DIY 1.8 8v valve cover gasket

[Esotericrr]

Pretty simple but I took pictures along the way for my own reference and decided to make a DIY since I had the pics anyway. This was done on a 87 Golf 1.8 and I used the updated rubber gasket instead of the cork.

artsy cover stuff



View of the nuts that you will need to remove to get the VC off. Also to get the timing belt cover off there is a 6mm nut that is about half way down the cover in the middle that you need to take off.



Vac hoses that you will have to disconnect to get the cover off



Cover off, Cam saver in place. If you don't have one it may be a good idea to buy one. They keep the oil concentrated on the camshaft. They are like $9 from Parts4vw.com



Cam saver removed you can see the camshaft and what state it's in. Also take this time to clean the gasket mounting area if there is residue or gunk. My gasket was stuck to the valve cover and came off easily. You may have to use a razor.



The studs will most likely still be in the valve cover mounting holes. If you can't get them out by hand you can use the double nut technique. Take two nuts, screw them on the stud, then tighten them against each other. Then you should be able to back the studs out.

If you run into a stubborn stud try spraying a little PB blaster on it and tapping it with a hammer. This should loosen any rust up.

Here is the Gasket I got. Don't bother with the updated shoulder less studs, just buy the new rubber gasket it self. Then go out to ace hardware and buy the below bolts and washers. It makes life much easier. Don't forget to put some anti seize on the bolts.



While I had the cover off I sanded it down and hit it with engine enamel. I left one spot bare so it will weather and look neato.



Remember the order that every thing came off in and just reverse. Torque the bolts to 10NM's and reconnect hoses. Happy times

[punkpie]

Super nice Eric! Love the artsy touch too.