Engine Bay Restoration

Hello everyone, I am planning to paint and detail the engine compartment in my 1978 308. Can I take off both valve covers without pulling out the motor?

 

Indeed, no need to remove the engine to remove cam covers (valve covers) but removing the rear hood makes life much easier. Also if you're going to thoroughly clean up / re-seal the engine and clean / paint the engine bay, it's probably easier in the long run to pull the engine.

 

I started down the path of cleaning and resealing the engine without removing it. After a couple of weekends of efforts, I decided to pull the engine which made everything sooo much easier, and helped me find some time bombs (like fuel tanks corroding from the inside out) that saved me later grief.

 

I agree 100%, spending a day pulling the engine is well worth the effort whether your project is the engine compartment or the engine itself. Beware, you will find lots of things that need fixing or replacing that you would never had noticed without pulling the engine.