Access is limited on some of the lower bolts. Used a whole variety of tools for removal. I doubt that a couple of them can be tightened other than with a small flat spanner as no room for universal joint and torque wrench. Any suggestions other than doing it by feel and judgement?

 

Just did this a couple of months ago. Do not remember the exact technique I used but did manage to torque all of them with a 1/4” drive torque wrench. It is possible.

 

You can buy torque wrenches which use interchangeable open-ended spanner fittings rather than sockets if you're that bothered about using torque specs.

Richard

 

1/4" drive set makes life much easier for the lower rears.
Torque figure for cam cover bolts is 9-11 Nm - just nicely nipped up.

4-6 Nm for the coil covers, which is just a tad more than finger tight.

 

^^^ THIS !! ^^^

just a single tad. Not two tad(s). The inserts will spin if too tight.

just the fact that the bolt is going into a dissimilar metal will help hold it in place once the engine gets hot.

just like magic.

Z

 

^ ^ ^ +1+1+1, ^ ^ ^

Hello both michaelh and zray . . . numbers should be engraved in gold!!!
Too tight equals too late!

Great to see that the 'tad' is known and respected bilingually.
I can report, officially, that the 'tad' is well known down under also.
I guess this makes it a universal scientific measurement.
Alas . . . too often confused with the 'poofteenth'!

Cheers and best wishes,

 

If over torqued, they will leak

 

pcock111,

+1,000 on the recommendations to use a 1/4" drive ratchet, extensions, sockets, and when necessary, a flex joint. I wrap vinyl electrical tape around the socket, flex joint and shaft of the extension to hold them all together, limit the movement in the flex joint, and to help keep from dropping the socket or flex joint down behind the engine.

I see from your Public Profile that you have a 2005 XKR, it really helps if you give us that information at the start. Which side are you working on, right or left as viewed from the driver's seat?

Some of the components that may be restricting your access to the cam cover screws can often be detached and displaced. Let us know which side, and perhaps post a photo or two of what's in your way, and we'll try to help.

Cheers,

Don

 

Hi Ken,
It's great to hear from you again.
I haven't heard that expression: I'm assuming it's a synonym?

I do prefer 'tad', though, since my speling isn't that brilliant.

 

Many thanks all.

 

v8 cam covers are super touchy because those gaskets love to leak if the pressure isnt perfectly even across the whole cover so i totally get why you dont want to just wing it

the pro move for those tight lower bolts is to use a crowfoot wrench or a torque adapter but the trick is to keep it at a 90 degree angle to the handle of your torque wrench if you keep it at 90 degrees the torque reading stays accurate and you dont have to do any annoying math to adjust for the extra length of the tool

if you really cant fit any adapter in there most guys just use a small 1/4 inch drive ratchet and hold it right by the head instead of the handle so you dont have enough leverage to accidentally snap anything those bolts usually have a shoulder that bottoms out against the head anyway so you just want them snug and even

 

Thanks a lot.

 

My take is that the bolts just need to be tight enough to nip the 'bobbin' spacers snug. The clamping force is provided by the 28 rubber isolators, which should be replaced as part of the job.

Make sure that the two 'special' bolts ( the ones that are not captive in their spacers) should be fitted at the uppermost rear of each cam cover.

I've attached the JTIS procedure.
Note that the spark plug boss seals pictured were for the early cars only. Yours will be 4 separate O rings on each side.

 

Thanks very much Michael.