I can’t get this off to replace the VTEC gasket. I’ve spent a good 4 hours or so at this. The service manual is fairly useless because the diagrams aren’t great. It suggests removing the ‘turbo cover’ which is a rounded heat shield behind the engine. The top bolt comes off, but the other one seems like it’s on the side but I can’t get a socket to fit. It is somewhat reachable from the passenger side front wheel well. That bolt head feels a bit corroded.

I can kind of get the the solenoid cover right bolt but when I go to torque my extensions fold and fall off. Ug.I’m considering some fun tack on the socket to make it stay until I get the wrench set to torque.

i watched the one video on it. And read this thread
https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-rdx-...gasket-995516/

Now my 1/4 " extension is down there somewhere

any ideas?

 

Here’s the directions to remove this rear cover, but it looks like it’s on the left.

 

To remove the turbo cover I used a flex head ratchetting box wrench and for the rear and side bolts I reached down from above and got the box end of the wrench on the bolt heads by feel since you can't really see them. It helps to remove the bracket for the hose going over the top of the valve cover, one bolt and then you move the hose over to help with access to the side bolt.

In my case all three bolts came off easy but they are attached to the exhaust manifold so I could imagine some bolts being corroded and difficult to remove. It's also a little tricky to install the two blind bolts when putting the cover back on, the side and rear holes in the cover don't really line up well when the cover is loose and you can't see which way to position the cover to line up the holes better. Just takes some time to get the holes lined up and the bolts started.

 

Thanks a lot DCS. That’s helpful. I think I can see the left cover bolt from the passenger wheel well. I have the well flap removed because I was working on compressor AC. It’s facing to the left, correct?

 

It's facing to the left if you're looking from the front of the car back towards the firewall. In the photo I circled the location from above, it's straight down from the circle over the hose. With the hose bracket removed you can push the hose over and reach down and feel the head of the bolt from above or, if you can see it from the wheel well then you could remove it that way if it's easier to see and get a wrench on it. It really wasn't bad getting these bolts out with the flex box wrench.

 

I have flex wrenches coming tomorrow. I tried a rain without them but couldn’t get the back one on the cover to grab

heres some photos. First 2 of solenoid cover. Bottom 2 the back of turbo cover bolt

 

Turns out it’s too rounded. On that last picture. The angled box wrench just spins.

I have these but no clearance



i’m probably gonna get these

 

Or these

https://a.co/d/2JksOe4

or this

 

It looks like your valve cover is leaking, if you remove it there will be more room to work on the other parts and fix the leak at the same time.

 

Not the VTEC?

I finally got that rear bolt off with this DIY tool. 3/8” socket glued to 5/8 inch crescent wrench

 

Should I just get this?

https://a.co/d/esKVVev


actually, I’ll probably get this at autozone to do it today
https://www.autozone.com/external-en...14r/918095_0_0

 

Thanks for noticing the valve cover leak. I got the gasket kit and will dive back in when rain let’s up.

 

Thanks for again for recommending valve cover gasket. Darned spark plug seals were hard as heck and 1/2 of them stuck to plug tubes.

Vtec seal cracked and flat

intake valves seem a bit tight, but I don’t have the tool and running low on patience - it’s cold.

any secret to get the spool valve out to replace the o-ring? It’s damn tight.

here’s some pics

the turbo cover is not going back like that. I ground those edges down. Jut\st though you folks may get a laugh out of this pathetic work and maybe inspire other to just get a new one first.

 

This looks a bit like the photo from service bulletin where there was factory overspray in the gasket groove



and now final pine sol soak

 

Just reporting back. Running great again, and better. Vastly improved power and responsive throttle. Throttle body cleaning probably did more than gaskets. But the spoiler gasket was pretty bad.




I recommend changing these gaskets very 10 years or 100k miles

my car spent parked outside since 2010 for the most part that probably;y puts more wear on all parts especially rubber and plastics.