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.

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .343,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 148,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 177,300 (2026 projected)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 668,300
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970