Rep Power: 175

I am putting the valve cover back on my 1.7 VTEC. This has been the hardest part of my head gasket change. I replaced the seals that go in the spark plug holes. When I put the cover on should the seals completely cover the top of the spark plug tubes? when looking down in the hole I can see part of the top of the tube. I tried to take a small screw driver and work to seal around the top of the tube but I cant get it. I am afraid to tighten down the valve cover bolts because it looks like it would cut the seal. I called Felpro and they said the spring side on the spark plug seal should face down toward the head. I have a spare cover and that is not how the seals are installed in it. I can't believe this is giving me so much trouble. Tried to see on you tube if I put the seals in backwards but could not tell in the videos I saw. I have to reset my password before I can post a picture to show what is going on. Help please

 
Rep Power: 175

This is looking down in the psrk plug hole. The seal is not uniform

http://tinypic.com/m/ht89as/1

This is how I installed the seal


http://tinypic.com/m/ht89ag/1

 
Rep Power: 175

I think I got it. I used some small screwdrivers and worked the seal down around the tube. Didn't want to do that but it looks like that is the way they should be. Hope I didn't hurt anything

 
Rep Power: 517

Your pics look like the seal is installed correctly to me.
Sometimes you have to "help" the seal into the correct place around the tube (small screwdriver).

If the seal would have been left with a lip partially covering the spark plug tube, the tube would likely eventually fill with oil.


See this thread for pics of a tube seal that got caught wrong: https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...ml#post4634397

HTH

 
Rep Power: 175

Finally coming along. Picture with seal properly installed.

http://tinypic.com/m/ht8ar9/1

If you saw my other pictures of my valve cover I think it turned out pretty good.

http://tinypic.com/m/ht8ar6/1

 
Rep Power: 175

That link would have helped me see how the tube seal is supposed to be. When I took out the sparkplugs when I first started this job one of the seals was like that and had oil in the sparkplug hole.