Woah!!!
Quadruple bypass! No more coffee and do-nuts for you, Brad!!!

The Chilton's should be your rescue it contains the torque information you need for tightening the bolts.
Here is what I do when I take on a task that is new for me:
1. Don't count the hours. It is all about the learning.
2. have a large place to put the parts that come off. I like a sheet of styrofoam and I put the parts on it starting at the top left as if writing on a sheet of paper. Once I get to reassembly I start at the bottom and go reverse.
3. Label electrical connectors and vacuum connectors: A-A, B-B, a-a, b-b etc.
4. Have Throttle body cleaner and MAF sensor cleaner so you can clean and inspect every part before it goes back. MAF sensor cleaner is easy on plastics.
5. Have some clean rags to put over the cylinder heads to keep dirt and dust out.
6. Use plastic or wood and rags moistened with cleaners to remove all remains of the old gasket from the mating surfaces. Don't use nay metal tools for this cleaning job.

You could divide it into two separate jobs: Do the front first. The back should be the mirror image of it. However, it will be harder to get to some bolts. It should boil down to turning screws. The cover is just that: a cover.

Take your time and take breaks with fresh fruits and vitamin drinks. Your health is most important! Speedy recovery!
$300 for parts. You must have bought more than the gasket set.

 

Good advice and I really appreciate it.

Yes I got more than the gasket. I figured since I'm going to be in there I might as well turn it up. Got plugs, plug wires, distributor cap air filter fuel filter, air filter, etc

This might take me a while, but I have a feeling it will be a sweet ride when I'm done. I'll have to post some pictures step by step as I'm working on it

 

OK, so your about to get into a job that without doing it before will take you the better part of a day, and that is granted that you have all the parts/tools/ consumables (sealants/gasket removers) required.

Doing both valve covers DOES require you to remove the Intake Manifold (IM), there is a IM stay bracket on the back side of the engine and you cannot see it until you remove the wiring harness bracket off the back off the IM. No manual shows you where it is, you have to LOOK with your hands and find it.

I decided to leave the throttle body connected to the IM and pull it all off together, hindsight being 20/20, I would of unbolted the throttle body (make sure you have a replacement gasket), and left it in the car with the hoses and wires plugged into it.

Make sure that you label every wire and vacuum line you remove. There is a hose on the back side that is part metal and has brackets; those brackets need to be unbolted from the IM in two locations.

The main locations for elec connectors to be removed is on the top rear portion where there are two 10mm bolts that hold on wiring harness offshoots for the VRIS Solenoids. The fuel lines need to be removed from the fuel rails, the vacuum line off the top that goes into the brake booster, the throttle cable needs to be unbolted in three locations and moved out of the way. The IM is bolted down via 12mm boltsand nuts 10 in total.

After you remove the IM wad up shop towels and shove them in the intake holes so you don’t drop anything inside and you need to clean that surface too,so it will prevent particles from getting in.

That’s about all I can think off atm for the valve covers, as far as the stalling in second gear, its probably your distributer. That is a symptom of a failing distributer for these cars which is quite common, usually no-start/hard-start is confirmation . Change it with a distributor from the JunkYard ($30), you can get one off any other V6 mx-3 or V6 MX-6, v6 626, or v6 millenia as well as a v6 ford probe.

Caveat: Some off the newer 626’s have a KLG4 engine with a coil pack insteadof a distributer, these obviously are not compatible. Hope this helps.

 

Oh, one more thing. Since its been sitting, before you do the fuel filter I would change the strainer on the fuel pump and suck as much of the crap in your tank out you can. I was thinking about the distributer thing again, you can pull a plug and have someone turn the car over and just ground the plug to the valve cover, if you see spark I would suspect fuel pump. My MX-3 sat for 2 years and was so nasty on the inside of the tank I removed it and put a new one up there, as well as a new fuel pump and strainer, not fun.

 

Thanks, MazdaMech, for clarifying the process!

 

Np, I love these car and plan to own at least 2 more, a 94 GS like he has and a 92/93 Presso/30x/AZ3 (foreign specs of a MX-3) Bengal, If you get stuck PM me your number and I will call you.

 

I will do Mech. I'm recovering from the bypasses pretty well. So hard to believe it was slightly over 3-weeks ago. Think I'll be ready to tackle part of the job next week with my son's help.

You have me thinking now. I can't remember how I came up with the conclusion that I needed to replace the valve cover gasket. I have oil in one of the spark plug boots. I have bought a new distributor cap and spark plug wires along with spark plugs (of course). It would be sweet if that was all I had to do to get it running again.

When I get ready to work on it I will PM you my number.

BB

 

The thing is that the oil contains carbon from the combustion and carbon is an excellent conductor of electricity. In other words your brand new spark plugs will misfire.

 

This^^^

Tanprotege is right, if you are wanting to get this thing to 100% without causing problems in the immediate to extended future, I would change the valve cover gaskets, Intake Manifold gasket, Throttle Body Gasket, plugs, wires, the cap I would just check first honestly, the oil, coolant, fuel pump w/strainer, fuel filter, ALL the old gas, I'd bleed the brakes (pretty much pump them with the bleeder valve open unitl it comes out clear), check the pads, bleed the clutch slave cylinder (same, until clear), replace the lost brake fluid from the bleeds, take a small sanding disc to the rotors and clean them up, all four since you have a GS.

 

So, I noticed in another thread someone mentioned the engine codes and the "paper clip test". How do I perform the paper clip test?