Removing the Valve Covers

[roushstage2]

I am going to be removing the valve covers on my 03 cobra soon. Does anyone know of an easy way of doing so. The pas. side should be easy just take off the tb/pl and it should come right out (after removing plugs and bolts). The drivers side is what I'm worried about. I'm not going to remove the engine, and I dont want to have to lower it. If I move the master cyl. up a little am I going to have to bleed the brakes?
Thanks is advance for anyones help

 

[VirtualSVT]

You only ever have to bleed the brakes if you disconnect the lines.

Other than that I'm subscribing cuz I need to pull my passenger one off to get a plug out.

op:

Matt

 

[roushstage2]

Does anyone have any advice?

 

[roushstage2]

ttt

 

[Brad]

Yes it's a very very very huge pain in the butt. The drivers side is the issue, the brake booster needs to be unbolted, those bolts are behind the dash. Move as much crap out of the way as you can on the drivers side, then just wrestle with it. The passenger side isn't too bad, but you've got to wrestle it out from behind the AC lines. Why are you taking your covers off? If you've got a lift dropping the motor is alot faster believe it or not. Well maybe not faster, but alot less stressing.

Other than that I'm subscribing cuz I need to pull my passenger one off to get a plug out.

op:

Matt

Just unbolt it, move stuff out of the way, and wrestle it away from the AC lines.

 

[roushstage2]

So to unbolt the brake booster can I just reach up behind the dash and remove the bolts or is it more complicated than that? I'm removing them this weekend, and I will be sending them to be polished.
Thanks for your help

 

[Brad]

So to unbolt the brake booster can I just reach up behind the dash and remove the bolts or is it more complicated than that? I'm removing them this weekend, and I will be sending them to be polished.
Thanks for your help

Yeah that's all you've got to do, but it's a PITA, lol. Post pics when you get those polished ones on the car. I've got a spare set of valve covers I'm polishing now but I don't have a great deal of time so I'm making slow progress. How long did the polisher tell you he'd take to do the job?

Here is a valve cover I polished for a customer.. looked good off the car I'd like to know how they'd look on it though

 

[roushstage2]

For both valve covers and the supercharger, he said it would be around 3 days after he recieved them. I will post pics once I get it done.

 

[Brad]

For both valve covers and the supercharger, he said it would be around 3 days after he recieved them. I will post pics once I get it done.

Wow 3 days.. that's ultra fast.. must be more than just him working on it.. that's cool nonetheless good luck with the cover removal.

 

[roushstage2]

Well I started on the drivers side last night. I tried my best to remove it without messing with the brake booster, and there is just no way. :bash: :nono: So my next question is, is it possible to just losen the four bolts and swing it toward the fender for enough room to remove the cover? I really dont want to take the brake lines out if I dont have too. Does anyone who has removed theirs know if I can do this or not?

Thanks agian for everyones help. :thumbsup:

 

[roushstage2]

Well I finally got the drivers side valve cover off. Now I understand why people say its a pita. I had to remove the brake booster and then the cover came right out. But getting up under the dash to remove those 3 bolts and saftey pin is not easy for a 6'2" 275lb guy. Putting it back together is not going to be any fun either. :mj: :mj:

I will post pics later tonight or tommorrow.

I had been planing on having both valve covers, the supercharger, my new LFP intercooler reservoir, and the steeda CAI cover all polished. Do you guys think that will be alittle much. I was starting to think about painting the valve covers the body color (Zinc Yellow), and then painting black flames from the front to the back. Then I will go ahead and polish the rest of those pieces.

So give me your opinions on this idea. Is it too ricey or do you think it will look good. :shrug: I would like to paint black flames on the car later on (at least a year or two).

 

[Mad Max]

Polish it all. Paint looks okay, but clean bright polished metal looks awesome!

 

[roushstage2]

The reason I thought about adding flames is because they would be bright yellow if I painted or powder coated them only the body color. I think a solid color to match the body is great on white, black, or maybe blue. But Zinc Yellow, I thought that might stand out alittle much. So I figured the flames would break that up some. Give me some more opinions, I need to make a choice soon, so I can get the car back together.

Here are the pics that I promised. I didnt clean anything up before the pics so everything is scattered.

 

[FlaSeaDude]

I'll be changing mine sometime in the next couple of weeks and installing the blue (Ford GT style) ones. Sounds like quite an adventure with the driver's side. Fortunately, I'm only 6' and 175 lbs...

 

[cpu77]

How about some posts of the final project!

 

[roushstage2]

How about some posts of the final project!

Here are some pics of my engine bay. I also have a stage 4 polished blower ready to be installed.

 

[maddrabitt]

did you have to disconnect any AC or heater lines from the passenger side to get it off, or just spend quality time wrestling with it? Im in the process of pulling the passenger side right now and it seems like the back end just doesnt want to come up and over.

 

[roushstage2]

did you have to disconnect any AC or heater lines from the passenger side to get it off, or just spend quality time wrestling with it? Im in the process of pulling the passenger side right now and it seems like the back end just doesnt want to come up and over.

I know the exact problem you are talking about. The only thing I disconnected on the pass. side was the two heater hoses going into the inside of the car. I had to do alot of wrestling with it, in fact I gave up the first night and started again the next day and finally got them off.

 

[maddrabitt]

OK, I figured those heater hoses were going to have to be undone. Total noob question, how do you disconnect those things?

 

[coolcobramatt]

those valve covers are sweet...I've been wanting to do the same but taking off and putting back on scares the daylights outta me.