you'll get. Next time you know how to install the gasket. You're on your way to doing all your work, once you get good at it, it's fun!

 

[4WRXter]

At least you did it by yourself though. It's all a learning experience. Great job.

Thanks Matt, but I haven't actually DONE it yet. I still have to track down another gasket and install that and re-install all the stuff I had to disassemble or remove to gain access. Hopefully over the next day or two, before it might snow, in my driveway.

The second time I had to remove everything and the cover WAS a lot faster, though.

This is how you start. I started working on my car by doing spark plugs and wires, and just moved on from there. The more you do it, the better you'll get. Next time you know how to install the gasket. You're on your way to doing all your work, once you get good at it, it's fun!

Yeah, plugs, wires, struts, and such are one thing. Digging into the engine is a little worrisome. My biggest fear is/was getting part way and discovering I would truly be over my head. Especially on my wife's daily driver.

 

[Chris]

I'm sure someone on here would come help bail you out. I've done it for a few people in the past.

 

[4WRXter]

Welllllllll, I got another gasket. Got everything put back together. Seems good.

Time to change wheels/tires. One wheel changed and I break my damned "tuner lugs" socket. @***&%@###^&!!!!!!!!!!! Does anyone know where I can get one in a hurry to finish tire swap?????

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

John--

I have several of those (*&*%&%#$@!!! tuner lug sockets. You are welcome to all of them, I will never ever use those )(*&^^%#!!! lugs again. Nice chrome lugs, rust in about 25 minutes, shear off, sockets break. WTF was I thinking putting those ((&^&^%^%##@!!! things onto a car with perfectly good 19mm lugs on it?? OK yes so they're spozed to deter theft...but savvy crooks just bust the window and ransack glovebox and dash cubbies looking for the spline socket they know is in there someplace.

DG

PS--Would like to make it clear I do not recommend splined tuner lugs or sockets. They suck donkey danks.

...plus they are no effin good.

 

[4WRXter]

Nigel:

Thanks for the offer. There is some kind of point I think you are trying to make, I just CAN"T figure out what you are saying.

I found one (with 20 lug nuts) at Advance Auto in Mehico. I am kinda stuck useing tuner lugs. They are the only ones that will fit the summer wheels I have.

Oh, by the way, I got the gaskets, spark plug tube seals, and spark plugs changed. DONE!!!!!!! And after all, got the winter wheels/tires on. Wheels tires on WRX tomorrow.