hometheaterman

So I'm going to pull the valve cover on the 96 Accord EX we have. I have never done it but figure it can't be that hard. I removed the 5 bolts and it wont come up. Now normally I'd just pry a big screw driver or pry bar in the gap but I don't want to mar the surface up and have it leak out when I put it back together. What's the recommended way to get the valve cover to come free without messing anything up? BTW is it just the top 5 bolts that I need to remove? Or is there a hidden bolt somewhere?

daltond88

just put some electrical tape on the end of the screw driver and go to town.. it will be fine. why are you taking it off anyways?

RICKSAUTOMOTIVE

i have to agree with you about why hes removing it. if hes asking how to remove the cover then he probably doesnt know how to adjust valves and such. i hope hes just replacing the valve cover gasket.

bakerskater11

or painting the valve cover maybe..

hometheaterman

Thanks for the tips guys. I actually decided to just use a rubber mallet to hit it a few times. Wasn't hard to get it off. One issue I'm having though is I can't get the rubber seal things that go around the spark plug holes out. Any tips for this? The new gasket came with replacements but these are just getting torn up trying to get them out and I'm having no luck other than getting tiny pieces off.

kidcool1977

Wait for the engine to cool off to the touch, once all bolts are off use a rubber mallet to ease off valve cover, if none are in your use use a screwdriver.

remember to use hondabond on the valve cover gasket crease (located on the timing belt side) when putting everything back in order. also be gentle on valve cover bolts they are easy to snap.

The recommended torque is 15lbs for each bolt

bakerskater11

is it sticky? you could maybe use so goo gone or speed 500 or somin to loosin it up and then peel the little pieces off.

kidcool1977

use a small screwdriver or wire brush to remove stuck material

hometheaterman

They just wont even come off at all. It's not little chunks or anything. It's like it's super hard rubber with metal from the valve cover in the middle or something. Anyone, on here taken these off? Which method did you use?

kidcool1977

lol, WTF man. whoever had that car must of never changed the VC gasket set. Mine just come off no fuss.

Id use a torch to heat them up, (if you have one on hand). If no torch throw it in the oven LOL. *Caution your kitchen will get smokey*

Only thing I can brainstorm @ the moment

hometheaterman

Torch is a fantastic idea. I'm going to try that.
BTW we have had the car since it was new and it has 250k miles on it. I honestly, don't think it's ever been changed. If it has been it has been a long time as it hasn't been changed in the last several years.

kidcool1977

Usually when you do the timing belt service, you're suppose to replace the VC gasket set, anyway GL.

hometheaterman

Tried the torch and it didn't do much. Melted the rubber part that was ripping off but I couldn't get the whole seal part out.

In that case it's probably had the valve cover gasket set replaced as it's had the timing belt done by a shop. Been a while since even that was done though.

RICKSAUTOMOTIVE

use a little o-ring hook remover tool from autozone. they look like little screw drivers with shap little "J" and "L" shaped sherp tips on them. i used to use an old dental tool i swipped from the dentist a long time ago but now i have the special tools. although i dont think i have used them for removing the spark plug tube seals in the valve cover before. the shop you took your car to for the timing belt must have used honda bond or rtv on those seals

hometheaterman

I've got those tools and have been picking on them some. I still can't get them to really come out. I'm pretty sure you guys are right and that they used glue or rtv or something on them.

RICKSAUTOMOTIVE

try using brake cleaner or acitone or gasoline even. it may eat through the rtv and rubber. but be careful with gasoline. and brake cleaner might eat the paint on the valve cover if you have paint on it. the same for the gasoline. make sure you clean the part after real good before you put it back on because as we know, gas will catch on fire.

dleccord

i agree with the rubber mallet.

quickster

Those gaskets are a b*tch for sure. I really dont have any pointers better than whats already been given. I've always just wedged them out with a flathead screwdriver. With persistance and patience they will eventually come out.

hometheaterman

So I gave up and decided I'd do it later. However, my better half decided she would go work on it for a little while. I had been using the picks as suggested above and not gotten anywhere. I tried to help her but after a few minutes said I was going to just quit for right now and lets go inside. She insisted I go inside but she was going to stay for a few more minutes. Next thing I know 20 minutes or so later she tells me she got all four of them out. Sure enough she did. I have no idea how but she did. She thought they might have had something holding them in too. So I'm not sure if they used something on them or not. Anyway, I got it all back together successfully now. I just need to figure out the original problem I was having when I started working on it now.

dleccord

i usually use a 2 feet 3/8 extension and stick it into the oil cap hole and pry it open from the inside.

hometheaterman

I thought about something similar but I just didn't want to bend or scratch up any of it or anything inside of it. I just wondered if there was a better way to do it. Then I decided to try the rubber hammer. After I had done it already I see others on here recommended it too.

dleccord

is it still stuck?

hometheaterman

Nope, I got it out by getting a torx bit that would fit in the hole of it. It grabbed enough to get it out. Now I just need to get the problem of the missfire that I had before all of this fixed.