I didn't remove the valve cover. The old grommet was hard and I knew it would fall apart so I held a vacuum cleaner hose close to it while gradually prying it up and pulling pieces out with a pair of fine-nosed pliers. I was able to remove most of it that way and the vacuum got the bits that flaked off.

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970