2003 Montero Limited 3.8L valve cover removal
 

Hi I'm trying to remove the valve covers to change the hydraulic tappets/lifters. Took me 3 tedious hours to get down to the valve covers, lol.

The Passenger side had 6 bolts. But I can't get it off. It may be original and stuck, but wanted to be sure I'm not missing anything before I start banging or prying on it. Where's a good spot to do that, BTW?

I only see 5 on the Driver side but there is a bracket bolted to the head just under the valve cover that holds the oil dipstick and a couple of other items. It looks like it may be covering the 6th valve cover bolt. Am I right?

Also, I don't have to pull the spark plugs to get the covers off right? Doesn't look that way but wanted to be sure.

I'd post a picture but don't know how to...looks like this site requires URL to another website to show pics.

Thanks!

There should be six bolts on each valve cover - three on each side. If you can't see all of them, take your hand and run it along the side of the valve cover and you should be able to find what you are missing. At the very least you should find six empty holes where the bolts were. I believe you DO need to remove spark plugs, because at the bottom of the spark plug wells there are seals too. Even if you have all bolts out, the cover may not budge. DO NOT TRY TO PRY IT OFF!!! Instead take a rubber mallet and give a couple of firm taps on the side of the valve cover. Tap it near the front once and once near the back (in sideways direction). This will pop it right off.

I spent 2 hours cruising the Pajero online manuals and learned some things. It appears the spark plugs don't have to be removed to remove rocker covers. The spark plugs set in a metal sleeve that appears to attach to the heads and have seals at the top of the sleeve (where covers meet them) and then the plugs also have the boots that mate to the seal location on the covers holes.

However, the upper right and upper left side timing belt covers seem to be in the way of removing the rocker/valve covers. The manual says nothing about removing the timing covers to get rocker covers off. Do you know by chance?

Thanks I'll try that rubber mallet method to lossen the covers. I didn't want to pry them, for sure.

One last thing...should I also replace the rear cam o-ring seals? I'm not sure mine are leaking.

Anything else while I have this all torn apart? I'd done my plugs and wires about 10k ago so they're good.

I was gonna do the rocker cover gaskets, spark plug seals (where the cover rests on the spark plug metal sleeves), and the cam o-rings.

I have a 3.5L 2002, so my experience may be different.

The valve covers have a vertical lip on the front. The plastic timing covers overlap this lip. As such, I think the timing covers need to come off so that the valve covers can be removed. Not sure if the valve covers can be lifted at the windshield end and rotated out from under the timing covers.

Both the drivers side and passengers side valve covers have 6 bolts.

I would think you could leave the spark plugs in place, but obviously remove the spark plug wires. The spark plug is inside a metal tube that is part of the head. At the top of the metal spark plug tube there is a rubber seal that mates with the inner surface of the valve cover. I would replace these seals while you are there. The seals pull off the tubes.

Cam O-ring seals should be easier to access while you are this far disassembled. Your call. I have pictures of them with part numbers in my rebuild thread.

Bingo. It's been long time since I did my valve cover gaskets, so I couldn't remember how the plug tubes connects to the valve covers. Now that I see the photos, I do remember that the tubes are sitting inside the head and the rubber seals are at the top of them. In my case the seals came off with the valve covers and it looked like they were part of the valve cover :(
Larry is 100% correct on the timing belt covers - they will interfere with removing valve covers. They are relatively easy to remove.

Permatex copper spray a gasket hi temp sealant
 

I had to remove the metal tube on the passenger side of the Intake Plenum that goes to the Exhaust Manifold...EGR valve is it? I saved the metal gasket and it looks fine. Will clean and reuse with this copper sealant.

For gaskets like these I've used the topic subject product...like on the metal lower intake plenum gasket. Or this EGR gasket. Like $10 a can but lasts forever...probably 25 gasket treatments.

Seems to work well for holding them in place and filling small voids so leaks don't happen.

Anyone else used a similar product? I'd like to know if others exist and may be as good.

I have not tried that on reusing a metal gasket. The gasket you reference is MD149764. I ordered a new one for my rebuild

Thanks I'll try it on EGR gasket. It looks OK. should be fine.

Cleaning valve / rocker covers after removal
 

Got rocker covers removed. There's an inside and outside layer of metal on these covers. The valve parts and first layer of metal is clean. There's a hole about 1" square on each cover toward 2/3 of one end. There is grease and crud smeared in their. I'm gonna soak the rocker covers in bioblast degreaser to dissolve the oily grime and then pressure wash each side to flush any oily crud away.

Does anyone prep the EDPM rocker cover gasket to keep it from leaking? I'm reading it's a questionable idea too. I read best to just clean it off, pack new EDPM gasket into rocker cover wdge and tighten just enough not to compress or break gasket.

The old gaskets were dried out on about 25% with the whole.