How difficult is it?

[Reasty]

I'm wanting to change my crummy looking cam cover on my 16v for a nice shiney powdercoated one
How easy is it to change,obviously you have to take off the inlet manifold first but does this involve disconnecting the injectors as i really would rather no play with them coz knowing my car they will break
having been in the car for 20 odd years.

[Wayne]

Injectors are in the bottom part so you can leave them in place, remove the plug leads and unbolt the top half, use new gaskets as required.

[Sam]

I'm wanting to change my crummy looking cam cover on my 16v for a nice shiney powdercoated one
How easy is it to change,obviously you have to take off the inlet manifold first but does this involve disconnecting the injectors as i really would rather no play with them coz knowing my car they will break
having been in the car for 20 odd years.

Remove plug leads (worth marking 1-4 left to right so you dont get them muddled) and put them tucked out of the way.

Remove inlet manifold bolts and the bracket that is at the rear connected to the block, then reach under the throttle body and there is a connector, unplug that then disconnect throttle cable.

Then undo however your air intake it connected and you will be ready to remove. It may be fairly well connected to the smaller inlet mani if its been on for a while but just give it a jiggle and it will come., then put something over the exposed intakes to prevent sh!t falling into the block whilst doing the rest.

Now you are ready to remove rocker bolts, its recommended that you do them in diagonal opposites. After all are removed you will need to tap all around the edge of the rocker at various angles with a hammer until it pops off, they can be very stuck on especially if they have been on for a while.

Then swap over with new gasket and little semicircle blue thing (fits on the far left, you will see what I mean when you do it and will come with the gasket set). Then re-do what you just did but backwards. At this point though its worth mentioning that if you put your plugs in before the inlet mani they will now be 'hidden' under the mani and tidy things up a little 

[Simpson]

make sure you use plenty of lubricant for sticky nuts and bolts! tke your time and try not to round the allen bolts at the back easy enough a couple of hours taking your time i guess

[Reasty]

thanks guys and thanks Sam for the great instructions!  so if I wanted to change the inlet aswell I'd have to remove the injectors when replacing the bottom half  which could then pose a potential headache and break something that currently isn't broken.

[Sam]

thanks guys and thanks Sam for the great instructions!  so if I wanted to change the inlet aswell I'd have to remove the injectors when replacing the bottom half  which could then pose a potential headache and break something that currently isn't broken.

Its not too much of a problem... in theory; but in practical terms they will be stuck in, remove the nut then prise prise prise, the proper tool wont do alot unless they have been removed in the last 5 years. You should replace the seals once they are out with OEM only. I assume you are planning on powdercoating the inlet too