How hard is it to replace the valve cover gaskets?
Should I take it to a shop and have them do it or should I do it myself?

 

It's not hard at all. You remove 9-10 bolts, the cover lifts off, remove the rubber gasket from the groove. Install new gasket and add gasket sealer, reinstall the hardware. You need to get a torque wrench because the bolts should be torqued properly. I think you start in the center and work your way out when reinstalling the bolts. This is for the front, if you need to the the rear then I would have a shop do it.

Maybe someone can scan the valve cover section from the shop manual for you.

 

The forward valve cover is easy, you will have to remove the upper intake to get to the rear.

 

Hey Sinewave:
How do you clean your engine bay..LOOKS SWEET!!!! Fernando

 

It's really pretty easy to keep a Nissan engine clean since they don't leak oil. Make sure the engine is cold before you start.

If your engine has a lot of crud on it, use a household cleaner like Formula 409, fantastik, or Simple Green. Spray everything down and scrub all of the nooks with an old toothbrush. Rinse and repeat as necessary. You don't have to worry about water spray on anything except an exposed air filter (like a pop charger).

Once it's clean, it's easy to keep clean; I wash the engine compartment every time I wash the car. I mix up a bucket of ArmorAll car wash and wash the engine and wheels, then mix a fresh batch for the body. Don't forget to dry it to prevent water spots on painted surfaces.

If you really want it to look great, wash and dry the engine, spray everthing down with ArmorAll. Wait a 1/2 hour, then wash and dry again. The rubber and plastic parts will look great!

 

Sinewave:
Thanks for the info!! Fernando

 

You're crazy IMO. I would NEVER spray down any part of my engine compartment. Sure, the electrical connectors are "all-weather" packs, BUT they aren't made for a direct shot of water. Once you get water into one of those connecters, you could start bridging a lot of other electrical sources near that connector which isn't good. My buddy washed his 92 Maxima motor 5 times and on the 5th time just after washing he had a major electricl problem. Windows would only go down halfway, dash lights flickered, the stereo developed a mind of it's own, etc. $700 later the Nissan tech noticed rust in numerous connectors upon replacement. My friend had bridged numerous power sources together with the water.

If you want to clean your engine bay just use some Simple Green, a damp rag, and A LOT of elbow grease.

Dave

 

Let me add my voice in support. Water has a way of getting in where it doesn't belong and causing trouble. If you absolutely must clean your engine use Frog Juice (WD-40 or equivalent), a soft-bristle paint brush, clean rags, and a compressed air blow gun.

 

Such fear of the unknown! I've used the procedure outlined above at least 50 times without ANY problems. Keep in mind, I am using a garden hose, not a pressure washer.

Car wash soap and water would be much milder on plastic and rubber parts than WD-40. Also, I would be very concerned with a solvent based product washing away any protective grease that may be inside of electrical connectors.

 

DOUBLEJOON: You should edit this thread and change the title to "To use water in the engine bay or not" or something along those lines.

It's a good discussion IMO. Anyway, I'll bump it to the top.

Personally, I have used a water hose before but with much care and concern. A leaf blower is a great tool to use to dry it afterwards. Very important not to do it with the engine very warm or hot, it will easily fry bearings in the alternator. I just don't spray in the direction of electrical junctions and connectors and relays. It's still a bit scary to me so I'm very careful with water.

 

That,s probably why my alternator went bad with out hitting 60k and probably why peoples starters are going bad. It sits on the top side of the engine and water can get on it easily. Course that,s just my opinion I could be wrong.

 

So are you saying that you washed your engine a lot?

 

I used to. Not any more. Though if I did, I would use compressed air and maybe go as far as disconnecting plugs and blowing the water off of them. That,s quite a bit so maybe once a year whether it needs it or not.hehe