Lower drivers side valve cover bolt EZ30

[idosubaru]

the EZ30 is much harder than any other subaru engine in this area. the lower drivers side valve cover bolt is amazing. can't see it and no room.

 

who's done it (JCE, i know you have, where are you!?) and what tool did you use for that one bolt?

 

how did you keep the tool on there and know you were tightening it?

 

i already got it removed and reinstalled finger tight, now i'm trying appropriately tighten it. it came out entirely by hand as far as i can tell, unless i bumped it some unknowingly while trying to get at it with tools.

 

a wrench - doesn't seem to be enough room to turn it. my hands are large so i can't get both down there. tried from the bottom behind the wheel and mostly from up top.

[Caboobaroo]

I use a long 10mm ratcheting wrench with a flex head on one end. I have also found it to be easier with the engine subframe removed (I had to replace mine after a small ditch incident and the other half) but since mine wasn't leaking I just tightened them all up.

 

I also go from underneath but the car is also up on a lift too.

 

You can also try to loosen the subframe, remove the engine mount nuts and lift the engine up a bit to give you more clearance. First set of EZ30 valvecover gaskets I did, I did that trick.

[johnceggleston]

i used a ratchet wrench and i only got one click per turn. it was a real ***************. one side was easier than the other, not because there was more room, but be cause the access was easier on which ever arm i was using. i'm left handed and i think the passenger side was easier. it would be interesting to know if the driver side was easier for righties.

 

i stood on a bucket, allowed better access. i think my wrenching hand went down by the fire wall while my adjusting, aligning , holding the wrench on hand went down beside the valve cover. i was using my fingers only to move the wrench. i had to keep a finger on the bolt head to get the ratchet to click back. but something about the driver side makes me think i had both hands squeezed down the same hole together.

 

my situation was made all the worse by all the oil that had leaked form the valve covers.

 

i kept thinking from below would be easier, but i think your wrench would need a ''dog leg'' shape. and even then i don't know.

 

i laughed, grumbled and cried when i read your thread about 20 minute spark plugs. i think i spent 6 hrs on spark plugs and valve cover gaskets over two days. so maybe 3 hrs for a real mechanic. i go real slow on NEW stuff. i don't want to make a costly mistake. i didn't know how the wire connector for the coils worked, snapped on. so i removed the coils on the first side with the wires still on. and i tend to remove all the stuff that is in my way.

 

good luck.

Edited May 13, 2012 by johnceggleston

[ShawnW]

Most of the time when a valve cover bolt on a Subaru is a PITA, this wrench makes it easier.

 

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?search=true&item_ID=633437&PartNo=RTBM10&group_id=675014&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all

[idosubaru]

the drivers side was 10 times harder for me, i'm right handed. not sure if there are any differences between sedan/wagon/VDC that might change that but the passengers side wasn't even hard for me for some reason. you literally can not see the drivers side bolt head on mine, at all, not even part of it. maybe my engine mount it bad?

 

i used a mirror in the left hand to see and the ratcheting wrench in the right.

 

i used a simple ratcheting wrench, one with no offset actually seemed easier, maybe coincidence.

 

the hard part was getting it:

1. past the point of hand tight

*but*

2. tight enough that the ratchet would ratchet

 

 

JCE - the 20 minutes was sort of a joke with some truth in it - the entire job took a long time - but once the valve covers are removed the spark plugs are much easier and only took a few minutes.

 

i went hand tight, then open end wrench for a bit, then it was tight enough to get the ratcheting wrench on. i couldn't seem to get the rathceting wrench in place and still have room to tighten - and going up would loosen it since it wasn't tight enough to ratchet..>GRRRRR...

 

either mine is different, engine mounts are compressed (less clearance), or my hands are bigger because both of my hands could not fit.

 

i went to remove the engine mount nut and it was conventiently rust welded in place and stripped, not breaking out the torch for a valve cover bolt! this car doesn't even really have any rust....but some of the nuts are hosed - freaking rust belt!

 

WOAH Shawn - that's a crazy freaking tool!!!