xviper

Since you posted this up, I'll just say that I don't believe this peeling paint thing is "common". Somewhere along the way, somebody used some caustic engine cleaning chemical. My year 2000 car with over 80K miles on it doesn't have a thing wrong with the VC paint. I've seen a couple other cars with well over 100K miles and their VC paint are just fine.

INDYMAC

When you buy the VC gasket kit, buy some extra tube seals. They can be damaged easily.

Billman250

Your loose spark plug cooked the tube seal. Lucky you didnt melt the tip off the spark plug off and destroy the engine, because that was next.

Tube seals do not come with a valve cover gasket set. They are purchased individually.

brody13

So, I got my VC gasket kit today, and you are right, it is just the 5 rubber/metal pieces that the 5 main bolts go on and the head seal.

So should I buy some of the rubber pieces for the spark plugs tubes also? Sorry i don't know the technical terms for everything, but the rubber pieces that can get inverted.

I replaced everything, and all the rubber pieces looked fine. however I did this putting the 5 bolts back on, and like an idiot did this...



Anyone got a way to fix this or should I just take it in to get it drilled out?

brody13

I just went ahead and order them anyways, might as well replace them also. Went ahead and got a couple new bolts to to replace the broken one

spets

try using a mini screwdriver as a chisel with a little hammer to back out the remains of the bolt inside that stud.

brody13

Ill give it a try, thanks for the idea.

Billman250

Broken screw:

put the rubber grommet (without the chrome cap) around it to keep stuff from falling into the engine.

then, a left hand drill bit will likely spin the broken part right out.

RobEvans

I did this a couple of month ago, do what billman said above, mine came out easy.

brody13

I thought about this, but forgot to look for a reverse bit. Ill give it a shot and let you know how it works... when it stops raining every day