Valve cover gasket replacement - FI Festiva

[Pgh5spd]

I kinda remember seeing something on this long ago but can't find it anywhere now.

I've changed valve cover gaskets before on carb'd Festivas - no problem. But with FI I need to get the throttle body out of the way. I thought that would be easy, but Haynes suggests, altho doesn't outright say that there are water passages in the throttle body. Is that right? Can I just remove the 4 bolts/nuts that hold the TB to the intake manifold and move it enough to get the valve cover to clear? If there are water passages, is the old TB gasket reusable once I've changed the valve cover gasket??

This was the last item of the day since I thought it would be easiest. Typical!

[mechanicaldj]

people have taken the valve cover off without doing the throttle body

whenever i take the throttle body off, i use Hondabond to seal it back up with the old gasket

you can find Hondabond at any Honda dealership

[Pgh5spd]

Thanks very much for the quick reply (altho I don't see how it's possible to get the damn cover off with the TB in place). In the meanwhile I remembered there was a TB/intake assy in the back of my parts car and took it apart & see there is a water passage there.

(I wonder if breaking the connection one step further back on the other end of the manifold might be an alternative?)

Is Hondabond anything like the blue stuff usually known by some 3-letter combo that I can't recall at the moment?

Is there any need to disconnect any hoses to the TB if the objective is just to move it to get the cover clear?

John

[mechanicaldj]

yes there is a water passage in the throttle body

do disconnect the wires to the throttle body sensor

and you are removing it to the side, to get the valve cover off, you do not need to remove the hoses to it

and Hondabond is what i use on any gaskets that will touch water or that i don't want to leak EVER. and it is not related to anything i know of.

if you want to use something else, i suggest using Ultra Copper rtv

[Pgh5spd]

Thanx!!! I'll try to get some in the morning (if I don't decide to drive it to Indiana tomorrow as planned and change the gasket when I get back :?

jh

[freshtiva]

I always wondered how come there are three bolts and one studs holding the TB on. Seems like four bolts would be better. You have to remove three bolts and one nut off the stud then slide the TB out and get a vise grips on the middle of the stud to loosen it without screwing up the threads. Four bolts seems to make more sense. Get a new gasket.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/3/web/2307000-2307999/2307350_8_full.jpg

[oxbrain]

I always use a new TB gasket. They only cost a couple bucks.

The only reason I can think that there is one stud is so it's easier to align.

[Pgh5spd]

Yep, if it hadn't been a question of trying to do this today in order to get on the road tomorrow, and also wondering how easy it'll be to find a gasket, I wouldn't have asked about that part.

I'd also guess that the stud & nut is for alignment. The motors probably come from assembly with intake manifold and go to another part of the factory for installation of the throttle body. Field replacement of that stud with a bolt from the parts car may be in order, so thanx for mentioning that angle.

At least I have a flushed brake system, front caliper bushings all greased up, rust shaved off the edges of the rotors, rear self adjusters freed up, and a new muffler for the trip, and I can stop at a Honda dealer or a parts house anywhere between Pittsburgh and Nashville Indiana.

[freshtiva]

I think its a sinister insider prank in the engineering circle just to mess with you. Ive seen other examples of their sense of humor. :evil: :lol:

[Brown-Boy]

When I changed my valve cover gasket I didn't take to TB out of the way I just wiggled the cover through there. It was kind of a pain but it will go in and out without taking the TB off.

[mechanicaldj]

I think its a sinister insider prank in the engineering circle just to mess with you. Ive seen other examples of their sense of humor. :evil: :lol:

and where else have you seen this happening, i wonder????

and new gasket or not i will still use the Hondabond or some forum of sealant to assemble the throttle body

and why on earth would you replace the stud???? it is there for alignment issues, so you don't accidentally seal off the air idle bypass, in the throttle body

[gdawgs]

You can easily remove the valve cover without removing the throttle body by loosening up two more bolts. #1 is the bolt for the engine hoist eye, located on the left(if you are in front of the car facing the engine), front corner just below the valve cover. #2 is on the front, right corner, this one is a small harness that holds some wires.

Loosen these two bolts up(you don't have to remove them) and the valve cover will easily clear the throttle body.

[fastivaca]

You can easily remove the valve cover without removing the throttle body by loosening up two more bolts. #1 is the bolt for the engine hoist eye, located on the left(if you are in front of the car facing the engine), front corner just below the valve cover. #2 is on the front, right corner, this one is a small harness that holds some wires.

Loosen these two bolts up(you don't have to remove them) and the valve cover will easily clear the throttle body.

If that doesn't give you enough clearance then you can file a little bit (it doesn't take much at all) off the valve cover directly under the throttle body. I did this and it worked like a charm.

[Pgh5spd]

update, 965mi later

FWIW, not wanting to broach two further systems (fuel and coolant) before launching for this trip if I didn't have to, I cleaned the gasket contact surface as carefully as I could and reinstalled the valve cover the night before departure, but I installed the new bolt seals from the gasket set. EMPHASIS: I did not expect this to work - I just wanted to minimize oil leakage when I drove down to the parts house to order a gasket. On return, it didn't seem to be leaking any worse than before, so I re-snugged the VC bolts, and did another testdrive. Seemed better, so I left for IN, & it ran great for 7hrs & 430 odometer mi (it reads about 8% high based on MapQuest and those speed check things, sorta surprising since I'm running 155-12s altho maybe the tach odometer expects 165-12s?).

In daylight next morning, the formerly glossy black block was dull black = leakage stopped! Amazing! Altogether 965 odo miles on the trip, or about 900 actual - returned yesterday with all windows open, usually running over 70 real mph. A tad above 40 real mpg. Never once wished I had AC, & never got ass fatigue either . The only casualty of the trip was the LR tire - it picked up a roofing nail that I first heard clicking around Gnaw Bone IN (near Nashville) - didn't go flat till the next day either, another advantage of driving a light car!

But when the VC gasket does start leaking again, I'll be ready with all gaskets & tips from all - thanx!!

John

[standard]

You can easily remove the valve cover without removing the throttle body by loosening up two more bolts. #1 is the bolt for the engine hoist eye, located on the left(if you are in front of the car facing the engine), front corner just below the valve cover. #2 is on the front, right corner, this one is a small harness that holds some wires.

Loosen these two bolts up(you don't have to remove them) and the valve cover will easily clear the throttle body.

I would just like to bump this old thread to thank you. This nugget of wisdom saved me from going nuts trying to wiggle around the throttle body. It's so CLOSE I knew there had to be a workaround.