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Old timer told me to never use an impact on aluminum valve covers, I didn't listen
My mentor Frank, who ran a shop in Dayton for 40 years, always said to hand-tighten those bolts or you'll warp the flange. I used my 3/8" impact on a '98 Civic last week and sure enough, it leaked after 50 miles. Anyone have a good method for straightening a slightly warped cover, or is it just trash now?
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laura_wilson5mo ago
Frank was right, that's a classic lesson. It reminds me how often the old ways are just about respecting the material, not being stubborn. You can try laying it on a flat surface and tapping the high spots with a rubber mallet, but it's probably time for a new one. That urge to just zip everything down with power tools is everywhere now, even with stuff like furniture assembly. Sometimes you just gotta slow down and feel it.
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green.laura5mo ago
Learned that lesson the hard way on an old Ranger. I put the warped cover on a piece of glass and used a heat gun on the low spots while it cooled, which helped a lot. Laura_wilson is right about slowing down, I keep a hand ratchet in my valve cover box now.
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