To take out the valve covers off the cylinder heads, first, do the bolts of the rocker arm pivot one at a time and get the rocker arms and bolts out and then the pedestal that supports the pivot of the rocker arm and make sure to record the positions of the rocker arms for future use. Another way is stacking each set of rocker component to be kept in the marked plastic bags to know its place of keeping. After that, get rid of the pushrods and put them aside in various batches so they do not get interchanged in usage with the correct orientation of the arrow that signifies the front of the engine. Visually examine the side of each rocker arm for wear, cracks and other signs of damage especially around the contact point with the pushrods and at the contact area of the valve stem contact point and also visually inspect the pivot bearing for binding or roughness as the bearing indicates that they must be replaced with the whole rocker arm. In the same way, check for cracks on the rocker arm pivot support pedestal; and on the other end of the rocker, ensure that the hole at the pushrod end is clear. Exploring the pushrods for cracks or signs of excessive wear and to make sure the oil hole of the pushrod is not blocked you should roll them on a flat surface to feel if they are bent. To reinstall them, apply clean engine oil or assembly lube to the lower end of the respective pushrod as well as to insert it back to its intended position the pushrod must fully seat into the lifter socket. Coat the valve stems and the upper ends of the pushrods with engine assembly lube to help in protecting mating surfaces during the first run; coat the pivot shaft and bearing of each of the rocker arms before loosely inserting them and without tightening the bolts. Turn the crankshaft to have the number one piston at TDC then torque the intake and exhaust valve rocker arms for cylinders 1, 3, 4, and 5 and the exhaust rocker arms for cylinders 1, 2, 7 and 8 as per their torque specification. Turn crankshaft 360 degrees and torque intake valve rocker arm for cylinder 2, 6, 7 and 8, and exhaust valve rocker arm for cylinder 3, 4, 5 and 6. Last, replace the valve covers and switch on the engine to check for any abnormal sound from the valve train part also you should look for oil leaks at the gaskets of the valve covers.
