Danny, I meant coil packs not distributor And yes I pulled the radiator and made quite a fluid mess.

Here's a video update:
Intake Manifold Removed - YouTube

 

plug those intake holes before you drop something into the bottom half of the motor

 

No kidding it's like a nut and bolt slip'n slide. And I guess no more eating potato chips and tacos over it huh

 

A shop vac, with a smaller plastic hose duct taped to the regular hose, can poke down in tight places and get those gasket crumbs.

 

clean all that with degreaser and a shop vac so you dont drop **** into the motor. I use a tooth brush and a spatula (metal) carefully. That gross bracket, when i put mine back on after dropping the new valley pan in, i believe you need a fair amount of RTV in the corners where the block meets the heads. the bracket seems to gap a little and i think you're supposed to fill it with RTV. so keep that in mind. But keep your motor covered so you dont drop anything into it, otherwise you'll be tearing the WHOLE thing apart. keep it up.

 

As a general strategy for cleaning the valley and block would you

1. drain oil. fill it up with diesel. scrub it with soft brush.
2. use degreaser and let crud go into engine to be removed later by draining oil
3. spot clean it only
4. something else

I read every thread titled with the word "cleaning" already.

 

Yet again I found loose bolts when taking the rocker covers off. One was a good way backed out. Checking torque values would definitely be a good checklist item but possibly difficult in tight or inaccessible spaces.

 

The rocker or valve covers use an 8mm 12 point deepwell necked down socket, and it is normal to snug them each oil change. More pix?

 

Yeah there was only 1 store in my area who had it and only in a 3/8 drive. It got the job done though.

Only one cover had orange gasket on it

 

So far so good. Valve covers look just like the sales weasel dealer described.... although dark and oily is preferred to brown and crispy, so you are ahead of some things.