Ok so here's a question= do u all think,it would be better[last longer] to gsket cement both sides of the gasket before re

installing,to keep oil in longer or make gasket last longer

just a thought

Gasket cement will not make it last longer, just install it dry with no sealant.

i used high temp rtv on the gasket to VC area, not gasket to head side. i used it just to keep the gasket FIRMLY attached to the VC while i installed it. i had zero issues with the gasket falling off the VC during install. trust me if that happens and u dont notice?? talk about an oil leak and u will be starting over the hole process cuz u will have to remove the gasket to make sure no damage was done when u torked the bolts down etc. rtv will not hurt anything, just apply enough to "glue" the gasket to the VC and make sure u let it set up fully. it helps ALOT!

All:

Well, I finally got the valve cover off and reinstalled.

I appreciate the information that was in this thread. And the folks that responded to my requests.

In the interest of contributing to the body of knowledge for this unpleasant task, I will give some points about what I learned. As with anything, YMMV:

Clear every wire (disconnect the COPs, injectors, alternator, battery cables, compressor clutch, etc.) and lay them on the engine. Disconnect the fuel lines from over the valve cover. Disconnect the PVC line. Disconnect the plastic tube with service valve for the evaporative emissions system. In short, have nothing hindering access to the valve cover.

Unless your panther has an unnatural clearance, you cannot get the valve cover off without doing something. There was no way that cover would come off without breaking something. Getting it back on without damage would have been equally impossible.

The procedure that most exposes the passenger side valve cover is the one where you remove the evap core. In my opinion it is also the least desirable way to go because A) that is a lot of stuff to do just to replace a VC gasket and B) you have to open the refrigerant system and to do that properly you will have to have tools most home mechanics will not have (refrigerant recovery machine, vacuum pump, etc.) and the replacement of the dryer & ensuring that you have the proper compressor oil charge. You can set the 134a Freon free and take it to a shop to have your system charged but that is not the way I wanted to go and adds to the cost of replacing an already pricy gasket.

“Removal” of the driver's side motor mount; not happening. At least not on my 98 CVPI: There are three bolts that hold the mount to the block and the rear-most one is behind the crank case oil dipstick tube. That tube effectively traps the motor mount on the rear side. The oil filer adapter traps it on the front. I lifted the engine as high as it would go and it would not come out straight up. Removing the frame cradle may have made the removal of the motor mount possible but it appeared to me that the only way to get to the bolts for the cradle was to remove the lower control arm which leads to more work and possible costs (bushings). If your dipstick tube is easily removable (mine was not and it appears that it is very difficult to do the R&R on it base on what I could find here on CV.net) Removing this motor mount and 'rolling' the engine into the space cleared when the mount is out is apparently the factory prescribed way to remove the valve cover but it was not working for me.

What finally worked? Remove/move all the items obstructing the valve cover listed above. Also remove the COPs on passenger side. Remove the engine attachment bolts (motor mount to frame cradle) from both sides, lift the engine about an inch. Have someone rock the engine side to side as you lift and rotate the valve cover toward the center of engine. Came right out. Installation, as they like to say in the manuals, is the reverse order of removal. I used the Fel-Pro gasket set and it fit like a glove. If I had an oil filter at home last night I would be driving the car today. Hopefully everything will be oil tight and no more leaks & smoke.


All in all, it seemed like a lot of bullshirt to do this. A half of an inch more room would have made replacing this gasket fairly straight forward. It will be a sad day when the panthers are replaced with a smaller car that will have even less room in the engine compartment. I spent lots of time working on procedures that were not going to work on my car. In the end, the solution should have been intuitively obvious – I guess that is what I get for not drinking beer while trying to do this.

Thanks for playing.

when we did my cams and gaskets we..

disonnected pass side motor mount. Loosened drivers side mount.

Removed fuel rails
removed DPFE bracket from firewall.
removed the Low Pressure switch.
Removed the brake master cylinder on drivers side.

Then with long extensions and swivle removed all bolts holding covers on and removed them. still took just a little convising to get them out but they came out and went in with no major issues.

the 1991-1997 lincoln towncars are reported to have a little more space in between the back of the passenger's valve cover and the a/c evaporator housing. not very much extra space, but enough that the passenger's valve cover gasket is easier to replace on those cars.

this does not help the 1992-2002 crownvic & 1992-2002 grand marquis owners though because these cars are a little shorter bumper-to-bumper than the towncar.