Valve Cover Clean Out

I guess I just need to clean out my valve cover to cut down on oil in the air box. Dose anyone have any tips, things to avoid that I should know about? Is there a spot to pry the cover off like some engines have? I found one place that said the torque spec was 85 inch pounds can anyone confirm that for me with an 87 4.0L. Any recommendations for gaskets? Are there any other part I may want to replace at the same time? TIAfor gaskets.

I could see 85 inch/lbs. as being correct...comes out to ~7 ft./lbs for the valve cover. You don't need a torque wrench, just make them snug...not super tight, not loose...just snug.

Replace all of the plastic tubes and rubber grommets as well. The small tube at the rear has a metered oriface and the diameter was increased.

I just replaced all the tubes so I should be good there. I do have a Torque wrench so figure on usin’ it. Anything else to keep in mind?

check for crud build up between the rocker arms. My brothers 87 was terrible. But that was because the last guy that had it had 2 spark plug wires on the wrong plugs. Don't forget to take off the vents with the 3 screws in each and remember to put some gasket maker in there when you put them back on.

What it the deal with those things? I think mine may be bent a bit they don’t seem right. Can you get replacements?

In case you haven't seen it already, there's a great write up on Cherokee America at this link:
Removing, cleaning and replacing a valve cover on an I-6

Thanks, I read that way back but couldn’t find it.

The rear bolt is a bugger. I believe it's 3/8".

Use a standard depth socket, then a 3" extension, then a "Universal", than another 3" extension.

That's how I got it on/off.

To remove the cover, just knock it with a rubber mallet.

Be sure to have lots of "Brakleen" handy, as well as a wire wheel on an electric drill. That'll help with the clean-out.

Any gasket should be O.K. (so long as it's a valve cover gasket).

Tighten the bolts to spec. and retighten after a few days of driving.

Give that baby a shot of your spice weasel, and BAM..!!!

My $0.02.

If you use a cork gasket tighten the bolts down, wait 15 minutes retighten, wait and retighten. Should stay down. and not leak

spice weasel?

Bronco said:

spice weasel?

Click to expand...

Someone hasn't been keeping up on their Emmeral shows BAM BAM

Hijack..!

I have done this clean-out, as well as the complete vacuum assembly replacement (per: Cherokee America). Nevertheless, I am still experiencing a bit of blow-by.

Any suggestions..?

Emmeral shows?
Hijack away Woody I have the same question? If this don’t work what next?

When you remove the cover have a shop vac handy. Get the cover off and take care in not bending it. Use a plastic scraper to break loose any sludge in the valve train area with one hand and keep the shop vac with a crevice tool end on it right next to the scraping tool to remove the stuff as it comes off. Once you start breaking the sludge loose don't stop till you have it all out. The reason for the shop vac is to keep any pieces from working their way down to the oilpan and then plugging or blocking the oil pickup. I already had to do a 2.8L V6 crankshaft from that happening.
If you have access to a nice flat steel surface lay the cover down and run a feeler gauge around it looking for any warppage and tweak it back flat again, gently.
Treat it like a head when torquing it back down again, bit at a time working out from the center. Felpro has a better neo gasket, better than cork and much better IMO than RTV.

As for still having some blowby after doing the cleanout, replaceing ALL those hoses I have also read that shortening the tubes for the back will help by keeping them out of the oil that collects in the head area because it can't drain back fast enough thru the sludge and block return passages. I have also seen suggested that it also helps putting in larger diameter hoses and one here, forget who, actually put a catch bottle to collect the oil.

I read a write up (jeepin?) that recommended that you drill out the hole in the CCV valve to allow increased flow. I did that on my old motor and it did seem to improve. If you are reusing parts I'd try that too. I went 1/8" or a little bigger I think. HTH