ok before im bombarded with people tellin me to use the search button, i have and it hasnt brought me the answers i need.

so, i am thinking bout painting my valve cover on my 2.2. Nothing fancy, probably just black or red. First question is how hard is it to take off? heard its just 10-12 screws? but what bout the coil pack?

second question is once i have it off, am i able to reuse the old gasket or do i have to get a new one?

Also, is there a certain pattern that i should be using to retighten the bolts? and what is the torque for how tight they should get retightened?

thanks much

 

It is not that hard to take off, you can reuse the gasket just also put some sealant on when you bolt it back down. I always start from inside with bolts and work my way outside...hope that helps

 

Use same gasket cover the engine so nuthin gets in it

 

this actually helped me out also...thanks

 

so most of u guys did this with no problem with leaks then or anything? reusing the old gasket and such..

also, anybody know the correct torque?

 

bump

 

The gasket is rubber so just reuse it as said already. And I would jut do em pretty tight. Not to tight though or you'll break the heads off. Small bolt= small torque

 

The correct torque is only about 18lb-ft. Just nice and snug, nothing crazy.

 

Depending on mileage I would change the gasket. You already have it off why be cheap? Its not hard to do probably a 1.5 of difficulty scale. (on lsj) When I first got my car one of the rings around the spark plug hole was leaking. I buy all new stuff whenever I do anything. It's already off why not do it right. Eventually the rubber will harden and then leak.

 

So I have a couple questions on this...when painting the cover...kind of scuff it up with like a 600 gritt sandpaper..use some.high temp primer then high temp paint? Dry and good to.go..also iv got.about 130k and just want to go ahead and replace the gasket..is there like gasket sealer to use with the new one to re assure? Or form a gasket...thx

 

My 0.02:

600 grit really isn't that good to give the paint tooth to grip to. The finest I've ever gone to on anything was 400 grit.

Prior to sanding, wash it thoroughly. Whenever I do engine part dress-ups, I hit the part with engine cleaner (if its plastic I use the water-miscible foamy stuff), followed by laundry or dish detergent, followed by some pre-paint degreaser. One little bit of oil, and you'll know it when your paint lifts off! If you sand first, you are only pushing the oil into the paint. You want that puppy clean as it gets.

I also agree - get new gaskets/o-rings if you pull stuff if you can, unless you're dealing with fairly new gaskets to begin with.

Priming is always good - just make sure to either follow it with the color coat as per the paint mnfr's recommendation, or if you let it dry for some time, remember to lightly scuff the primer so the paint bonds to the primer (ask me how I know that one - after I had my color coat lift right off the primer base on one of my projects, about 3 weeks after I painted it!) I've also done straight color coats without too much trouble.

 

red scotchbrite it and dont use anything coarser then that. its equivalent to 320-400 grit. aluminum is soft so it will scuff.

it it was me i would powdercoat because its not that much money. and it will last a lot longer.

 

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/part...ainted-232771/

This is an example of one of the ones like yours that I've done. There are a lot of options, they look really good if you paint them right though.

 

Cool thanks guys..ill repost some pics when I get done..how many coats did you do and which paint

 

ive gotta 07 with ~26k miles on it. can/should i reuse gasket or just get a new one like stated above?

 

If you're cheap and willing to risk it - see how the gasket comes off. If its clean nick-free and supple, then you could reuse it. That is - if you can wait for the gasket should you need it.

As for the number of coats - keep the coats relatively on the light side, and do 2-3, in short succession of each other. Stay away from heavy 2nd or 3rd coats, since they have a tendency to kill the "bite" of the paint to the surface. You might need more depending on the color you're using. And if you're using heat-cure paint, I'm pretty sure you can cook the cover in your stove! I coated a header for my Jeep with manifold paint, and before my wife knew it, I had it baking nicely for about 30-40 minutes. Her anger only lasted an hour, but my coating lasted the life of the jeep!

Seriously, the heat-paint lasts the longest with a controlled heat cycle.

 

^ lol. never thought of painting a header...interesting. But yea i was thinking bout using the high temp engine enamel, or even caliper paint.

and i dont wanna b cheap. jw if using the old gasket is safer/smarter than buying a new one.

and have anyone had any problems with leaks or anything after painting theres?

 

Well, in my case I wanted to dress up the mess I just made with my arc/stick welder on a crack and brace I installed across the pipes -paint covers a multitude of sins! Seriously - this was dedicated manifold paint - regular high heat won't work well on an exhaust header.

I've had no problems in the past on other cars, but those aren't cobalts or even Eco's for that matter, so I defer the leak question to others who've done the valve covers on this car!