Is there a technique to remove old valve cover bolt gaskets? One of the center ones was leaking, and I have replacement ones from when I got a upper gasket kit and never used them. They are hard and brittle and break apart when trying to pry them out w/ a screw driver. This is tedious. It looks as though I'm gonna have to get the dremel out.

Joel Baldridge, ASE Certified Master Technician, Audi Certified Expert Technician

Well I finally got them out. The center ones I was able to pull out with plyers, but the outer ones didn't have enough room to brake free the inside edges, I tried using picks and assorted tools, but it need to be gripped almost the whole way around otherwise it just tears the top part off w/ enough force. This was one of the hardest things I've done, hahah, they were so old, and dried out, that they had become part of the valve cover. I use a dremel and ported the rest of them out, then polished the aluminum where the gasket contacts. Put a little blue RTV in all the holes, and pressed the new gaskets in. Can't start my car till tomorrow though, to give the RTV time to cure. I don't want silicon getting lodged anywhere in my engine.

Joel Baldridge, ASE Certified Master Technician, Audi Certified Expert Technician