Decided today that work sucked, so I left an hour early and came home to install the new valve cover gaskets that I bought in February. While I was at it of course, a few things were sure to happen. One, I'd paint the valve covers (check). Two, I'd break the breather hose (check). Three, I'd break the tiny vacuum line from the evap canister (check). For the time being, electrical tape solved the breather hose fracture. A piece of red silicone hose that I had in my rollaway took care of the broken evap line permanently, and the painting of the valve covers came out really nicely.

As for the VC gasket job itself, it's a piece of cake. Realize going into it though, that the gaskets don't sit perfectly in the head groove - they're slightly long, so you need to take care to have them seated when you reinstall the valve covers. Otherwise, as long as you take care doing the job, don't lose any bolts or nuts, and are prepared to repair or replace the evap and breather hoses WHEN (not if) you break them, you'll have no trouble with the DIY.

On to the pics - here's the new and improved underhood (big improvement over filthy aluminum-finish VCs):









Before anyone asks, the "scuffing" on the manifold will be handled shortly (I had a retarded moment with a sander a little while back). I'd have repainted it tonight but I am out of high-temp silver paint, so it'll have to wait a couple days. And just for kicks, here's a couple better pics of the calipers painted with the A8 brakes, inside the wheels (did the calipers on Saturday):





Soon to come - hopefully a better-looking overflow tank (mine is beat to hell) and a red intake with red couplers. Otherwise, I'm fairly happy with the engine bay.

 

you did a great job.

 

ls1 swap bro!

 

Looks really, really nice! Do you think the paint would stick to the plastic of the cap on the expansion tank? That would look great in red.

One suggestion...I don't know how well you taped the covers off, but if there's paint along the seal between the valve cover and the oil cap, scrape it clean. It'll leak otherwise.

 

i would invest in a heat sheild for that intake or else your just sucking in heat from the engine

 

good, what kind of paint did you use, and how did you apply it?

 

if you ever have the time paint the V6 and the audi rings red or silver...that would make it really nice

 

nice, I think I'm gonna paint my intake black and then the rings on the engine cover either red or yellow, then paint the calipers yellow possibly sometime this summer.


Yeah Yellow because everyone has red and I think blue and yellow calipers would be sick. I also considered lime green in my color choice but decided I didn't want to go against the norm to much as not to get flamed by my peers

 

he'll have a heatshield soon, i'm making it. he used high temp engine enamel. same as his calipers. that's a good suggestions sineo, i don't think he taped it off at all, but i wasn't there when he did it.

 

I speak from experience [&:].