How to Replace Valve Cover Gasket 2004-11 Ford Focus
Created on: 2014-01-31
Watch this video to learn how to replace a leaky valve cover gasket on your 00-07 Ford Focus.
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step 1 :Removing the Ignition Coils
- Disconnect each of the ignition coil harness
- Remove the four 8mm bolts in the ignition coils
- Remove each of the ignition coils
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step 2 :Removing the Valve Cover
- Remove the fuel injector harnesses
- Remove the camshaft position sensor harness
- Remove all of the wire ties with wire cutters
- Disconnect the larger fuel injector wiring harness
- Disconnect the coolant wiring harness
- Remove the clip holding the fuel injector harness to the valve cover on both sides
- Disconnect the MAP sensor
- Remove the rubber cap and fuel injector wiring harness from the spark plugs
- Remove the panel on the engine with a flat blade screwdriver
- Bend back the metal bracket on the back of the engine
- Push in the yellow clip and remove the intake hose from the valve cover
- Remove the 8mm bolts from the valve cover
- Lift the valve cover up and out
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step 3 :Removing the Gaskets
- Remove the gaskets from the valve cover with a pick
- Clean the areas where the gaskets fit with a paper towel
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step 4 :Installing the Gaskets
- Push the new gaskets into place
- Clean the areas where the gaskets will sit on the engine with a paper towel
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step 5 :Installing the Valve Cover
- Insert the valve cover into place
- Insert and tighten the 8mm bolts to the valve cover in a crossing pattern
- Torque the bolts in a crossing pattern to 6 foot-pounds
- Push the plastic panel onto its stud next to the engine
- Push in the clip holding the fuel injector harness to the valve cover on both sides
- Connect the coolant wiring harness
- Connect the fuel injector harnesses
- Connect the larger fuel injector wiring harness
- Connect the camshaft position sensor harness
- Connect the MAP sensor harness
- Push in the rubber cap and fuel injector wiring harness from the spark plugs
- Replace the wire ties
- Push in the yellow clip and install the intake hose from the valve cover
- Soak up some of the oil in the spark plug socket
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step 6 :Installing the Ignition Coils
- Install each of the ignition coils
- Insert the four 8mm bolts in the ignition coils
- Connect each of the ignition coil harness
Tools needed
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Flat Blade Screwdriver
Torque Wrench
Paper Towels
8mm Socket
Wire Ties
Ratchet
Wire Cutters
Pick
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Hi, I'm Don from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and the next time you need a part for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to replace your valve cover gaskets on this 2005 Ford Focus with a 2-liter 4-cylinder engine. The items you'll need for this are: a new valve cover gasket set, an 8mm socket and ratchet, flat blade screwdriver, wire cutters, pliers, pick, paper towels, and a torque wrench.
Start off by disconnecting each of your ignition coils. Push on the tab and pull the arm straight. Next, remove the four 8mm bolts that hold the ignition coils in place, and then pull each of the ignition coils up and out. The best way to know if you have a valve cover gasket leak is if your ignition coil is covered in oil. When you look down there, it should look dry like that. You can see the spark plug is surrounded by oil. In order to access that valve cover gasket, you're going to first disconnect each of these harnesses connected to your fuel injectors, push the tab, and pull them free.
For your cam shaft position sensors, pull that tab and pull that harness free. Using wire cutters, remove all of these wire tabs, and you want to just pull these harnesses out of the way. Pull this red tab back and disconnect this larger harness.
Next, on this side of your engine by your coolant valve, you just push the tab on this harness and pull it free. Pull this clip up and out of this plastic panel. You want to tuck this harness out of the way, so you disconnect this harness, and there's a flip up there on the other end that you have to pull up and out on.
Center of your valve cover, even though it's just a rubber cap. Pry it up and there's a harness underneath. Push the tab and pull the harness free. Using a flat blade screwdriver, you want to slide this panel up, you want to just keep sliding it along the studs until it comes up and off. Bend this metal bracket back to your engine back. For this hose, it has a yellow clip, we push that, and once it unlocks you can just pull that hose free.
Lining your valve cover is a series of 8mm bolts. You'll notice when you go to remove them that most of them won't pull all the way out. That's fine. You will notice when they stop loosening, and that's all you really need to do. We'll just fast-forward as Don removes these. In the center of your valve cover, there are two more 8mm bolts. Go ahead and remove those. Carefully lift your valve cover up and out. You can do it by maneuvering around these harnesses, and remove these bolts and out.
Using a pick, carefully remove all of your old gaskets. Using a bundled up paper towel, clean inside the area where the gaskets fits. You're really just trying to get all of the oil out of these areas. In the back of the old gaskets, up front with the new ones, you can see it's the same set of gaskets, they mount exactly the same. Carefully push your new gaskets into place, and you want to make sure they're pushed all the way down. Using some paper towel, clean the areas where the valve cover gasket is going to sit in the engine.
Again, you just want to make sure that there's no oil in those areas. Now carefully lower your valve cover back down into place. Make sure nothing gets trapped underneath it. As you're lowering it into place, periodically, look underneath and make sure your gasket is still in place. We'll fast-forward here as Don replaces those 8mm bolts in a crossing pattern. Now, using a torque wrench, torque each of those bolts in a crossing pattern to 6 foot-pounds.
Now push that plastic panel back down onto those studs, and push the harness clip back into place. Reconnect this harness and slide it back onto the bracket. This harness will push down onto the studs, and then you want to reconnect your fuel injector harnesses. Reconnect this harness, as well as your cam shaft position harness and the harness that goes along the top of your valve cover. Push that red clip back in. Reconnect this harness and push that rubber cap back into place. Reconnect that hose.
You want to go through and double-check again, make sure you've reconnected everything. Then replace all the wire ties that you removed earlier. Using some paper towels and screwdrivers, very carefully make sure you don't damage the spark plug or the cylinder, and carefully soak up some of that oil. You don't have to get all of it, just get as much as you can. Replace your ignition coils and the 8mm bolts that hold them into place, and then reconnect the harnesses. After this, run your car a little bit and change the oil.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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