2000 XJ valve cover gasket replacement: stupid questions

[casm]

A couple of weeks ago, the valve cover gasket leak on my 2000 XJ (4.0) got to the point where I could actually smell the leaked oil burning off on the exhaust. Idiot that I am, I took this to mean that it was finally time to stop ignoring it. It's been one hell of a fight to get it replaced, but it's mostly back together. Unfortunately, this has brought up three issues:

- I broke the CCV elbow at the rear of the cover, and cannot for the life of me get the gaskets that hold it in place out. Yes, it's a stamped steel valve cover, but I don't want to risk damaging it. What's the trick to popping them out? Both the base and neck of the elbow are snapped (don't ask), but I do have a Dremel to hand if necessary.

- Please refer to the valve cover bolt diagram below:

Which locations should be studs, and which should be bolts? Stupidly, I noticed the difference in removal, but didn't take note of their respective positions. If it doesn't matter, knowing that would also help.

- Leading on to my third question: right now, I've got the bolts and studs in place enough to line everything up and let it seal; this is with the Fel-Pro VS50458R gasket. The bolt gaskets that were included with it are somewhat crappy: moulded plastic with snaps on the underside versus the factory ones rubber ones with isolators on the underside. Avoiding overtorquing them aside, has anyone had issues with using them?

Advice much appreciated in advance.

 

[5-90]

That's for cylinder head screws, not valve cover screws...

Torque the valve cover screws, as I recall, to ~7 pound-feet/84 pound-inches (check my site to see if I have something near your year listed - all torque specs are taken from FSMs.)

Grommets can be gotten out with a small flat screwdriver (or just a small round rod with the end filed clean,) by getting the tool in under the edge of the grommet, between it and the steel that's holding it. Prise loose. The grommet will likely pop right out after you move the tool once and prise in two locations. The new part will usually be more flexible, and pop in easily with finger effort.

The studs are usually used to retain the stand-off brackets for the fuel injector subharness - although it's not strictly necessary. Figure out where you want to put the standoffs and clip in the fuel injector subharness - that's where the studs go. Torque to the same value as the screws.

If you need replacements, it should be 1/4"-20x3/4" (stamped steel cover. The ones for the earlier cast aluminum cover are longer.)

I've not used Nylon "screws" for the valve covers, but they sound like the "locators" that Fel-Pro supplies with late-model oil sump gaskets. They're designed to be screwed into the holes just enough to hold them (finger tight,) then the gasket is snapped in place over them. Then the sump/cover. They help to hold everything in place while you get screws started. Once you have steel screws started, you remove the Nylon bits.

I obviate the entire problem by installing 3-4 studs in strategic locations to replace the screws outright, then align everything, then start nuts on the studs. The studs and nuts will hold everything in place while you get screws started, and you can torque everything once all of the screws are started.

HTH, YMMV, TANSTAAFL, TANJ.

 

[UNCC_99XJ]

Grommets can be gotten out with a small flat screwdriver (or just a small round rod with the end filed clean,) by getting the tool in under the edge of the grommet, between it and the steel that's holding it. Prise loose. The grommet will likely pop right out after you move the tool once and prise in two locations. The new part will usually be more flexible, and pop in easily with finger effort.

Just remember to put the metal washers back into the new rubber grommets! Ask me how I know...:banghead:

As mentioned it doesn't matter where the studs go...they're strictly for holding misc. brackets in place. I recall there being some on the passenger side on my 99 but I don't remember what they hold down. Yours might be a bit different on a 00 with the coil pack being there.

 

[hubs97xj]

I do not know how much (if any) changed between years on this, but on mine, there are only a few bolts, and most are at the front (under the heater hoses, basically). There are studs on the driver's side for the injector harness standoffs, one on the rear for another cable tie/standoff, then studs for the heater hose bracket and plug wire looms (which you won't have). A handful of studs don't seem to serve any purpose beyond speeding up assembly, as far as I can tell.

 

[casm]

That's for cylinder head screws, not valve cover screws...

True, good point. The FSM doesn't seem to provide a diagram of the actual cover, so was using this as a close-enough reference; I should have mentioned this up front.

Torque the valve cover screws, as I recall, to ~7 pound-feet/84 pound-inches (check my site to see if I have something near your year listed - all torque specs are taken from FSMs.)

For anyone else who may be reading this, the FSM torque figure for the 2000 model year is evidently 77lb./in / 6.42lb./ft. Not enough to make a difference over 7lb./ft. in all likelihood, but relaying it for the sake of completeness.

Grommets can be gotten out with a small flat screwdriver (or just a small round rod with the end filed clean,) by getting the tool in under the edge of the grommet, between it and the steel that's holding it. Prise loose. The grommet will likely pop right out after you move the tool once and prise in two locations. The new part will usually be more flexible, and pop in easily with finger effort.

Bullseye. It took some fiddling, but they eventually popped out; having done similar jobs most recently on aluminium / magnesium / plastic valve covers, I was probably being too gentle to get them to pop out. New parts are on order, so I'll get to find out tomorrow if reassembly is any better.

The studs are usually used to retain the stand-off brackets for the fuel injector subharness - although it's not strictly necessary. Figure out where you want to put the standoffs and clip in the fuel injector subharness - that's where the studs go. Torque to the same value as the screws.

Yep. These were actually the easy ones put a definite location to; it was some of the others I was confused on.

I've not used Nylon "screws" for the valve covers, but they sound like the "locators" that Fel-Pro supplies with late-model oil sump gaskets. They're designed to be screwed into the holes just enough to hold them (finger tight,) then the gasket is snapped in place over them. Then the sump/cover. They help to hold everything in place while you get screws started. Once you have steel screws started, you remove the Nylon bits.

To clarify: these replaced the grommets at each bolthole on the valve cover. They're essentially just plastic pan-head washers with snaps that go through the bolt holes to hold them in place. Frankly, I really don't care much for them as to my eye they appear inferior to the OEM grommets that they're replacing - but given that half of my OEM grommets were disintegrating, it was a case of any improvement being better than none.

Just remember to put the metal washers back into the new rubber grommets! Ask me how I know...:banghead:

Just to be clear: you're referring to the CCV grommets, correct? It didn't appear as though the ones on the boltholes would transfer over to their replacements.

on mine, there are only a few bolts, and most are at the front (under the heater hoses, basically). There are studs on the driver's side for the injector harness standoffs, one on the rear for another cable tie/standoff, then studs for the heater hose bracket and plug wire looms (which you won't have).

That's pretty much the assumption I was working under when I realised I hadn't noted what came out of where and clarification became necessary

Courtesy of the CCV elbows disintegrating during reassembly (apparently they were more brittle than I thought after 10 years of heat and vibration, and my human elbows managed to find out exactly how much so...) and nowhere within a 100-mile radius having the parts in stock, this is turning into the world's longest XJ valve cover gasket replacement. The advice is much appreciated!