i already have the new VC and the gaskets. the one that i am changing is the "rear" cover.

who else has done this that can share their expeirences with me so i might be able to avoid surprises?

 

There are no surprises pretty simple, remove bolts, remove cover, clean it up if needed and put the new one, with gasket with some RTV silicone, but switch the spark plugs if you haven't already.....GL...

 

Hey man while you doing it might as well replace both of them and paint them......

I'm going to paint mine blue like this article:

http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/pai...ve-covers.html

 

Everything that Rod said, and also, if your tall and have a lowered vehicle, try to lift it up a little, it's very uncomfortable for a tall person to reach the back on a lowered vehicle, at least it was for me(major knee pains).

 

changed the plugs about a month ago. i didn't remove the IM completely, just lifted it and shifted it forward a bit just to reach the coils and that was it. will i need to remove the IM completely? if so, anything i can do to prevent too much coolant loss?

 

you shouldn't lose any coolant if you detach the lines from the IM and suspend them up, should be fine but those lines will be stubborn if you've never removed them good luck

 

Use a dab of Ultra Grey on the four corners of the gasket to help prevent leaks. The field service manual shows were to put the ultra grey

 

what is ultra grey? i picked up and little packet of gasket sealant & dressing from advance auto yesterday while i was there to use as a "glue" to hold the gasket onto the cover when i turn it over to put it in place.

 

Ultra grey is a silicone made by Permatex and is the recommended sealant in the service manual. If this is the second time the upper plenum is coming off, might not be a bad idea to replace the gasket.
Don't forget that the valve cover bolts take very little torque - inch pounds.

 

THIS! I broke off two bolts with barely any force. I was like WTF? Weak bolts are weak. oh and if OP doesnt like the blue. ALSO, if you do paint the VC, be sure to put the coil pack screws back in the VC to keep the paint from getting in the threads

 

This, because it will leak in the lower passenger side corners otherwise...

...and this, most definitely. The VC is torqued down in two passes, with a very specific sequence and very light torque measured in inch-pounds, as spock said here.

Refer to the FSM.

OAN, that sure is a pretty VC you've got there, Tigershark.

 

Tigershark you've got my fav VC for sure, love that texture. And the Coilpack cover is even sexier with that design you have.

OP, you've received all the proper advice, torque and silicone, Black RTV, grey RTV, whatever, almost all of the RTV sealants are oil resistant and handle more than high enough temps to wor in this application, just make sure the surfaces are clean of old silicone and debris so they seal properly.

And YES, you have to remove it completely to do it right.

 

Thanks, and do you possibly know which bolts I would need to get from ARP to replace these weak *** bolts that come stock?

 

OP, if possible use a razor blade IN A HOLDER to scrape the old sealant off. If you leave any your VC might not seal and you will end up doing all of this again

 

They're standard M6 threads, like 99% of the bolts on the car. But they have a shoulder on the underside, and a wide flange on the hex-head. I looked and looked... but eventually I gave up.

With the engine cover on, you only see 6 of the bolts on the front VC anyway. So instead, just brush them clean on the wire-wheel, and paint them black. Then touch them up with black paint after torquing them down, and you're done.