[chrisnycq]

The other day i was looking in my engine when i notice that my pass. side valve cover was leaking from the gasket. I got the gaskets from autozone and now plan to replace them. Is it hard to change? Should i take some precautions? am kinda worried abt the sprak plugs seals falling into the valves. is there a diy? help guysss!!!!!

 

[LLLegend]

very easy only hard part is getting the gasket to stay on the valve cover while your putting it back on the engine i have done this twice the spark plug seals shouldnt just fall off mine was stuck on pretty hard and you dont have to replace both the gaskets if only one side is leaking Good Luck!

 

[chrisnycq]

should i put some liquid seal to keep the gasket in place? do i even have to use the liquid seal?

 

[BigRed]

I used no other sealant...you don't necessarily need to.

Passenger side is very easy...you have good access to the whole thing. Driver's side is a different story. There's a bunch of crap in your way on that side. I had no problems with the passenger side.

...just make sure you don't overtighten the valve cover nuts when you reinstall them...they WILL snap the heads off and it will ruin your day. The gasket is designed to seal with just normal torque (think: finger-tight +1) and not cranked down.

Enjoy.

 

[JonsLegend]

yeah i replaced mine a mounth ago just watch the studs when you put the cover back on and dont let the gasket get caught on it i had that prob on both sides...

 

[sam o nela]

Never done a G2...but in general, you should be putting some sealant on the gasket/cover wherever there are corners or bends in the valve cover as this is the place most likely to leak and it will aid in keeping the gasket in place...

 

[ari_one]

You should use hondabond on the sharp corners on both ends, the gasket is flat on those corners.

 

[antik]

Never done a G2...but in general, you should be putting some sealant on the gasket/cover wherever there are corners or bends in the valve cover as this is the place most likely to leak and it will aid in keeping the gasket in place...

Service manual (or maybe it's my Helms) calls for RTV over the corners where the semi-circular cam shaft ends make a hard corner.

 

[Biggg72]

take some pictures, id like to see this. any knowledge is great, no what i mean?

 

[chrisnycq]

ok so i changed it. It was somewhat easy. only thing is that u have limited space to work with. my cousin works in a acura dealer and he recommended the honda bond but he also said i can use the Permatex Hi-Temp Copper RTV Silicone. It can with stand a higher temp. You gotta be a little careful when your applying it to the valve cover. First clean out the valve cover and apply it. Then put the gasket on. There is no need to put silicone on the head.Once you tighten the cover it sits in place. i let it dry for abt an hour. Start it up and checked for leak. IT WORKED GREAT!! NO LEAKS!. wish i would a took pics!!!! but thanks for the reply guys. when i change the other side i'll take pics or even create a DIY.

 

[chrisnycq]

so here's the pics...these are from the dr. side removal.

the screw on the rear of the valve was really hard to get to. Jus got to take your time.:thumbsup:

off we go....when i replace it i put sealant all around the gasket to hold it in place because if u jus slap it on it wont hold when your puttin it bac on

make sure u clean the old sealant on the head.

sorry i couldnt get anymore pics. hands were too dirty. bottom line .its a simple job. only downfall =limited space to work with

Enjoy!

 

[antik]

off we go....when i replace it i put sealant all around the gasket to hold it in place because if u jus slap it on it wont hold when your puttin it bac on

Cool write up: definitely nice to see someone do stuff like this, even for the simple jobs. I've done the passenger side gasket on my C32 and wasn't too interested in doing the driver side afterwards so write ups are encouraging.

That said, I question your statement about sealant: regardless of the fact that the manual advises a different application of sealant, what bugs me about your statement is that you say it won't hold if you just slap it on. My gasket fit quite firmly into the channel on the valve cover and I was very confident it stayed in place as I flipped the valve cover over and reinstalled. That alone made me comfortable enough to use the manual's recommendation on sealant instead of applying it everywhere.

 

[chrisnycq]

Cool write up: definitely nice to see someone do stuff like this, even for the simple jobs. I've done the passenger side gasket on my C32 and wasn't too interested in doing the driver side afterwards so write ups are encouraging.

That said, I question your statement about sealant: regardless of the fact that the manual advises a different application of sealant, what bugs me about your statement is that you say it won't hold if you just slap it on. My gasket fit quite firmly into the channel on the valve cover and I was very confident it stayed in place as I flipped the valve cover over and reinstalled. That alone made me comfortable enough to use the manual's recommendation on sealant instead of applying it everywhere.

it does fit firmly but it was kinda hard to get it back on the head without it hooking on something and slipping off. i feel more comfortable putting the seal on it so it shuts tight.:thumbsup:

 

[pro_foundac91]

my valve covers are leaking and im waiting to recieve my OEM valve cover kit from acura in the mail. the mechanic down the street from me quoted $110 to do it but after seeing this im thinking maybe i should jus do it.

 

[dgandul]

just that bracket that holds i think the fuel line to the filter on the drivers side makes that side hard. take the strut bar off and you should be cherry.

 

[pro_foundac91]

cool...how hard is it to take off the intake manifold??

 

[pa.legendman]

What trick did you use to remove the bolt located near the tranny dipstick?

Greetings:

Chrisnycq, I'm planning to replace the driver side valve cover gasket on my 1991 Legend sedan. Can you tell me the trick you used to remove the bolt, located at the rear of the driver-side valve cover, just in front of the automatic transmission fluid dipstick? That bolt looks nearly impossible to remove. If I can't remove that bolt, I'll never complete the job--so that's the first bolt, a test bolt, if you will, that I'll remove during the gasket replacement. If I can't get that bolt off, I reckon I'll just give up.

Thanks, in advance, for sharing the trick you used.

All the best,

pa.legendman

 

[pa.legendman]

Thanks for the tip, Quaraxkad: I'll purchase this wrench before making the attempt

Thanks for the helpful suggestion, Quaraxkad. Needless to say, I don't own a complete set of mechanics tools (which is one reason I'm having trouble reaching and removing these fasteners). I will purchase the tool you recommend before trying to remove the "difficult" bolt securing the driver-side valve cover, which is located just in front of the automatic transmission dipstick.

Your helpful advice is much appreciated.

All the best,

pa.legendman

 

[chrisnycq]

i used a short 10mm and a ratchet. For me it wasn't that hard. Jus have to angle your tool. To put it back on just get a piece of bounty and put it on the bolt and jus put the 10mm over it so it wont fall off. Just take your time.

 

[pa.legendman]

Thanks for the tip!! Do you have any pointers for removing the valve cover?

Greetings, Chrisnycq:

Thanks for taking time to reply to my post about valve cover removal.

Several weekends ago, I tried to replace the passenger-side valve cover gasket on my 1991 Legend. Unfortunately, the attempt failed. After I'd removed all the fasteners holding the valve cover to the head, I couldn't pull, yank, or bump the valve cover free of the head. The valve cover was stuck firmly in place and defeated every effort I made to remove it (though I must confess I treated the cover gingerly, being worried that I might crack or damage it if I rapped it too hard with my rubber mallet).

Might you have any pointers you could share with me as to how you actually pried or knocked the valve cover loose from the head after removing all the fasteners?

Unless I miscounted, only four fasteners--those possessing grommets--physically hold the passenger-side valve cover to the head. Is this number correct, or did I miss another, possibly concealed fastener?

I hope to give this job another try this coming weekend. Any pointers you could send my way between now and then would be greatly appreciated.

All the best,

pa.legendman