Can you actually remove the valve cover for a day or so without screwing up anything inside the motor?

 

as long as you put like a towel or something clean over the head and close the hood you should be fine..

 

Also it may be a good idea to pick up a new valve cover gaskit, because it is possable to rip/tear the old one. And if you reinstall it with a bad valave cover gasket you will have an oil leak.

 

How much is a new gasket? I've NEVER ripped an engine apart, and it kinda scares me to do it to my daily driver. lol. But it'd look sick.. Seems easy enough to do.. Just unplug **** and unbolt it.. lol

 

New gasket should not cost too much $5-10 bucks

You may luck out and be able to use the orignal but it's best to have it handy when removing the valve cover. Because you never know, and the time you dont have something is the time you need it. At least that is the way it is for me haha

 

Exactly. So IS this actually easy to remove? I honestly cannot risk ******* anything up. lol.

 

could you not paint it with it on the engine?

 

Moved to Appearance, please post in the correct section

 

You disconnect the coil packs and remove them, unclip the VVT solonoids, and then remove the 8 bolts that hold the cover on and pull up comes right off.

On a scale of 1-10 I would say it's a 1

 

If you have basic mechanical skills should be easy. Take off the coils (10MM) and anything attached to the valve cover. 2.4L disconnect wires to cam adjuster solenoids -- DO NOT remove the solenoids! then unscrew all the valve cover bolts -- they do not have to come out of the valve cover bolt grommets but make sure they are completely out of the head. remove bolts holding bracets -- fuel line and any wiring harness brackets. Just look carefully all around the VC -- may be different items between year models. The VC gasket is a thick rubber gasket -- if you screw that up you had to try to damage it -- should be able to reuse. New gasket is just "peace-of-mind". May have to hold wiring and the fuel line out of the way while removing the VC.

Yes, with lots of tape and overspray protection....

 

So basically just kinda feel your way along and you should be fine..?

 

powdercoat > paint

 

You'd kinda have to remove it to properly clean it.. Unless you're the guy who scrubs the cover wit ha toothbrush since day one.. lol

Yes, but local powdercoat places want a 2 week span. A DIY job only requires a day and a half. lol.

 

Paint = $ < Powdercoating = $$$

 

...it cost me $40 to get mine done and looks 10x better then anyones painted VC that I've seen

 

yeah i may take a look at doing something this weekend.

 

It's 40 to 80 at the local place by me. But I can't have my car not running for two weeks while they dick around. If you take your time, anything DIY can look great. On all my cars, I've become the KING of DIY **** like that..

 

It shouldn't take them more then a day, and you can always do what I did. Order a new one from CED, have it Powdercoated then sell your old one for close to what you paid for the new one.

No down time that way.

You could always try a WTB ad in the classifieds for one.

 

I think we would be hard press to find someone selling a spare valve cover, the LE5 has not been out that long just over 3 and a half years. And buying one is not that cheap.

So you have had you Valave cover powerd coated Reign, post some pics why dont yeah :p

 

They require all items be previously removed and there ahead of time. No same day delivery. Sucks. Otherwise I would. But if I do a DIY job, I can get semi-creative.. I'm good at masking..

Anyoe notice that the LSJ motor is the cheapest I4 on CED? lol. The LE5 being the most expensive? LE5 FTW.

 

<<<Mines powder coated (new 2.4L VC and PC'd from Modern Performance)! Looks great...I've seen painted VCs that look good too....

 

what did it cost ya

 

i agree that red would look sick with your black balt and red brakes.

 

Just painted my valve cover, I will get the pics up as soon as I get the valve cover back on the car. It's drying right now



Painted it a gunmetal color. and I am polishy the letters for contrast. Looks good so far. But a couple leaves got on the paint so I had to sand it down again and am adding a few more coats and and high temp clear again.

 

Since my topic got destroyed (no surprise) I'm going to polish my valve cover then powder coat the letters blue.

P.S. They don't make spray paint chrome paint for a valve covers do they? Ramphex suggested it but the one he suggested from dupi-color isn't for engines.