How do you get these dang things out? I've broken the plastic (or hardened rubber) inner rings, some were already broken. I've bent the tabs up from inside the valve covers. I'm trying to wedge a small flat head under the seals, and can't get a grip on them with needle nose pliers. What's the trick here? I don't want to damage the valve cover.
RTH: removing spark plug tube seals from valve cover (1 Viewer)
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Can't you press them out from the back side, once you have bent the sheet metal tabs out of the way? Use a small flat screwdriver and a mallet.
- Thread starter
- #4
It can't really grip it. It's a rubber-coated metal ring, and the rubber strips off.
Here's what's worked for me so far, but a seal puller would work much better I'm sure: from the under side, I tap a small flathead under the seal (between the seal and the top end of the valve cover), then twist the flathead with pliers. Mangled my flathead handle, but it would scoot the seal out a bit. Then move the flathead over a smidge, twist, and repeat all the way around.
The underside of the valve cover ended up with some light marring, but where the sides fit tightly against their side was fine, so I think it'll be fine.
