The thread title says it all. I have a little pooling on the rear of the valve cover but I need to buy sockets because of this configuration, a nut down on a bolt instead of just a bolt.

 

They are all 10mm.

 

Thank you very much.

Let me see if I see the stupid situation here. My first Cherokee. I love the engine but I looked at this strange threaded post with a nut on it situation, and I am no mechanic...but I have worked on other stuff off and on all of my life...why in the **** did they do this stupid **** on such an awesome engine? Is it because the valve cover is plastic or something? I see the grommets to help seal the gasket and this is just the stupidest set-up and over-complication of such a beautifully simplistic engine I have seen in my life.

 

The grommets are NOT there to help with sealing, really.. They are there to prevent over-tightening of the cover bolts. Which prevent deformation and cracking of the cover.

 

And the cover is plastic, correct?

 

No it is metal.

 

And this overglorified sieve system is supposed to be better than just putting a bolt through the valve cover hole, through a gasket and then into the head? That's ridiculous, in the extreme.

I have a friend who has a mid-80s Wrangler, not the same engine, but his valve cover is plastic.

The only reason I can see for this overcomplicated B.S. is if it were plastic and a valve cover shouldn't be made of plastic, either.

 

Neighbor's deep well socket is not deep enough. Ten Millimeter wrench won't fit it because of other obstructions. Payday is Wednesday. ****ty ****ing design.

 

The factory bolts (two or three are studs with nuts) and their grommets have absolutely nothing to do with sealing anything, other than applying pressure.

Sounds like it's time for a new valve cover gasket. The valve cover is stamped steel.

Here's a writeup for you: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/v...-pics-1121533/

The better gasket to buy is the Fel-Pro PermaDry. It is made of silicone, not cork.

 

And it could be that it has just vibrated loose and needs tightened because of a stupid design.

 

My friend has to tighten his every couple months or it is a sieve. He doesn't need a new valve cover gasket, either.

I'll check the rebreather tube on the rear of the cover.

Thanks for the link, too.

I'm not mad at you, I'm disgusted that if you give enough engineers enough time to waste, they can **** up anything that is dirt-simple. This thing should just be bolts through the cover, gasket and into the head. This is just overcomplication for absolutely zero reward. When you do things like this, there should be some benefit. I see no benefit.

 

Right now it doesn't matter if I'm of the wrong opinion, I believe it is demonstrable fact. But this is the stupidity I have to deal with to have this vehicle. The only question now is finding a set of sockets deep enough to work because my neighbor's were not. I don't feel like going out and buying the whole goddamned tool section at Sears for this stupid design.

 

You're the first person I've seen lose their mind over a valve cover. There isn't any huge flaw in the design. You torque the nuts down to tighten the valve cover. Is yours loose? Does it need a new gasket? This is one of the most basic things you'll tackle on the Jeep. If it's bothing you this much, sell it. Seriously. You'll absolutely hate working on the rest of it if the valve cover has you so upset. It's not the fault of Jeep engineers that you don't have basic automotive tools.

 

Will this set fit this stupid threaded post with the bolt on it for the valve cover?

My neighbor had a set of off-brand deep sockets but they were not deep enough.

http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-9...p-00934545000P

 

Right.