• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Defeated by Valve Cover? Kind of...any ideas?

D

Distended

NAXJA Forum User
Location
AZ
Though hardly considered a mechanic, I have done work on my '96 Cherokee, e.g. changed diff fluids, rear main seal, oil pump, and other stuff that I thought would be characterized as "harder" than a valve cover gasket replacement.

So I got a lil' sassy yesterday and undertook replacing the valve cover gasket...or so I thought. Got the cover unbolted only to find that because of three hoses on the passenger side, near the radiator side of the valve cover, and a rail that runs along the driver side of the cover, I could not lift the cover high enuf at the radiator side to get the cover over the rail bolts on the block on the passenger side.

So my questions are:

Is there some magic geometry I need to employ to get this cover off without having to remove the radiator hose(s)? Or is all about "wiggle it just a lil' bit"?

Also, on the top of the valve cover, should I pull off the two hoses? And, if so, do I try to pry the the rubber grommet off the cover to remove or do I pull the hoses at the plastic elbows?

Attached are some pics that, hopefully will better describe the issue I describe above.

Rail on passenger side is bolted on block and bolts are about 1.5 inches tall so i need that much clearance on passenger side, BUT...

web.jpg


Valve cover flange on passenger side by radiator is under a large radiator hose, leaving little or no upward clearance...

web.jpg


Another view...

web.jpg
 
Hoses - pull them out of the clip, push aside. Make sure you don't break the heater control valve in the process, they get brittle over time.

Rail - that's the wiring harness rail for the fuel injectors / upper engine management wiring harness. Lift up on it vertically while wiggling and it should unclip and make some ratcheting noises, it presses onto the head bolt studs.
 
Thanks for the response. Coupla questions; When you say remove hoses from the clip, do you mean from the hose clamps? If so, should I assume that if I remove the hoses they will spew fluids? If not, which clip are you referring to? Thanks.
 
Distended said:
Thanks for the response. Coupla questions; When you say remove hoses from the clip, do you mean from the hose clamps? If so, should I assume that if I remove the hoses they will spew fluids? If not, which clip are you referring to? Thanks.
Click to expand...

He is referring to the plastic clips holding the "radiator" hoses (actually called heater hoses) right to the left (passenger side) of the oil fill cap on the valve cover.
 
I think he means the clips that attach the hoses to the side of the valve cover. I am trying to remember when I did my valve cover gasket if I did remove the heater hose from the thermostat housing. I think I removed the 1 hose and just titled it upward pretty quick to keep from loosing much fluid.

Be careful with the CCV hoses coming out of the top of the valve cover. I pried on mine and cracked the plastic grommets pretty easy. I wanted to completely remove the valve cover to give it a good cleaning inside. If you don't intend on fully removing it just disconnect those hoses at the other end.
 
Pretty sure the CCV hose on the top turn 90*and then they come out IIRC, at least on my '91i think

Also, get the Fel-Pro gasket. Definitely worth the extra clam. I went through 3 cork gaskets which all leaked before I bought the Fel-Pro. Now, there is not one drop of oil from the valve cover. I just wiggled the shit out of mine until it popped up. I just ran into snagging on the firewall lip.
 
Last edited:
bdahlg said:
Pretty sure the CCV hose on the top turn 90*and then they come out IIRC, at least on my '91i think

Also, get the Fel-Pro gasket. Definitely worth the extra clam. I went through 3 cork gaskets which all leaked before I bought the Fel-Pro. Now, there is not one drop of oil from the valve cover. I just wiggled the shit out of mine until it popped up. I just ran into snagging on the firewall lip.
Click to expand...

On my 97 the CCV grommets are just pressed in, rotating doesn't line anything up that I saw. Rotating might help them pop out though.

I went to the dealer for the gasket(used no RTV), it wasn't that bad and is rubber with the wire frame. I figure the dealer gasket lasted over 100k miles might as well replace it with another one and be set.
 
iwannadie said:
On my 97 the CCV grommets are just pressed in, rotating doesn't line anything up that I saw. Rotating might help them pop out though.

I went to the dealer for the gasket(used no RTV), it wasn't that bad and is rubber with the wire frame. I figure the dealer gasket lasted over 100k miles might as well replace it with another one and be set.
Click to expand...

Yea, I was talking about removing them.

The Fel-Pro is a wire fame sandwiched between two blue RTV-like pieces.

It is also reusable.

Maybe the dealer gasket is exactly the same?
 
bdahlg said:
Yea, I was talking about removing them.

The Fel-Pro is a wire fame sandwiched between two blue RTV-like pieces.

It is also reusable.

Maybe the dealer gasket is exactly the same?
Click to expand...

Yea I was saying when removing them, rotating didn't seem like it would have done anything. There's nothing to align so rotating wouldn't help to remove them other than maybe loosen up some of the grim.

I'm sure fel pro modeled theirs after the dealer gasket as a replacement.
 
VAhasnoWAVES said:
you should be able to wiggle it out of there. i did when i did mine. putting RTV on the new gasket gets a little messy though...

i think the more important issue here is how the %&$# is your engine bay so clean!?
Click to expand...

LOL, all I was thinking was how clean that engine bay and valve cover was! He even that insulation cover on the heater hose coming off of the thermostat.
 
Seriously... I think I'm gonna hit socal or AZ next time I want to buy a jeep!

They're all crusty and gross and rusted out up here.
 
Yes the engine compartment, etc., is very clean, we just bought this around 2 months ago, after looking at some dogs, comparatively.

The previous owner had service records stacked about 1/4 of an inch. Needless to say I jumped on this Cherokee immediately. Also they had used Mobil 1 for life of vehicle, which hasn't hit a 100K yet...:party:

BTW, got the best of that valve cover...so far...:woohoo: Thanks for your help!

web.jpg
 
iwannadie said:
I'm sure fel pro modeled theirs after the dealer gasket as a replacement.
Click to expand...

HA Mopar probably BUYS there gaskets from Fel Pro!




I removed my valve cover last summer to do an inspection. You can actually reuse the felpro gasket a couple times. Just make sure its not ripped or anything.

I would go ahead and replace the PCV valves when I had the cover out. On my 2000 they crumbled like crackers. Would not want them breaking while the valve cover is on. It will cost you like $5 from rock auto including those rubber rings. I bought them from the dealer for $40!
 
austinaubinoe said:
I would go ahead and replace the PCV valves when I had the cover out. On my 2000 they crumbled like crackers. Would not want them breaking while the valve cover is on. It will cost you like $5 from rock auto including those rubber rings. I bought them from the dealer for $40!
Click to expand...

I tried to remove those but could not figure it out. It's like there is some lock combination I did not get...turn Left 3, Right 44, Left 17...:lock:

By the looks of it someone already tried on the radiator side PCV as it was cracked when we bought it.
 
Distended said:
Yes the engine compartment, etc., is very clean, we just bought this around 2 months ago, after looking at some dogs, comparatively.

The previous owner had service records stacked about 1/4 of an inch. Needless to say I jumped on this Cherokee immediately. Also they had used Mobil 1 for life of vehicle, which hasn't hit a 100K yet...:party:

BTW, got the best of that valve cover...so far...:woohoo: Thanks for your help!

web.jpg
Click to expand...


How did the inside of that engine get so clean? I am definately jealous. :sure:
Oh by-the-way it is good you got that valve cover off. I usually swear at mine a few times to let it know who is boss.
 
Distended said:
Yes the engine compartment, etc., is very clean, we just bought this around 2 months ago, after looking at some dogs, comparatively.

The previous owner had service records stacked about 1/4 of an inch. Needless to say I jumped on this Cherokee immediately. Also they had used Mobil 1 for life of vehicle, which hasn't hit a 100K yet...:party:

BTW, got the best of that valve cover...so far...:woohoo: Thanks for your help!

web.jpg
Click to expand...

That's f*cking bullshit, an engine shouldn't be that clean















unless it was mine
 
While you have the cover off, remove the CCV hoses and clean the elbows with carb cleaner and a small scraper--you might have to remove a baffle from underneath. You should be able to suck from the rear one--if not, it's clogged, and that is what causes oil to be pushed through the front hose and soak the air filter(I know many people are familiar with that issue). Oil could be leaking at the dizzy ad oil filter adapter too, so once you replace your gasket, I'd clean the engine so you can pinpoint where a leak is coming from(if the valve cover gasket wasn't the only culprit).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Wheelbase adjustment issue
2
Replies
24
Views
427
RCP Phx
R
O
Routing ARB Air Lines to Rear Axle
Replies
10
Views
3K
XJlimitedx99
X
X
Replacing my entire cooling system
2
Replies
23
Views
4K
RCP Phx
R
M
1992 XJ A/C Air Conditioning Replacement - Parts List
Replies
7
Views
2K
Rob Mayercik
R
G
Coolant System No Pressure
Replies
9
Views
2K
Woodswanderer
W
Back
Top