How to Install the Gasket Valve Cover on the 1997 Nissan Altima

Nissan developed the Altima as the replacement for the Stanza for the 1993 model year. The 1997 Nissan Altima was the final year of the first generation of Altimas, as it received a visual upgrade the following year. The 1997 Altima came fitted with a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine that produced 150 horsepower. This engine was a fairly basic set-up, so it was relatively easy to work on. The valve cover sits on top of the 2.4-liter engine and is easily accessed, should it need to be removed. This makes the task of replacing the valve cover gasket relatively easy to complete.

Instructions

1

Pull the accelerator cable from the bracket on the valve cover and push it to the side.

2

Label all four spark plug wires, using masking tape and a permanent marker. Pull all four spark plug wires from the spark plugs with a slight wiggling motion. Remove the spark plug wires from the guide clip on the valve cover.

3

Slide the hose clamp securing the vacuum line to the driver's side of the valve cover a few inches toward the center of the vacuum hose, using the channel lock pliers. Pull the hose from the valve cover gasket.

4

Remove the bolts and nuts securing the valve cover, using a ratchet and socket; start with the center nut, work in a crisscrossing pattern and end with the driver's side center nut. Pull the valve cover up and off the engine. Discard the old washers from the valve cover.

5

Pull the old gasket from the perimeter cylinder head. Install a new gasket into the valve cover's valley. Make certain that the half-circle gaskets are in the proper positions in relation to the half circles in the cylinder head.

6

Pull the spark plug tube gaskets from the center of the cylinder head and place the new gaskets in their place.

7

Place the valve cover on the engine and hand-tighten all of the nuts and bolts; make certain to use the new washers that come with the gasket kit.

8

Tighten the valve cover nuts and bolts to 6 to 8 foot-pounds, using a a torque wrench and a socket; start with the center, driver's side nut, work in a crisscrossing pattern and end with the center bolt.

9

Reconnect the spark plug wires onto their respective spark plugs and press them into the plastic retainer on the valve cover.

10

Insert the vacuum hose onto the valve cover and slide the hose clamp to the end of the hose, with channel lock pliers, to secure the hose into place.

11

Press the accelerator cable back into the bracket on the valve cover.