MX-3.com

Hey guys. Im a newbie. Love the site.
Can someone give me a step by step to replace the gasket? What things do I need to be sure to do or to be very careful of. I saw a replacement gasket and its pretty thin. Do I just cover that whole thing with form-a-gasket? Is it okay if extra seeps on the inside? Please help! Ive done a oil pan gasket before but thats it.

thanks

Valve cover gaskets are a formed rubber gasket. like this: The front is a piece of cake. To replace the rear you have to take the intake off so it is a little trickier. Two tips put a little gasket maker in the areas that look like they might leak. where the cams run through the heads. And 2 don't over tighten the bolts. They WILL snap.

I think D44Boy has a 4 cyl. so access is easier but the process is basically still the same as for the V6. Go to the online manual from the main page http://www.mx-3.com/index.cfm (Online Manual Link is 1/2 way down left side) and pages B1-86 & B1-87 will show where to apply sealant, correct bolt tightening sequence, and torque specs. That should be everything you'll need to know.

Only apply a thin enough bead of sealant to compress into the fit between the head and valve cover surfaces as the cover gets tightened. Doesn't take a lot, especially since you are installing a rubber gasket. And like ccreech said, definitely respect those torque specs or you'll strip/break a bolt at worse or end up with a leaking valve cover gasket again at best.

Woops...yeah 4 bangers are easier than a piece of cake to do. You can do it!!

yah i got a 4 banger. Thanks for the replies and help guys! Ill let you know how it goes!

Thanks again!

Oh one more thing, do I apply the sealant onto both sides of the gasket or just one?

thanks

The gasket should fit into the valvecover side fairly will I would only put a little sealant between the gasket and the head. Not too much. Put in on your finger and dab it in the desired places. Don't goop it on.

where in the online shop manual outlines the replacement of the valve cover (gasket)? because all i'm looking at is the cylinder head side of things in the manual, which includes the removal of the valve cover, so when it reaches the valve cover, i stop the steps there. is there somewhere in the shop manual that only deals with the valve cover? if not, then it says that i have to drain the coolant, relieve the fuel pressure, take off the airbox, distributor, and a slew of little wires, and even the timing belt, just to get to the valve cover, which of course can't be true since i'm reading instructions on the cylinder head, which is not what i'm trying to get at!

I just took out front one and put some gasket sealant, no leaks anymore

so i went directly to my mazda dealership and bought myself a v6 front valve cover gasket. they say that no new sealant is necessary: gasket is plug-and-play ... true or false?

Doesn't matter...put a little gasket sealant on both sides and call it a win-win...It is not gonna leak whether it needed it or not.

I did the same thing when my VC gasket started to go.. I tried it without any sealant.. bad move.

It tends to leak around the sparkplug holes.

I ended up puting sealant on.. worked perfectly..

Like the post above said.. putting sealant on really can't hurt, unless you put gobs of it on.. just make sure you don't get so much sealant in there that you're going to have massive excess when you put the VC back on.

-Chris-

you're all saying that the valve cover comes right off
well, there must be more to it, and it does meet the eye!
for instance, just by looking at the front valve cover there are a few things attached to it: pcv valve, sparkplugs, and a metal tube wound around in front of it. these must come off. by the looks of it they have to, yet all of you just say "it's so easy! just take off the valve cover!"
come on man. like do i take out the spark plugs? can i just detach the pcv valve? damn valve cover isn't even focused on in any of the manuals!

my gasket sealant, small torque wrench (inch lbs), and gasket is ready to go here guys! just need some little assurance and solution to the above appendages! the front valve cover is L (left) right? Mazda gave me a gasket for "L"...

Do you know the difference between a right handed screwdriver and a left handed screwdriver?

Serious man.. your making a mountain out of a mole hill. If this little job is too much for you.. take it to a mechanic.

Tunes67

lol tunes, yes the spark plug wires come off...yes the pcv comes off and so does that lil hose that goes to your intake, then take off all of your bolts and lift it off of the head. take gasket off and put new one on. there