reinstalling the valve cover clip, Is there a trick to this? Options

[albert110]

Hi all,
Recently picked up a carbed 1973 914 1.7 to learn performance driving and get my feet wet with car tuning... Unfortunately my first maintenance task has me stumped. I got the valve cover off no problem but for the life of me I can't get the retainer clip back on. Is there a trick to it? I've been trying a few different methods to muscle it back on but I haven't figured out how to get the right leverage to get the end of the clip into the hole. My searches haven't turned anything up, I'd appreciate any tips or links.
Thanks.

[Bartlett 914]

A little grease at the contact points helps. VW logo on the cover goes up side down BTW

[ClayPerrine]

A little grease at the contact points helps. VW logo on the cover goes up side down BTW

There is an old story about a woman cooking a roast. Before putting the roast in the pan, she cut an inch off the roast. When asked why she responded that she was taught to do it that way by her mother. When her mother was asked, she said she was taught that way by her mother. When her mother was asked, she said she was taught that way by her mother. When they finally asked the 96 year old woman in the nursing home why she did that, she replied "The only pan I had was too short for the roast." There was no practical reason for the other women with larger roasting pans to keep cutting the end off the roast.

So, how does this relate to valve covers????

Well, I want to ask why the logo goes upside-down? Who told you that? Is it based on a fact or is it just "everyone does it that way?"

BTW... I have always installed it right side up. No leaks from the valve covers.

[Bartlett 914]

A little grease at the contact points helps. VW logo on the cover goes up side down BTW

There is an old story about a woman cooking a roast. Before putting the roast in the pan, she cut an inch off the roast. When asked why she responded that she was taught to do it that way by her mother. When her mother was asked, she said she was taught that way by her mother. When her mother was asked, she said she was taught that way by her mother. When they finally asked the 96 year old woman in the nursing home why she did that, she replied "The only pan I had was too short for the roast." There was no practical reason for the other women with larger roasting pans to keep cutting the end off the roast.

So, how does this relate to valve covers????

Well, I want to ask why the logo goes upside-down? Who told you that? Is it based on a fact or is it just "everyone does it that way?"

BTW... I have always installed it right side up. No leaks from the valve covers.

LOL. Ok I concede defeat. It was the old woman..
I remember hearing the logo should be upside down. At some time I must have struggled with a cover and it fit better that way somehow and became a habit I have kept. I will add that it you reuse the old gasket, it should be installed the way it came off

[ClayPerrine]

A little grease at the contact points helps. VW logo on the cover goes up side down BTW

There is an old story about a woman cooking a roast. Before putting the roast in the pan, she cut an inch off the roast. When asked why she responded that she was taught to do it that way by her mother. When her mother was asked, she said she was taught that way by her mother. When her mother was asked, she said she was taught that way by her mother. When they finally asked the 96 year old woman in the nursing home why she did that, she replied "The only pan I had was too short for the roast." There was no practical reason for the other women with larger roasting pans to keep cutting the end off the roast.

So, how does this relate to valve covers????

Well, I want to ask why the logo goes upside-down? Who told you that? Is it based on a fact or is it just "everyone does it that way?"

BTW... I have always installed it right side up. No leaks from the valve covers.

LOL. Ok I concede defeat. It was the old woman..
I remember hearing the logo should be upside down. At some time I must have struggled with a cover and it fit better that way somehow and became a habit I have kept. I will add that it you reuse the old gasket, it should be installed the way it came off

I always wondered where that came from. I was hoping you had heard something I had not about the valve covers. And I agree, if you reuse the gasket, you need to put it back the same way it came off.