ok, I followed this thread from JF:
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f310/...ite-up-733669/

BUt I seem to be having serious difficulty doing so....I have moved it in every direction, jiggled, vice gripped it and nothing...she aint coming out.

Would it be easier to cut the grommet and lift that way??

This is the front one, it now has not lip as I have cracked it all around...too scared to pull harder as I dont want any plastic bits falling down inside the VC

 

If it's not budging at all, I'd pull off the valve cover to do the job. Anything you try to do, you're gunna risk getting plastic chunks down in the engine.

You posted this 18 hours ago though, did you try anything new today?

 

I hit it with the torch. It melted the grommet and pulled right out. Don't apply heat directly to the cover though. I moved the torch back and forth so it didn't heat up too much in one spot too. Just being careful.

I did it with the cover removed though.

 

Yeah... Don't do that with it on your XJ haha. Just in case things may fall down and in the engine

 

I ordered new grommets from the stealer today..I thought I would have a go with moving the grommet or cutting it to free the elbow.....if all else fails I will have to remove the cover (I already have the drive shaft to rebuild and now the valve cover

This is all dipping into my lift budget....but I know I need to sort out he mechanical things before I give IRO my money

 

If you're careful you can torch it without dropping anything in to the cover. Just torch, move, torch, move etc and wiggle it out. There is a metal catch underneath the ccv so even if you do drop a piece in, it shouldn't drop down. It'll take some patience but if your valve cover gasket doesn't need replacement then it'll be worth it.

Just clean around it real good before torching so nothing flames up.

 

I need to think ahead with these things...3 months ago I replaced the valve gasket and didnt look at the CCV valves until just recently I ordered a new Fan clutch from Rockauto and thought what else can I order from the "shipping A location" and the valves were sold to me.

Funny how I start to do something and then search on the forums "how to"...I need to do the other way around like the wife says

Ill do that - with the valve cover on I'll use the heat gun directly on it for a few mins and wiggle....jiggle and repeat until it comes out

 

I'd heat up around the ccv valves first to get them out of the way before working on the grommets since they're super brittle.

Good luck! I think my torch is my most used tool lol.

 

I did mine yesterday, just a little wd40 and a flathead with some careful prying. Putting the new one in was a bit harder for me.

 

Easiest way to put the new ones on will be to put the new elbow into the new grommet and then putting them both in the valve cover at once. Should pop in pretty easily