Anyone have any suggestions on how to remove them? My mission has been less than successful so far... I am getting frustrated. I mean yea i could spend a couple hrs scraping off all the little rubber but that seems very tedious and unnecessary. valve cover gaskets just stripped right off sorta.. these are just killin me!


then i got one sort of out, but there's still chunks n stuff left behind...



appreciate any and all help!

 

Wow that looks pretty bad. I have never install new gaskets on the tl, but on other Honda cars I have removed and installed them and they just pop right out, never been eroded like yours.

If I was in your situation I would probably try using a angled pick and some brake clean or choke/Throttle body cleaner as I scrap away the old gaskets.

 

yea i was told at the dealership (honda and acura, as both only had 3 gaskets) that they just pop out. these are like super stuck and dry as paper. they crack as soon as you bend them and any movement will tear them. guess i drew the short straw on this one... shoulda done it sooner.

 

for future reference, when you change your spark plugs, you should change these gaskets as well. apparently mine were never done and this is what you will have to deal with 180k miles later.

acetone, small flathead, and a small metal pick of some sort to do the scraping if you end up in my situation.

 

Normally I think its done when the valve clearance is checked or when the timing belt is replaced since the valve covers need to be removed because in both cases the gaskets should be replaced. That is at 106k or before so maybe the previous owner A. had some hack job of a mechanic do the maintenance or B. Never had any of the maintenance done. I could be wrong since I have never replaced the valve cover gaskets on a TL, but if you order valve cover gaskets from Honda the gaskets for the spark plugs are included in the kit.

I am surprised there were no misfires or this wasn't detected way before 180k since I am sure oil was leaking down on the plugs based on the appearance of the gaskets.

 

hmm... Thats odd that it's dry rotted like that. They should just come right out. A pick is your best tool for this. Those are called valve cover grommets (tube seals)

 

Thanks now I can stop thinking about it, I knew they were called something other then gaskets.

 

theyr oily looking from the acetone and fingernail polish i put on them to soften them up some. no misfires or codes, im just surprised these were never changed... i picked up the car at 120. I know the timing belt was done but i never popped off the valve covers until now to do a valve alignment and i get some cruddy gaskets lol. owell its life.

 

sooo does any1 know how to get the new one's in? iv tried a clamp, rubber mallet, oil'n them up...

 

New ones should drop right in...

 

heat and time/mileage dry them out and they become very brittle, so actually quite common especially once you start trying to yank them out




as far as OP, take a small flat head screw driver (not too small though, it has to be strong enough to pry), and a hammer
then where you see the rubber ends and the aluminum circle (valve cover itself) start on the outside diameter, put the screwdriver there, tap it in some, then just pry it out

 

New ones, not the old ones..........I think he got the old ones out?

If you were not so far away I would come help you out.

 

a block of wood (or a proper seal driver), and a hammer (wood is there to basically protect the seal, and distribute the impact of the hammer all over the entire seal, instead of being concentrated)





btw i might actually be pulling my valve covers tomorrow, depending on if the dealer gets the seals in time, so i will try to remember to take a picture if needed

 

they are a press fit actually

 

^yea definetly press fit. I tried a big socket and a rubber mallet. didn't work. 2morow I'm going to try and re-lube them and go at it with the wood and a hammer. It's really nerve-racking tho beating on a piece of aluminum that's vital to my engine lol.

spoolinspoon i appreciate the offer. i wish there were more people around here my age that are more into cars than just bolting on cai's and takin it to a shop for the slightest problem. i feel lonely... lolol

 

i did mine, and i knew they where not leaking (replaced cause they where off), but the seal was instead (but in reality it was the gaskets on the bolts themselves had hardened and cracked)

anyhow they are actually a pretty loose press fit if you ask me, so you might be able to push them in the majority by hand (but don't be afraid of smacking them in if needed though)(i know i did, and that is with new OEM seals too )



and as far as smacking on the valve cover, it is actually pretty damn strong, i did mine on concrete without a second thought (used my foot to keep it from sliding too far)

 

wow i feel like a complete dumbass..... so you know how there the metal ring that sits inside the gasket, then u pop the gasket in? well i thought that metal ring was apart of the valve cover. i picked out the old gaskets around the metal rings, instead of taking them out. you can still see it in pic 2. so now that i realized that they come out following your direction should be alot easier because before nothing was working. thanks fries! u da bugman!!!

 

lol, yeah it's a nice looking hole lol, once the seal is completely pulled out (all machined nicely and such)

 

lololol yeaaa apparently. wish i would have realized this sooner... i can't believe i just wasted so much time on those stupid rings... cleaned like 80% of the rubber off all of them.. then I moved one a little by accident and I'm thinking... wait a second... this should not move so easily... technically. owell. new lesson learned.

 

glad everything worked out. I knew something sounded weird when you said it was a PITA to get out.