87 GMC Sierra 1500 valve cover wrestling match

[nuckollsr]

Have '87 GMC my dad bought new and willed to us in 2007 with 32K on it. It's the 4.3L v6. Runs great, engine was hardly broken in yet. 35K later, we've been wrestling with stuff that 'ages' . . . gaskets, hoses, etc. In spite of having been replaced in a shop about 3 months ago. Driver side valve cover has been leaking prodigiously Decided to tackle it my self.

Was dismayed by the amount of 'stuff' that had to be removed to get the cover off. Most of the a/c compressor brackets have been removed (need to replace the compressor anyhow so that's not a big deal). However, I find that the cover cannot be removed without disconnecting a hard-line threaded into the left-forward corner of the carburetor base . . . vacuum line to brake servo? Seems to disappear into that region.

I find that the fitting is, shall we say, unwilling to loosen gracefully. I'm soaking it with a good nut-cracker juice. Now I'm wondering how the mechanic got the new gasket installed a few months ago. It appears that the cover cannot be removed for service without opening that joint in the plumbing . . . yet it seems that the joint has not been opened for a very long time . . . I tried contacting the mechanic that did the work last time . . . doesn't work there any more.

Is there some non-obvious, magic move outside the experience set of an airplane electron herder for getting this cover off? I'm frustrated that what should be a one-hour task is turning into an exercise in fits and starts that may take days!

Living out in the hinterlands suggests that I need to get more up-close and personal with my truck. So while I'm waiting for the nut-cracker juice to work its magic, I thought I would seek membership in and the counsel of folks who have been-there, done-that.

Thanks!

Bob . . .