craigeo
New Member
- Joined
- May 2, 2010
- Messages
- 9
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Altoona, WI
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2001 Sport Trac 4x4
Kind of a long post but just wanted to post my experience this weekend of replacing valve cover gaskets (and while I was at it decided to do spark plugs, wires, and ignition coil too). Just want to say unless you enjoy working on your truck and don't mind having your hands cut up and beat up after working on it all weekend I'd suggest taking it to a shop to do these things!
A while back I posted about switching from synthetic to high mileage oil and it cured my leaky valve cover gaskets. Well it didn't... they've still been leaking. I finally bit the bullet and decided to replace the gaskets. The gasket was $20 and I was quoted $250 by a shop to replace them. After spending the whole weekend working on the truck I was starting to regret not taking it to the shop. It's miserable getting down to the valve covers, then trying to wiggle them out .. but the job is done and no more leaks. The old rubber gaskets were hardened and brittle in areas (which I'm sure is why they were leaking). The spark plugs turned out to be the killer though. 140,000 miles on the truck and I think I was still running the stock plugs. They were not fun to get out. Then I spent about 4 hours trying to get the last one in. #2 (middle one on the passenger side). I could get to it just fine (after wedging my hand in there) with the wheel off but I couldn't get it to start threading into the hole. Finally ran to Advanced Auto and bought a spark plug thread repair tool. Basically a tap that just cleans up the threads. Finally was able to get the spark plug in.
If anyone is planning to do valve covers here's links to docs for removal...
I had to remove a fuel line on the drivers side that goes right over the valve cover but I didn't have to use the tool shown in the links below... just unbolted. But you'll want to relieve fuel pressure before doing that.
I used these as guidelines... I didn't do it exactly like these instructions show.
Also... take pictures at the beginning .. that helped me when I put things back together to figure out how to run vacuum lines, etc.
Passenger Side
http://ebookbrowse.com/2008-10-01-173910-2001-sport-trac-valve-cover-rh-doc-d188303978
Drivers Side
http://ebookbrowse.com/2008-10-01-173955-2001-sport-trac-valve-cover-lh-doc-d290720864
A while back I posted about switching from synthetic to high mileage oil and it cured my leaky valve cover gaskets. Well it didn't... they've still been leaking. I finally bit the bullet and decided to replace the gaskets. The gasket was $20 and I was quoted $250 by a shop to replace them. After spending the whole weekend working on the truck I was starting to regret not taking it to the shop. It's miserable getting down to the valve covers, then trying to wiggle them out .. but the job is done and no more leaks. The old rubber gaskets were hardened and brittle in areas (which I'm sure is why they were leaking). The spark plugs turned out to be the killer though. 140,000 miles on the truck and I think I was still running the stock plugs. They were not fun to get out. Then I spent about 4 hours trying to get the last one in. #2 (middle one on the passenger side). I could get to it just fine (after wedging my hand in there) with the wheel off but I couldn't get it to start threading into the hole. Finally ran to Advanced Auto and bought a spark plug thread repair tool. Basically a tap that just cleans up the threads. Finally was able to get the spark plug in.
If anyone is planning to do valve covers here's links to docs for removal...
I had to remove a fuel line on the drivers side that goes right over the valve cover but I didn't have to use the tool shown in the links below... just unbolted. But you'll want to relieve fuel pressure before doing that.
I used these as guidelines... I didn't do it exactly like these instructions show.
Also... take pictures at the beginning .. that helped me when I put things back together to figure out how to run vacuum lines, etc.
Passenger Side
http://ebookbrowse.com/2008-10-01-173910-2001-sport-trac-valve-cover-rh-doc-d188303978
Drivers Side
http://ebookbrowse.com/2008-10-01-173955-2001-sport-trac-valve-cover-lh-doc-d290720864
