Olds Alero Valve Cover Gasket Replacement... What the?! (What is wrong here?)

After checking out several websites and Youtube videos, I decided to change my valve cover gaskets on my own. I normally do everything on my own but this is the biggest project I have ever taken on. After watching several videos on how to change valve cover gaskets on other cars I decided this looked easy enough for me. However, I just started opening things up and am running into trouble.

(Checkout the attached pics)

I took a hammer to tap on the covers to loosen them up... however the end nearest where the oil is filled it seems that the cover is stuck. Does anyone know if I need to remove anything else to get these covers off?

I purchased one package of gaskets online and it sounded like it had everything I would need. However it does not. Are both gaskets the same exact model number?

Any information you can give me will be very helpful! Than you for reading!

Just in case anyone else does a search for this... here is what I found out... the covers on top are actually for the cam shafts. Beneath that are the valves. So you have to loosen the cover on the side (right next to where you fill the oil) and remove gears in there so you can get to a few bolts that are holding the cam shaft covers and valve covers on. To get the gears off you need to take the timing chain off the gears. It is a lot of work in a lot of tight spaces. And a torque wrench is a must on this one.

Checkout ChiltonLibrary.com for some instructions.

Have fun!

Okay... this is not fun. All I have to do is get the timing chain and cam shaft sprockets back on.... you'd think it would be easy but I can't get the last sprocket on and thanks to this descriptive Chilton diagram (attached), I do not know where the tensioner is... I have a bad feeling I may need to loosen the chain.

When I removed the sprockets would the tensioner have tightened up more or does the chain tensioner not work like a belt tensioner where the spring puts tension on the belt.

What I imagine is that now the spring is free and when I try to get that sprocket back on I am fighting the spring. Does anyone know how I should complete this work? I would appreciate any help... I am feeling like pushing this car in front of a train (since we don't have cliffs where I live).

ATTACHED: A diagram missing #3... the chain tensioner... where is it!??!

Sorry don't have much time right now but #1is the tensioner.

Sent from my Droid X. Typos probable.

Wow....hate to say this, but you are way in over your head if you think a cam carrier cover is the same thing as a valve cover.....not even close....

No one replaces these gaskets(CAM CARRIER GASKETS) even when doing a head gasket job.....more often than not, when you see oil in the "valley", it is the oil pressure sending unit that is the problem....

Well, the damage is done now......you NEED A MANUAL!!!!!

Quad four engines, if you've never done one, requires reading the manual several times, to understand what you are doing...banging on the carrier cover, shows you didn't...better hope you didn't damage anything......

Hopefully, before removing the timing chain, you had the engine in the "timed " position......if not, you better read the manual, and correctly learn the procedure to time the engine, or the first time you crank it, say goodbye to those valves.....

Hate to pick on you, but this is not your every day, run of the mill engine.....it's a double overhead cam....it's complicated.....it's an engine that threw me for a loop the first time I did a head gasket.......but like any engine, once you've done them a few times, they become easy to do.....knowledge is power....whenever you work on something you've never worked on, you either have someone by your side who does, or you get a manual, and see what you are up against, and decide if you can handle it....

I assume since you tackled this you are mechanically inclined and have may have done some minor work on cars....if this is your first big project, couldn't have picked a harder one for a 4 banger.....

So good luck....follow the manual.....don't take any short cuts......when you have the sprockets, chain, tensioner, and guides all together and "timed", double check the timing, by manually rotating the crank twice back to the timed position....make sure the pins insert easily, and that the timing marks line up....do this BEFORE putting the timing cover back on....

Once again, good luck...

Yeah, I was using a Chilton manual online. My father's library provides it free online. Unfortunately, it said to open the timing cover but not to remove it from the car. We didn't realize how deep this would go until we got into it. Needless to say, I didn't know enough about this engine. I asked a few mechanics about it and they said it would be easy. I was planning on selling the car soon. Wasn't sure if it would be for parts or as a whole car... which ever gets more money.

We are going to jack up the engine today and finish the job. Way too much work for gaskets. No wonder I couldn't find any other instructions online for changing these gaskets on an olds alero... except for that chilton library.

Thanks for the info.

You need to go to a large library, to get a manual....they stopped making manuals after 2000, so get a 2000 manual for an "N" body(Alero, Grand Am, etc.).....

I doubt a Chilton's would be as good as a GM manual....

You need to go to a large library, to get a manual....they stopped making manuals after 2000, so get a 2000 manual for an "N" body(Alero, Grand Am, etc.).....

I doubt a Chilton's would be as good as a GM manual....

Good to know, I will do this in the near future, once I determine which vehicle I will be driving. We were already talking about selling this thing. Either way, I am getting a manual soon... waiting for an ratchet extension and I will be trying to get the crankshaft bolt out.

Just curious... I notice a lot of people suggest bracing a breaker bar against the frame and tapping the starter. I haven't seen any of these people say they have done it. Has anyone had success with this (for future reference. Too late for me to try that trick now).

It was a long and terrible journey... but it's done. Timing lined up so I put it together and turned the ignition. Sounds good! Now I know way more about my engine than I ever thought I would. Now I need to fix that humming sound up front. It BETTER not be a wheel bearing, I just changed them last year!

Thanks for the info and assistance guys!

The only way I can get my valve cover off, is to take the cam gears off and take the 10mm bolts out. There is no other way.