So my D16y7 head is just the normal color with black stains all over it. I want to paint it black and keep the Honda lettering white or paint it red.

1.First can I use spray paint and second what should I use to clean off the cover or put on before paint?

2. How do you take off the Cover, just simple Bolts my guess?

 

Valve cover? Just unbolt it. Buy a new gasket too. Use acetone or good old carb cleaner to degrease it. Gasoline also works. Spray paint does work well if you let it dry properly and use the high temp stuff. For the lettering you can either mask it, or paint the lettering first and than with a q-tip apply a thin layer of vaseline to the letters and spray the rest and when dry just wipe off the letters.

 

Why buy a new gasket?

And is this DIY good because I want to just keep the letter as it is in this DIY

http://civic-eg.com/viewtopic.php?t=6326

 

That gasket is ~10 years old. That's 10 years of high temperature, wear, and cracking. Trust us, replace it.

 

Oh im not complaining im going to, just a normal Autozone headgasket, and since Im an engine noob and doing this myself im guessing it's not hard to replace?

 

valve cover gasket. It should run around $20 (if I'm not mistaken. It's been a while) and come with the valve cover gasket, spark plug tube seals, and (again, if I'm not mistaken) valve cover bolt washers. It's like 8 bolts to take the valve cover off, I think they're 10mm (again, it's been a few years).

 

Yeah. Valve cover gasket, NOT the head gasket. The spark plug tube gaskets are a damn good idea to replace as well.

 

As well as the rubber "gasket" on the grommets.

The kit consisting of the VC gasket, rubber grommets, and spark plug tube seals came to a grand total of $13.75 at the local Pepboys.

The spark plug tube seals and grommets are not the easiest thing to replace, but definitely need to be replaced if still OEM.

 

Finally finished it, doesn't look bad for someone like me doing it.




and 2 randoms I like:

 

I like it. It reminds me of my old civic's VC

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