Originally Posted by David.X5

Whew. Got it done tonight.

Suggestions for anyone finding this thread in frustration:

1) Definitely tack the gasket to the cover somehow. I used some dabs of the permatex ultra black, which is supposed to be close to the recommended 3bond 1209. Heinz13 said he used spray adhesive.

2) Put the little dabs of sealant (half-moon corners, front cover seam, etc) on the gasket and not on the head.

3) What really turned the corner for me was draining the coolant and disconnecting/moving the heater hoses and expansion tank completely out of the way. I had replaced my hoses 2 years ago, so the plastic ends weren't too brittle. If you have original hoses or an original expansion tank, there is a chance to break some of the plastic parts if you do this... I suggest this should be the standard method.

I also released the pressure in the fuel system and disconnected the flex fuel hose that is also in the way.

After that the VC just dropped into place and I had good visibility to make sure the gasket was seated in the back properly. A little more prep time, but saves lots of aggravation. I think it is a time saver overall.