[jakkord]

I'm having trouble removing the timing chain cover on a 2015 4 cylinder (replacing head gasket), and I don't want to push my luck in applying too much force prying to break the hondabond seal. I checked over and over and have removed all the bolts (I think I counted 21) holding the cover on from the front perimeter and bottom, as well as removed the VTC control solenoid, engine mount, rocker arm valve, and crankshaft pulley. Nothing else but the sealant seems to be holding it on, but I don't know how much force I need to break the seal. Is it a pretty significant force? Is there a best place to pry from? I've tried tapping on the ear at the top of the cover and applied light-moderate force prying between the head and cover by the gears, but I don't want to damage anything.

Any suggestions?
Thanks!

 

[jakkord]

To close the loop on this thread for any future person in a similar circumstance who searches this - I solved the problem.

In addition to the bolt holding the VTC oil control solenoid, there is also a screw that is fairly hidden from view in that same area, about an inch or so closer to the firewall and tucked under the lip of the chain cover. In all, I counted 21 screws that had to be removed to remove the chain case. The Chilton online manual did not show this screw, but after removing that hidden gem, the cover was easily pried off. No excessive force required. I read something about this for an 8th gen Accord, but since the engines are quite different in other aspects, I didn't think it applied. Well, I was wrong, and they kept the same hidden screw in the 9th gen.

Also, for those who may need to remove the high pressure fuel pump cover (I am doing a head gasket replacement), there is another "hidden" screw that is under the cylinder head cover just to the rear of the camshaft holder. The fuel pump is not only held by the external bolts. Again, sealant shouldn't cause you to pry too hard, but this cover did seem to "stick" a little more than I expected, even after I removed the screw under the head cover.

 

[jakkord]

I might as well share this, too. Here's a mapping of the holes that I put together to try to figure out what I was missing. #21 is the culprit. This might seem like overkill, but I wasn't near the car and it only took about 15 minutes to put together. When the cover wouldn't budge, the thought of missing a fastener was killing me. It helped me, so I thought it might be helpful to someone else in the future.