Hey folks,

My valve cover gaskets have started to leak and I am preparing to replace them. I've bought a pair of felpro replacement gaskets and grommets.

What else should I look into replacing while I'm there and what tools do I need? I've never tried this repair before so I would like to be sure I am 100% ready and have all I need right then and there. Is there a guide for this type of repair already written?

Thanks!

 

PCV valve, PCV Elbow assembly, and probably the PCV grommet as well.

Reason being that the PCV elbow has a tendency to collapse on itself or crack, which leads to poor performance and/or CELs. Ford updated the tube with support ribbing at some point, and that's the one you need. It's expensive, but the Dorman replacements are junk and this is a fix it once and never again deal.

For the 3.0:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2002-2008-F...AAAOSwzRlaRpVW

You're gonna have to pull the upper intake plenum off to get to the driver's side valve cover. So I would pick up some upper intake plenum gaskets just to be safe. It's also a good time to replace the PCV elbow since it goes into the back of the upper intake plenum and the firewall makes it difficult to maneuver.

 

Thanks for the information! Is the link you provided the basically the all that's needed for the PCV replacement (PCV valve, elbow, and grommet)? I went ahead and bought some felpro upper intake gaskets as well.

 

The PCV valve is included, but the grommet is not. I can't remember where I got my grommet from since I replaced it years ago, but it wasn't hard to find. I highly suggest replacing it with the valve cover off of the truck because it's brittle and if you try to remove it later with the valve covers on, there's a high chance it will break apart and fall onto the valvetrain, which isn't a good thing.

 

Thanks for the advice! I'll look into replacing the PCV valve!

 

Hey folks, I tried replacing my valve cover gasket earlier today, but I have a problem.... this one bolt is in a very awkward spot and I don't know the best way of getting to it. I bought some deep sockets and while the socket would fit, the wrench would not.

I have one friend suggesting I cut the top of that bolt head down since it really doesn't serve a purpose being that long, another is say I should try a swivel wrench which I don't thing would do much of anything. I also tried an universal socket joint to try to weasel my way to the bolt but that didn't work. The problem is getting enough clearance between the wrench and that damn silver tube above it, or the coolant tubes surrounding it.

any ideas?

Circled in Red is the bolt I am having hell getting access to..

 

I had no trouble with that bolt at all. I may have used a universal joint with the socket, but it was definitely an easy bolt to get.

I'm pretty sure I used a 3/8 deep well socket for this, so I'm not sure why yours won't work?

 

Hey Fordzilla,

I tried a universal joint with a regular socket but my regular socket wasn't deep enough. I then tried it with a deep socket and that still didn't have enough clearance. Also, did the bolt on your truck have a head this long? I don't understand why this one has what looks like a head that would be used for a wiring harness clip when its no where near where it would have a clip attached to it.

Thanks

 

Just for scale, here's a picture of my deep socket on the bolt. (I accidentally spilled some coolant which is what all the wetness is from)
f

Here's a closer look at the bolt in question.

Maybe my deep sockets are too deep?

 

I just went out to my truck and realized that I do not have a stud in that position, just a bolt head. The stud for me is in the third position. I am unsure if my truck came that way, or if maybe I swapped mine around at some point, possibly because it was hard to remove.

Have you tried a wobble extension? These bolts aren't that tight, so if you could get even the slight amount of engagement into the socket, you can probably break it loose enough to get it out by just spinning the socket with your fingers. Once you get it out I would put it in a different position, like I seem to have done. lol.

Edit, I just looked up 3.0 engines with the composite intake plenum like ours (2002+) and some of them had a stud in the front, and some do not. Just seems to depend on the truck.

 

I didn't even know wobble extensions existed! Lol. Thanks so much for checking under your hood for me. It really helps a newbie like me out.

I may go to the shop and buy one right now so that I can try again in the morning. I don't have a lot of socket and wrench tools yet, but I guess that will change as time goes on.

 

No problem, we're here to help.

Hopefully you can get it out without much struggle. If this is the worse problem you encounter with the truck, you should be golden.

 

That line is your fuel line. Just disconnect it! Cover the opening ( I used a finger from a Nitrile glove) That stud is used to hold part of a wire loom in place which you are obviously not doing. So either cut the top off or remove the fuel line first.

 

Update: A wobble extension did the job great! The hardest thing I had to do was try to clean the valve covers up after all was said and done.

 

Glad you were able to get it!

 

Way back in the mid 70s out of necessity (like yours) I made a wobble extension.
Figured I'd wobble out a 12 inch extension since the socket retainer was shot (aren't they all after 99 uses).
Took the industry 4 or 5 years to begin selling them. MISSED ANOTHER PATENT by [ ] THAT MUCH.