valve cover gasket replacement with MSD8545

[Billccm]

Hello:
Going to change the valve cover gaskets on my 383 next weekend. Looking at the passenger side it looks tight with the MSD8545 distributor.
So, do I need to pull the distributor to get the valve cover off?
Any tips appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Car Nut]

Can you take a picture, it’ll be easier to see, I’m thinking of the MSD too or Firecore.

 

[Billccm]

Here are a few pictures. Looking tight to pull the valve cover.

 

[bearman]

looks tight to me. like the color on the covers

 

[69L48Z27]

Looks like enough room. Worst case take the cap off and move it over leaving the wires on the cap.

 

[Billccm]

Job is done. Only had to pull the distributor cap.

A few lessons learned to share and maybe get some comments.

1) The Moroso Permaline gaskets seem to be excellent quality. Time will tell if they are worth the price.
2) I tried using ARP studs, but there was no way to get a socket on the center nuts. The studs seems to align the valve cover such that the nuts are up against the valve cover and there is no socket clearance. I spent two hours trying to contort the valve cover to get some clearance, but it would not work. Not sure what I was doing wrong, but went with all new 1/4 20 socket cap bolts instead of studs at the four center mounting holes.
3) Ran into a leak that just would not stop. Took the valve cover off three times. About to break out the RTV as the hail Mary fix, and noticed on the head a microscopic piece of old gasket material. Really small less than a 1/32, but it was at the location I marked on the valve cover gasket where it seeped. Scraped it off with my fingernail doubting that this super small piece could cause the seep, but why not see and try it? After a 10 minute idle my paper envelope under the valve cover was dry. As I said time will tell.

Thanks for all the help and comments.