Valve Cover Removal

GibMir1

Veteran Member
Joined
May 6, 2007
Location
Chicagoland
TDI
06 Jetta w/DSG Grenade
When removing the valve cover / cylinder head cover, would one need to replace the gasket? The car in question is an 06 BRM, bone stock.
Wanna guess why I'd like to peek under the cover?
 

Mach1

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Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Location
Spicewood, Tx.
TDI
05.5 Jetta 5 spd, 06 Jetta DE DSG, 04 F250 6L, 2000 F250 7.3L
The VC gasket is reuseable, however you will need some RTV for the corners, plus I like to tack the gasket back to the VC..You can get away with no tack, if you are good..

You will need a T30 as well and torque the VC bolts to spec...

Tip...wash the topend at the local Car wash before opening..
 

CineAtomic

Active member
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Location
Tallahassee, Florida
TDI
2006 Jetta (early), Blue, Tan Leather
Mach1 said:
The VC gasket is reuseable, however you will need some RTV for the corners, plus I like to tack the gasket back to the VC..You can get away with no tack, if you are good..

You will need a T30 as well and torque the VC bolts to spec...

Tip...wash the topend at the local Car wash before opening..
I want to do mine as well. I have the same BRM and mine was made Jaunary 4, 2006 (if that helps). I only have 60,500 miles but am curious. What is RTV? and What does it mean to "Tack" the gasket to the Valve Cover? I do not have a Trouque Wrench, but is the torque less than "10", because I can't fine one that will go less than "10"? And also, how easy is this to screw up?:D

Thanks for the help! Ill post pics of the cam when I am done.

Gotta learn somehow, might as well start with this!
 

Mach1

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Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Location
Spicewood, Tx.
TDI
05.5 Jetta 5 spd, 06 Jetta DE DSG, 04 F250 6L, 2000 F250 7.3L
Use some 'silicone'(gasket in a tube), at the 4 corners where the hump is..niot the outside corners..

The torque for the screws is like very small, just get them tight(50 inch pds) and use a stepped process and alternate each side, work from the inside-out..

Its a plastic VC so it doesn't take much to seal(or break)..

I use some glue to tack the gasket to the VC..Although if you are good, you can get away without it...

Good luck
 

CineAtomic

Active member
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Location
Tallahassee, Florida
TDI
2006 Jetta (early), Blue, Tan Leather
Thank you very much! After researching a bit more and watching other cars on youtube this seems a lot easier than I thought. Should I use a cleaner (break cleaner or similar) to clear off the top and bottom before the gasket goes back in? How about coating the gasket with a thin bit of engine oil? Thank you again for the reply and I appreiciate taking the time to answer!
 

PDJetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
TDI
'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
"Gunk" engine cleaner works great for cleaning the engine. Be vary careful if you have a 5-speed. My clutch began slipping RIGHT after I used Gunk once and I suspect a little of the cleaner got in between the engine and transaxle and got on the (stock) clutch. The slipping never stopped after that (this was after an upgrade to RC 1, though). I've used Gunk on other cars for years, and this is the first occurrance of this for me. The stock clutch clamping force is near the maximum torque output of the engine, which is poor from an engineering standpoint.

Just wipe all the oil off of the sealing surfaces and wipe off the valve cover gasket and re-install with VERY small dabs (BB sized maybe) of sealant in the said cam cap corners. I do not tack the gasket anywhere else.

--Nate
 

roadhard1960

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Joined
Feb 1, 2004
Location
Covington, Ga.
TDI
2003 Jetta wagon GLS 5 speed
That would defy gravity to get Gunk on a clutch, I would think assuming your timing mark plug is installed and you show some sort of sanity when cleaning things. Have you ever changed a clutch on an A4? The pressure plate is sort of buried or covered by the flywheel and pressure plate so Gunk would have to get past the timing mark plug and all that metal. New chips and stock clutches often equals slipping clutch.

PDJetta said:
"Gunk" engine cleaner works great for cleaning the engine. Be vary careful if you have a 5-speed. My clutch began slipping RIGHT after I used Gunk once and I suspect a little of the cleaner got in between the engine and transaxle and got on the (stock) clutch. The slipping never stopped after that (this was after an upgrade to RC 1, though). I've used Gunk on other cars for years, and this is the first occurrance of this for me. The stock clutch clamping force is near the maximum torque output of the engine, which is poor from an engineering standpoint.

Just wipe all the oil off of the sealing surfaces and wipe off the valve cover gasket and re-install with VERY small dabs (BB sized maybe) of sealant in the said cam cap corners. I do not tack the gasket anywhere else.

--Nate
 

PDJetta

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Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
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'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
Yea, I thought so too. But I had the chip for a couple of months and right after the engine cleaning (and I was careful, and used the minimal amount of cleaner) it began slipping. Maybe it was coincidence, but the timing of the beginning of slippage leads me to believe that it was the cleaner (its kerosene based). My G60 VR-6 clutch is beginning to slip a little and I sure won't use Gunk around the engine/transmission interface on the car now.

--Nate
 

gquenstedt

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Joined
May 26, 2006
Location
San Antonio, TX
TDI
'06, '03 x 2, '00
does the EGR have to be removed?

Hi,
I got the valve cover off with no trouble, but now i'm having a difficult time putting it back on. I can't get it so set down on the head. It says in the directions to remove the EGR bracket, but I thought i'd seen it done without that? I don't have a wrench for the egr. Any ideas?
 

PDJetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
TDI
'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
I thought the EGR valve had to come out to get the cover off and back on. Its a 5 MM allen wrench I think.

--Nate
 

CineAtomic

Active member
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Location
Tallahassee, Florida
TDI
2006 Jetta (early), Blue, Tan Leather
I haven't started this process my 06 BRM yet, but I thought the cover can come off and back on again with out doing anything to the EGR. Ill have to go look.
 

gquenstedt

Veteran Member
Joined
May 26, 2006
Location
San Antonio, TX
TDI
'06, '03 x 2, '00
CineAtomic said:
I haven't started this process my 06 BRM yet, but I thought the cover can come off and back on again with out doing anything to the EGR. Ill have to go look.
It came off real easy... Putting it back is the hard part:confused:
 

CineAtomic

Active member
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Location
Tallahassee, Florida
TDI
2006 Jetta (early), Blue, Tan Leather
I see what you are saying, gquenstedt. Its a really tight fit back there. what do those hoses or wires going into the plastic valve cover lid do? It is safe to remove them? I could not even see the back screws to the VC at all. It does look like a 12 point star (or even more) size screw.
 

PDJetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
TDI
'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
gquenstedt said:
Just to clarify, I'm working on an 06 BRM. The screws on the EGR look like a 12 point or something like that.
Sorry, I was referring to a BEW. VW sure loves to change fasteners from year to year!

--Nate
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
The BRM does not have to have the EGR removed.

It is a pain to get it to drop back into place, but it will. Try putting it in with the front edge tilted up, then with the back edge tilted up. Just keep playing with it, it will go into place - just drop into place.

You might have to put the timing belt end into place first, sorry I cannot recall the difficulties.

If you try it, then look at what is stopping you, then try it again, you will get there without putting any force on it.
 
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