Engine covers or cam covers are a component of the engine designed to seal the top part of the engine. Cam covers need a rubber gasket to create a seal between the metal engine block and the cover. The cam cover gasket is subjected to extreme temperatures and eventually wears down. Thankfully, on some vehicles’ cam cover gaskets are easily replaceable, such as inline 4-cylinder engines.
If planned well, then during the spark plugs replacement, the cam cover can come off with fewer steps, making the gasket replacement easier. However, in my case, I only found out that the cover gasket needed to be replaced during the spark plug installation.
Tools Required:
Ratchet to loosen and tighten the bolts.
Additional Tools:
Torque Wrench
Cam Cover Bolts (If Required)
Getting the Cam Cover Ready for Removal
Step 1: Locate the hood release and release the hood latch. If you do this successfully, the hood will release and a noise will usually confirm it.
Step 2: The picture shows what the hood latch looks like (Note: the hood latch is not visible while releasing the hood). The hood latch will be a lever you must pull or push on to access the engine.
Step 3: Locate the hood prop rod. The rod can be is located differently for each vehicle, such as slightly behind the hood release or attached to the hood. Next, unclip the rod and place it where the hole is on either the car or the hood. My car has a mark that shows where to place the rod, but not all cars do.
Step 4: Disclaimer: with modern cars, disconnecting the battery for long periods can be an issue. To be sure it is not an issue, please refer to your vehicle’s owner manual to make sure it is safe to disconnect. If it is safe to disconnect the terminal, locate the battery.
The minus symbol on the battery distinguishes the negative terminal. After locating the negative terminal, loosen the bolt, which will allow you to lift the wire off the post. Next, set the wire aside so that it will not have the chance to touch the post.
Step 5: Not all vehicles will have a vanity cover, but if your vehicle does, then the cover needs to be taken off. Most likely, the cover will slide and lift off. With vanity covers being plastic, be extra careful not to damage it during removal.
Step 6: Locate the coil on plugs or spark plug wires. The picture shows the four coil-on plugs. On v6 or v8 engines, the engines are rotated 90 degrees, so the spark plugs are on the left and right sides of the engine.
Instead of coil-on plugs from the four spark plugs, there could be spark plug wires. Here is what spark plug wires look like on an older Pontiac. Vehicles before the 2000s have spark plug wires.
Remove the coil on plug bolt. Then disconnect the plug and remove the coil on plug. Repeat the removal of bolts and plugs for all cylinders.
Cam Cover Removal
Step 8: Remove any hoses or wires that are connected or in the way of removing the cam cover.
Step 9: Now the cam cover can come off. Find the bolts holding the cam cover in place and remove all of them for this step. Be careful with removal, the bolts can be brittle, especially on onetime use bolts.
Step 10: With all the bolts removed, the cam cover can come off. Removal can be tricky as the gasket creates a fairly tight seal. A pry bar or screwdriver can help, but be careful not to damage the cover. If the cam cover is not coming off, make sure that all the bolts are out and nothing is preventing removal.
Step 11: To guarantee a seal, it is important to have a clean surface on both the cam cover and the engine block to create an ideal mating surface. I carefully took a rag and wiped the surface clean.
Step 12: After the cam cover is off, install the new gasket onto it. Optionally, the exterior part of the now is easier to clean if one so chooses. I also lay the cam cover down and apply the gasket to the cam cover.
Step 12: Flip the cover over onto the engine block. Take extra precautions to keep the gasket in place during this process. Confirm the is gasket stayed in place before continuing.
Step 13: Reattach the hoses and place the bolts back into the cam cover. Take caution when installing the cam covers bolts as the bolts need less than 10 pounds of torque.
Tips and Tricks
Tip 1: Some vehicles use single-use bolts which will need to be replaced when replacing a cam cover gasket.
Tip 2: Do not use the internet for torque spec for the bolts. Repair manuals are available for 15 dollars and are well worth it. The internet told me to torque the cam cover bolts to 30–50 foot-pounds. At this torque spec, a bolt will sheer off into the engine block (I am speaking from experience). My vehicle’s torque specifications are actually 7 to 9 foot pounds.
Tip 3: The repair manual is also helpful for more than torque spec. The Kia repair manual had the bolt tightening pattern, which will just ensure that the gasket makes a good seal.