Hi all,
Im leaking oil from my valve cover gaskets because the brass bushings have broken out of the plastic. Does anyone have a good source for replacing these?
thanks
Danbeatles
PS: Im about to have an update on my rear main seal epic saga , stay tuned!

 

Hi Danbeatles,

Are you referring to the brass threaded inserts that the coil cover screws thread into, Part 13 in the diagram below? Have one or more been broken out of the cam cover and left an open hole?




Cheers,

Don

 

If you have oil leaking out of the spark plug cover you have a very serious problem!

 

The only thing the brass inserts fasten are the coils and the coil covers.
There is no oil that can leak because of the inserts.

 

Unless a previous service person found some screws that were too long and drove them in with an impact right through the casting?

 

Most likely the valve cover “donut” rings are leaking into the spark plug wells. And the valve cover gaskets are also leaking to the engine exterior.

Z

 

I had a similar issue years ago with the threaded brass inserts coming loose from the plastic intake manifolds of an 04 xtype (spinning inside of plastic not allowing bolts to fully tighten up and causing intake leak and engine lights/limp mode)I ended up buying used but good intake manifolds from eBay. However, now being 17+ years more experienced in mechanics I would probably remove said brass inserts from plastic (would require bolt threaded into brass insert, puller setup, possibly heat or cutting), clean up holes with razor blade or drill bit, and reset brass inserts in with epoxy and let cure properly. Might work once for the xtype intake manifolds, but for holding the coils into the valve covers of an xk8 is probably a more feasible longer term(but maybe not permanent ) solution. If the threads in the brass inserts are stripped, then another solution would be needed. When there’s a will, there’s a way…..