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+--- Thread: Valve Cover Cleaning (Inside) (/thread-valve-cover-cleaning-inside)
Valve Cover Cleaning (Inside) - Nunapitchuk - 01-08-2017
Hi, I am trying to clean the valve cover on my '95 sidekick. On the inside is a plate that covers the ports to the top of the valve cover (PCV & EGR I think). Anyway, that little cover inside the valve cover is fastened with 8 rivets. They don't look like any kind of rivets I have ever seen. I drilled them out.
I am thinking of threading the holes and putting it back together with screws and lock tight.
Have you messed with these before?
Just looking for advice from anyone who might know about the weird design of this valve cover.
Frank.
RE: Valve Cover Cleaning (Inside) - fixkick - 01-08-2017
(01-08-2017, 08:55 AM)Nunapitchuk Wrote: Hi, I am trying to clean the valve cover on my '95 sidekick. On the inside is a plate that covers the ports to the top of the valve cover (PCV & EGR I think). Anyway, that little cover inside the valve cover is fastened with 8 rivets. They don't look like any kind of rivets I have ever seen. I drilled them out.
I am thinking of threading the holes and putting it back together with screws and lock tight.
Have you messed with these before?
never.
Just looking for advice from anyone who might know about the weird design of this valve cover.
Frank.
that is not weird, its a baffle, for the PVC valve sucking hose. (vacuum)
you dont want it to suck in pure oil ever,
it breaks up the oil mist too.
as long as you can suck air on the PCV fitting there, it's good.
that varnish is all harmless. all engines have it.
all it needs is to breath..
if really worried, on the 8valve (is it?) take it to any machine shop and get it hot tanked.
it will come out naked as a jay bird.,
but sure you can drill out rivets and use screws, but use the super hot super hard loctite.
cheers IMO.
RE: Valve Cover Cleaning (Inside) - Nunapitchuk - 01-09-2017
Thank you for the info. At least I know what it is for now. I thought it was weird that they made it non-removable. No machine shop within 200 miles of my place. I used my sandblaster on it and got a lot of sand stuck in the gunk under the baffle. That is why I took it off to clean. It is the 16 V model. I was thinking of leaving the baffle off, but now I understand its importance and I need to reattach it. Do you know how/what they used to fasten the steel baffle to the aluminum valve cover in the first place? They do not look like any kind of rivets that I have seen before.
RE: Valve Cover Cleaning (Inside) - fixkick - 01-09-2017
(01-09-2017, 02:47 AM)Nunapitchuk Wrote: Thank you for the info. At least I know what it is for now.
I thought it was weird that they made it non-removable.
(that is because it lasts the life of the engine, and who wants screws falling in to said engine?)
No machine shop within 200 miles of my place.
I used my sandblaster on it and got a lot of sand stuck in the gunk under the baffle.
never ever use sand blaster inside any engine, it fractures to tiny imbedded, in the metal, the works out as you drive. this is well known
what is better is walnut shells, never sand and never glass beads .
keep all forms of silica sand out of any engine!! this is like RULE1, (0utside ok)
we have microscope views of this damage, its not pretty.
That is why I took it off to clean.
It is the 16 V model.
I was thinking of leaving the baffle off, but now I understand its importance and I need to reattach it.
i can not think of one extra part in this car, no extra parts, at this price, range. I can think of things needed, not put on car... HD stabilizer.
every part of the engine has a purpose, for sure. just ask....
Do you know how/what they used to fasten the steel baffle to the aluminum valve cover in the first place?
They do not look like any kind of rivets that I have seen before.
those are Japanese rivets, there is no such thing in USA. In Japan, they have many things not here, vast things, I lived there for 1 year, so...
id leave it alone the varnish is harness, it's very thin. all engines have it, all with say 150k on them, its totally normal.
id spend my time getting the EGR paths, super clean before ever worry any PCV buffer.
look for broken head rocker springs? the are rocker guide plate springs, some break.
new valve seals.
fresh water pump, made in japan not china?
and making sure the .050" head orifice , never gets clogged up and cam starves of oil.
there are my tips
good luck !!!
RE: Valve Cover Cleaning (Inside) - Nunapitchuk - 01-09-2017
Japanese rivets? Now I have to look that up. Thank you very much for the advice and info. I only used the sand blaster on the cover to clean it off. I see it was probably a bad idea.
RE: Valve Cover Cleaning (Inside) - fixkick - 01-16-2017
no need to look it up
they did that back in 1995
id bet they dont even do it now, nor even have the tooling now.
no sand of any kind , inside any engine ,ever.
same with glass beads.
its called media blasting now with vast choices.
plastic, safest
wall nut shells.
bicarbonate of soda.
some use LYE, (called oven cleaner, $1 at the dollar store too....) ,
it will cause aluminum to turn gray but of you work fast , gets only the VARNISH off it can work, dont not let it sit overnight, where gloves and goggle, it eats bodies too, ask mafia. LOL
we have photos of the results.