Trying to remove the back bolt of the valve cover on the passenger side to check for a burnt wiring harness but cannot do so because the plastic housing (A/C blower?) at the firewall is in the way. Any advice ?

 

13mm short socket and 3/8 inch ratchet. trust me you can get it from the top. if that doesnt work which it will use 1/4 inch stuff. i've had mine off twice now.

 

Damn this thing! I tried what you suggested but, only could get to it enough to loosen it. Still can't get enough room to get it out. If I finally do, it's going to be something getting it back in because I can't even see the bolt. Going back out to try again. Thankyou 1997F-350.

 

try cursing at it a lot, tear up your knuckles getting between the AC housing and spin it out. curse a little more, have another beer, and keep trying. it will come off. do the reverse for getting it back in.

 

I agree, 13MM wobbly socket, and an extension and a 3/8 drive ratchet. Here is some helpful advice though, if you have an XLT that lump on the firewall behind the sound material comes off. We found this out in a rather odd manner, my XL doesnt have the firewall sound material, so to me, its a black box held on by 1 screw. When we did my injectors, we just took it right off. We did injectors on an XLT and were rather confused on why the VC was so hard to get off, then we noticed the big lump on the firewall that is right in the way.

 

i'll have to remember that lump on the firewall and takin it off. i'll probably end up doing injectors some day.....it was a bear to do my plugs. hmm. i think i'll go out and look at it right now....

 

i'd take a pic of mine, if i had a camera here... :P maybe when i get home

 

Well, I finally got the bolts out after shouting some choice expletives and breaking the plastic handle off my oil dipstick in the process. Can't get the valve cover completely off though because of that A/C housing lump ya'll were talking about. Mine's an XLT. If I tear off that sound insulation to get to what is needed to remove that "lump". What will I be looking for once the insulation's off?

 

its a black box with a screw on the bottom i think

 

Thanks. I'd rather do without that insulation to make future things easier when taking off that cover.

 

wow dont jack up the insulation.......... the vc can come off also with that left on. you gotta lift the front of the valve cover first and then slide it out towards the front of the truck. if you think that bolt is hard it isn't the drivers side in the same spot is really somethin. good luck

 

I spent 2 hours, cursed at it, pretty sure the neighbors are taking some video of the crazy lady working on her truck and had to shut it down for the night. Back to try again tomorrow!!!

 

It's kind of interesting that the truck that the original poster was working on was only eight years old when this thread was made.

 

I feel like this site had a lot more traffic back then lol pretty slow going in here these days.

 

the Internet is a lot more centralized and consolidated into just a handful of websites now. The people who might otherwise be here are instead on big platforms.