[teacherman1]

I never thought I would be faced with an unsolvable Subaru dilemma.
Replacing the spark plug grommets as per OBD code 0304, misfire cyl. 4, I could not remove the cover from the vehicle. There simply is no room to get it out. I finagled and finagled but it will not come up out of there. Do you pull the motor?

 

[Saint J VT]

Year of car, engine?

 

[teacherman1]

2006 2.5i, with 140K on it. The service mgr didn't seem to think it would be a big deal for e to do it, but I found out otherwise. Wow.

 

[canubaru]

i have not looked at an 05, but if i can remove the valve cover of an 01 H6, you can do an 05 H4.

you can do it with the right tool.

which bolt are you having trouble with? rear lower corner?

 

[teacherman1]

I got the bolts out OK. The lower middle was tough, but I got it with air through the wheel well. I can't seem to get the cover out. There isnt enough clearance to the frame right there. I pried up on the engine a bit with a 1x3, and got it partway, but i can't seem to get it out, no matter how I finagle it.
This is the driver side. The manual said to pull the washer reservoir, but it's nowhere near there; that must refer to an earlier model than an '06.

 

[Saint J VT]

My '05 H4 does actually have the washer reservoir down there, in the lower forward driver side, kind of below the battery.

 

[teacherman1]

My washer reservoir is way forward and outboard of the engine compartment. It's on the other side of the frame rail, and about a foot forward of the valve cover. The problem I'm having is the clearance from the head to the frame rail is not enough to maneuver the cover out of there. It looks like the injector rail will have to come off at the very least, and I'm leery of doing that, lest I mess something up.

Does the cover normally come out toward the front? I can tilt it backward a fair amount, but then it hits the injector rail. I don't see any other way out for this thing.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

:3:

 

[Saint J VT]

I have to do my two valve cover gaskets so I bought the gasket kit (two rubber gaskets, ten grommets for the five bolts on each head and four spark plug rubbers).

Have you ripped out the spark plug rubbers yet?
Does your engine take those? Do you have new ones?

My '05 2.5I takes a Fel-Pro gasket kit number VS 50561 R

From what I recall reading, pull the covers straight out then upward to remove.

 

[Saint J VT]

Did a search for the 2006 and found this:
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/43353-2006-outback-2-5i-valve-cover-gasket-installation-problems.html

Apparently, it can be done, it is just a touchy thing to do, like you have to have it just so in order to remove it, there is no "Bulling & Jamming" this, it must be done with finesse (mind over matter). OTHERWISE, a 12 gauge with buckshot would remove the covers in no time!

I was going to do ours the other day but then thought that I should allow myself longer than one or two hours!
I can see, with the way my body lets me down anymore, I will do ONE SIDE AT A TIME and will allow plenty of time! I have some of those adult diaper flat waterproof things you set onto furniture when someone is incontinent(?), I plan to lay one of them under the whole cover before removing to catch all the oil that is "supposed" to pour out.

 

[plain OM]

I just had a look at my 07, which is closer to the 06 than an 05 would be (06+ has the variable valve lift mechanism in the valve lifter system). On the driver's side, there is indeed hardly any room to move the cover away from the head, especially because the valve lifter mechanism inside extends out beyond the head itself. The cover isn't flat -- it peaks out just where the chassis rail is, and at the back the distance from the peak to the rail is less than the distance from the peak to the inside edge of the cover. If the valve train didn't go above the head, the cover could be lifted out; but because the cover has to clear the valve train, it has to come out further before it can be maneuvered out.

The OP in the linked thread never did complete the job, at least not in that thread -- it was left to some future time when the timing belt was to be done. It was never followed-up.

Most comments about how easy it to remove the valve covers have been related to earlier model years. Thing's have certainly changed.

I'm not sure just how it would come out. Here's a clip from the 07 manual, which seems to suggest that the injectors (or perhaps the fuel rail) have to come out, but there's no more detail about this requirement. (It from the Valve Clearance page of the Mechanical Section of the Engine volume.)

8. Valve Clearance
A: INSPECTION
NOTE:
Inspection and adjustment of valve clearance
should be performed while engine is cold.

1) Set the vehicle on a lift.
2) Lift up the vehicle.
3) Remove the under cover.
4) Lower the vehicle.
5) Disconnect the ground cable from the battery.
6) Remove the timing belt cover (LH).

7) Remove the fuel injector. <Ref. to FU(H4SO)-
28, REMOVAL, Fuel Injector.>

8) When inspecting #1 and #3 cylinders:

(1) Disconnect the spark plug cords from spark
plugs RH side. <Ref. to IG(H4SO)-4, RH SIDE,
REMOVAL, Spark Plug.>
(2) Disconnect the PCV hose from the rocker
cover (RH).
(3) Remove the bolts, then remove the rocker
cover (RH).​

9) When inspecting #2 and #4 cylinders:

(1) Disconnect the spark plug cords from spark
plugs (LH side). <Ref. to IG(H4SO)-4, LH SIDE,
REMOVAL, Spark Plug.>
(2) Disconnect the PCV hose from the rocker
cover (LH).
(3) Remove the bolts, then remove the rocker cover​

​

In addition, on mine, the oil filler tube goes into the left side valve cover -- it would have to be freed to enable to cover to come out.

What this needs is someone who has done the valve cover replacement on an 06+ engine.