O.k so this will be a first for me... with the help of phantom V, i will be attempting to change my front and rear valve covers due to a very bad oil leak... i went ahead and ordered the spacer kit in that ill be removing the intake manifold... ill be starting the install tomorro... anything i should be aware of??? or how long this should take? ill try to post pics along the way...

 

everything is simple, very straightforward. you'll need some kind of gasket sealer for the the arches on the ends of the valve covers. Follow the included directions with the spacers, it's easy and overall a fun install. Also, go get some spark plugs while you're at it.

 

i have the beck arnley valve cover gaskets

 

good idea... ill swing by advance auto later on

 

When I took mine off when i was doing my plugs just go clean off any loose oil I didn't even read up on the how to. It's all pretty straight forward. Just don't get nervous and be patient. Right tools are certainly needed. +1 on the sealer. Other than that you should be good to go..

 

Thats where phantom V comes in... i believe he took off his IM before... im kinda looking forward to it... hopefully i have enough $$$ to get some plugs, i know its cheap but this was kinda sudden on me hence the reason im doing it myself, i have no money to pay a mechanic... my bank account is empty

 

3:15pm update.... still sitting in the house waiting for the spacer kit... also waiting on phantom V, if the spacers dont come in today, ima just go ahead and install without em...

 

don't worry too much about the install, its very straight forward, if you need help, look in the fsm for guidance or a haynes/chilton manual if you have one.

fsm for 02 max link: HERE

 

^^^ Thanks bro... very helpful if needed

 

I so wanna try this, but think i am gonna screw things up. I am just gonna have to go ahead and try it.

 

i think we are sharing the same thought... but after just checking it out... doesnt seem hard at all, im kinda anxious actually... i think im just gonna do it and dont even wait for the spacer kit... its now up for sale

 

why not do the spacer kit? you already have it...

other than my headers, i noticed my biggest gain on my butt dyno with these... (and i have a big butt)

 

so what do I need in order to replace the valve covers?
valve covers
do I need gasket for them?

 

yes, and super blue silicone sealant. also, you might as well do plugs while you're at it, and if you haven't done spacers and you can afford them, i highly recommend it

 

according to everybody else... get the 04 valve covers for preventative maintenance

 

o.k so me datdude20 and phantomV got started on the valve covers today




The valve covers weren't hard to change like everyone said... however i didnt have new spark plugs nor did i do the spacers... 04 valve cover fit perfect.... I do have a problem however, car sounds like its missing... everything is back on and we checked everything and they are on, we have no clue why... so me and datdude20 is going to change the spark plugs tomorro unless there is something else that can cause it to sound like its missing... all the plugs were working before and the coil packs were good, injectors were also good

 

Go back and double check that you have all the coil pack connector plugs pushed all the way on and fully seated. Just pull on it and see if it comes off. Also look closely at the connector to see if one of the wires is coming out of it.

 

Any codes?

 

No CEL... we did pull the IM back off and check if they were loose, they weren't but we still tightened em up but same issue

 

Check, check, and re-check the vac lines. I missed one tiny line the first time I removed my UIM and it took me forever to find it out.

 

Yea we did but ill check once more IIRC it was about 4 or 5 lines that were disconected... two by where the elbow was and i think 2 at the back close to where the block off plate was

 

So i just checked all the hoses and everything seems to be in the right place and on correctly... still sound like a misfire and must i also add there's some kinda knocking sound and the IM is shaking, seems to be coming from the rear

 

What do you mean it "sounds" like a misfire? As far as the knocking sound, did you torque the valve cover down to specs? I guess even if it was torqued down it wouldn't be moving. IM shaking because engine is running rough....

 

No i just torqued the covers down the misfire would sound as if i had a bad coil, spark plug, or injector... you can here it from the sound of the exhaust (as if it was puttering) the knocking sound, i have no idea what is causing that

 

any tricks on how to check for a vacuum leak???

 

I think they sell those fog machines at autozone...a ghetto way to check is to spray brake cleaner near any lines/seams and see if the engine revs up afterward.

Have someone get in your car and press the gas pedal kind of abruptly. Unless you have an aftermarket intake, you shouldn't hear a loud sucking noise unless there is a leak.

If you really think it's a misfire and not a vacuum leak, check to see if you didn't leave any electrical connectors unplugged. It shouldn't be fuel because you didn't touch the fuel rail so I'm guessing a coil went bad or you left one of the connectors loose. Test the resistance of the coil (search for a thread about it) to see if any are bad. Could have been a coincidence.

 

Well we changed the spark plugs, moved the back coil packs to the front to check em... all coilpacks are good... it spilled a good puddle of oil when i tried to make it to advance auto and smoked... all i can now think of is that the timing is somehow off (we were careful not to touch the cams) now with the car at idle i can smell gas

 

That might be a loose fuel rail or fuel line dude!

 

Hey, I got off the other thread since this is yours. I found the info I was looking for regarding the difference between the 5.5 and the 6th v/c's...yeah it has a different/improvement in spark plug tube seal design...here's one of them I found and I read yours from last month as well! thanks dude we got a lot in common....

Did anybody read my post? There is no physical difference in the 02-03 VCs vs. the 6th gen VCs besides the spark plug gaskets. Everything is the same. The heads are the same, the gasket is the same, (which, BTW is not built into the VC, only the small round gaskets that go around the spark plug chamber are), and it still functions exactly like your stock VC. How it's this hard to comprehend I'll never know.

 

Long story short, are you saying the 6th gen spark plug tube seals can be used on 5.5 gen valve covers?

 

No they're saying that the design difference between the 5.5 and the 6th is in the integral spark plug tube seals, which are built into the v/c itself. The fit is improved and less likely to leak!

 

Thanks for the clarification.

 

I was unclear earlier until I searched the subject cause i'm about to do my plugs, coilover packs, NWP spacers and a few thermal mods as well!

 

question C3 is there anything im suppose to take off the 5.5 valve cover???.........

 

so i went back in there today with absolutely worst luck... two bolts in the rear valve cover is stripped and one broken last time i do anything to this car... i just wish i had the $$$ to pay a mechanic...





But with weather like this i couldnt do too much

 

thats a bummer. did you overtighten the bolts?

 

Easy out time

 

Hope you got it fixed. Don't forget to replace the manifold gasket too.

 

i just put sealant on, im just gonna swing it by the shop (reason why i dont try ish,) my luck for whatever could go wrong will go wrong... now i cant even find my keys (Fcku it)

 

If you can, buy a new manifold gasket from Nissan.

And don't be afraid to make mistakes once you've read all the instructions and think you can do it. It's good you tried it, because you'll never learn things if you don't try, and when you get this resolved, you will have learned a lot. I screwed up on my car before too, but the more you do things successfully, the more your confidence will grow. If there are any local guys in your area on this club who works on cars, chill with them and watch them work. And also, look up the 5.5 gen spark plug how-to page....it's the best write-up on how to take everything apart and put it back. Good luck and try not to sweat it. Just get it fixed someway somehow.