Doing the infamous valve cover and gasket change.Currently my g35 budget is low- what's your guys' experience using the cheaper apex covers from rock auto. And how much rtv on the mating surface is reccomended.
Car is a 2004 coupe

 

Discard the gasket that comes with the covers and use a FelPro or Gates gasket. Clean the spark plug tubes and mating surfaces with alcohol. Apply some black RTV to the gasket surface that fits in the valve cover. Install gaskets into cover and let cure for 20 minutes. This will hold the gasket in place for installation. The main place the sealer needs to be applied is the front corners where the curved surface by the vtc solenoids are. A 3/32 line of sealer here where the curve meets the flat. I applied a thin bead around the perimeter of the head and on the seals for the spark plug tubes.

 

so the rtv is applied on the cover and not the block?

 

No. To the cylinder head.

 

For the passenger side cover whats the trick there?Do i de-attach fuel lines or is there an easier way?

 

No fuel line need to be disconnected but lots of stuff needs to be unbolted, and all the wires held out of the way with a bunjee cord... Put a towel over the intake runners too I took it off to take the photo. Also if you put some RTV around the spark plug seals and clean the mating surfaces your tubes won't leak anymore. Also expect the u shaped PCV hose connecting the VC to break and have some hose and some tees to replace it on hand.
The location on the head to put RTV is in the factory service manual search Nicoclub 2004 g35

 

I finshed the drivers side today and yes I have FSM handy, it just doesnt really talk about the harness on the passenger side, it seems to be firmly attached down behind the engine.

 

I just used a bunjee cord to hold the harness and fuel crap out of the way while I dropped the covuer in, did some dry test fits first it takes some messing around with the angle

 

OH and good time to replace or delete that plastic bleeder thingy on the heater hose that tends to burst without warning past a certain age

 

??? please explain

 

The plastic bleeder tee on the heater hose you need to remove to get at the rear bolts becomes brittle with time and commonly breaks. I replaced it with "ICT Billet 3/4" to 3/4" Inch Hose Barb Splice Coupler" on Amazon for $6, it's aluminum and you don't need the bleeder with a no spill funnel

 

This is VERY good to know when I get to that point!

Thanks for sharing bro

 

Hi Abdul. How did those APX covers work out? I need to replace mine and the various prices for covers are ridiculously divergent. From $75 to $400. How can the prices possibly be so different? Do sub-$200 parts worthless??

Thanks

 

I'd look into the aluminum valve covers that are out now. They aren't super expensive (I think the CZP ones are on sale for a couple hundred or so) and they say the spark plug tube seals are replaceable. Wish they had come out with them when I did mine (although so far the Ecodone ones I got are fine so far after 18 months). Only complaints on their site are that the paint on the valve covers isn't the greatest. Would be nice if they offered them in a variety of colors, I have seen some that are red but don't remember who makes them.

 

I've been eyeing a set of those for my car as well. But I'm not leaking atm so no reason to tear off VC's that are sealed up correctly.