hello everyone my valve cover gaskets are leaking something awful. i was wondering if i need to replace the valve cover itself because it's plastic. i was told by a mechanic that if i just replace the gasket it will still leak. is this true? or will i be ok with just gaskets? i plan on doing it myself to save some money thanks in adavance joel.

 

Jdub; If the gaskets are leaking on both banks, I would be inclined to think that a previous installation was amiss either by improper torque (which is critical) or the gasket(s) did not remain in the channels during installation as they should. You did not describe where the leak(s) originated or if prior work was recently done and not knowing the price of cam/valve covers, I'd try pulling the covers and check the gaskets for proper seating and torque. Gaskets are rather inexpensive vs. new covers.

 

When you remove the covers, inspect them carefully for deterioration or cracks.

If they are good, a new set of gaskets properly torqued on cleaned head surfaces should be all you need. Also make sure you follow the correct torquing sequence: center two in the central spark plug area first, then center out along the edges, alternating top and bottom.

 

ok thanks guys. the valve cover gaskets have NEVER been replaced. this car has probably had no other maintinence performed. it's going to need quite the overhauling. i will follow the proper guidelines on torqing them down properly. do you know off hand what the specifications for the amount of torque would be? i need to buy a torque wrench as well. thanks in advance, joel.

 

Remember to order the spark plug seals at the same time as the gaskets.

I changed my right bank seals a couple of weeks ago and it has fixed my leak.

 

Camshaft Cover torque spec = 9-11 Nm

Graham

 

Thank you so much for the replies. I will get a torque wrench before I perform the repair. I recently bought a motorcycle for alternative transportation. It is a 2004 suzuki gsxr600. Had to replace the chain, sprockets, and get a new rear tire. Had to buy quite a bit of tools for this. It all went well and the bike is riding great. Hope I get my jag back in shape soon. Thanks again!

 

Read about tensioner replacement in the DIY repairs sticky at the beginning of the XK8 section. You should check and see if you have the metal or plastic ones on your car, and replace them if they're plastic. Also the instructions help with removal of the covers. Clean the part-load breather hole while you have the covers off (driver's side cover). Be careful with all the plastic hoses, they get brittle with age and heat, and small cracks will have you chasing down restricted performance messages and fault codes. If the car is high milage with no service, check the spark plugs while it's all apart. Have fun!