first the valve covers... its a 96 2.8 12v.. both sides are leaking pretty bad. people keep yelling at me saying my car's smoking and on fire haha

it also smells really bad inside my car... kinda started giving me a headache when i run the heat, so now i have to do it. anyone have a gasket preference? a diy for the stupid?

same goes for the rear springs.. i can get them off a parts for for 40 bucks, but i'm kind of afraid of spring compressors. my dad almost lost his eye from one and used to always tell me not to go near them so its a deep rooted childhood fear lol.. so i was reading some diy a while ago that i can't find anymore, and i'm pretty sure it said you can change out the spring off the strut without a spring compressor, but i'm not entirely sure because i was probably smoking some weed while i was reading that. so anyways, is that possible? i'm sure i can get the strut out now problem, i just want to avoid the cost of tools and whatnot, and i don't want to lose my eye like my father kept telling me i would.

 

Can't speak to the valve covers, but I did recently change my rear springs. This writeup does mention not using the spring compressor on the rears. I would not recommend this. When installed, the springs are compressed. Not nearly as much as the fronts, but there is some potential energy there. I did one without and used the compressor to do the second. If you are not installing coil-overs, you will have to use spring compressors to install the new springs.

You mention only replacing the rear springs. Was something damaged or are the springs just soft? If you are replacing them because they are soft, you may want to reconsider getting them from a part-out as they are probably not in much better condition.

 

the rear springs are broken, rubbing on the shock.. noisy and whatnot, and probably not safe at all.

 

Where are you located? I still have the springs I took off of mine. You're welcome to them.

 

i'm in long island, ny.. i'm really starting to worry about these springs its been like this since last winter lol, i barely drove the car last year due to foot surgery.. when i did drive, i had to drive with my left foot, with my right foot in the passenger seat.. that was pretty dangerous and funny. now i'm playing catchup on all the repairs that need to get done

 

Broken springs can be dangerous. You probably should take care of that before driving too far. If you were closer, I'd let you have the springs I replaced.

 

yeah i'm probably gonna do that next weekend.. i just have to find a weekend with good weather. so i'm definitely going to need a spring compressor. the fronts are fine, the backs are just broken at the bottom, thats why i just want to pick up a used set.

 

depending no how badly broken the originals are, you may not need to compress them to remove. You will certainly need them to install the "new" ones.