The ignition coil cover fasteners on my xj8 VDP 1999 have pulled out from the valve covers. The bolts where they are still there are most frozen to the fasteners.

I would like to find new fasteners and bolts to secure the covers properly.

These fasteners look like brass with a knurling which was supposed to provide a tight fit to the valve cover. I have seen some covers and valve covers online but not the fasteners.

Any ideas for the parts or an alternative method to secure the covers?

 

I've had a few pull or spin out and was able to get them back in and holding for now.
Next time I will replace them and use an epoxy for extra holding power.
Don't recall size but here is a start.
McMaster-Carr

 

Does anyone know what the size of the inserts?

 

New inserts might not fit much better than the old inserts. I think it's the plastic hole in the cam cover that wears out instead of the brass insert. I've had four of these inserts spin out and have successfully (so far) epoxied them back into the cam cover holes.

 

I still need some replacements with some of the inserts missing. So I would still like to know if anyone can id the size of the original inserts.

 

What type of epoxy works best to cement brass threaded insert in?

 

I just finished the install of new gaskets on my valve covers. None of my coil holder screws were stuck to the inserts but a couple of the coil cover bolts were. I believe these were M5 and I just used pliers to hold them to remove them from the screws and then retapped the threads. They're soft so if you grab them too hard they'll distort but you can squeeze them back to round enough to fit the holes in the covers, retap them, and glue them back in place. I used JB weld but other epoxies might work just as well. Getting new inserts might work but you'd need to find a source with the right OD & length to work with the hoes in the covers.
I was surprised at how many of the inserts and compression limiters that the valve cover screws pass thru were broken out or stripped in my covers. Like an engineer I worked with at my last job used to say, "there are two states of plastic, cracked and about to crack!". That pretty much describes the harness locking features I found when I disconnected the coils. You may have been luckier than me on those parts...

 

Another chap with the same issue on this forum found these. click the blue writing below. There is apparently a U.K. distributer in colchester
https://www.ezlok.com/ezpress-insert-260-M5-BR

here is the original post from this forum about this topic.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-bolts-158284/

and these brass inserts on e-bay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THREADED-...FKDpDcFC-Mp91g