Hello! I own a 08 Acura TL that has an oil leak from a bad valve cover gasket. I took it to my mechanic for some other things, but also wanted a quote for a replacement. The number they gave me was too high for my liking, and I did some research and decided to attempt the replacement myself. The shop would’ve done a spark plug replacement as well, so I also plan to do that. My issue is I have never done work on a car, not even an oil change. In total so far, I need 2 sets of valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, an intake plenum gasket, and maybe an air filter boot (since I’ve heard they have a tendency to crack, if anyone has a good source please let me know). What other parts should I preventatively replace, and what are the normal steps to working on the top of the engine?
Tasca Parts and Rock Auto are my usual go-to for car parts online.
I think you are getting everything you should do along with the VCG. You do want to check the condition of things under the intake while you are in there. Since you are doing a lot, you might as well do the accessory drive belt(s) and tensioner if they have not been done recently. At least check the condition of the belt.
You will want to get some grey insta-gasket and have some plastic razor blades to scrape off the old gasket material that was applied at the seams between the heads and the timing cover and where there are 90 degree angles of mating surface to the gasket. You don’t need much, just a dab to help bridge the transition/corner.
I do also want to warn you that you are taking on a fairly hard job for a neophyte to take on, there is a lot going on but if you read the factory workshop manual and take your time, it shouldn’t be a giant ideal. I think that job calls for 3-3.5 hours to do, so plan on it taking twice that if you run into problems. I hope you have a car-guy/gal you can call if you run into a problem. The big challenge will be getting at all the nuts/bolts on the back half of the engine, there is a reason mechanics have such big tool boxes.
Best of luck to you, Godspeed, and let the 10mm always be with you.
Thanks for the info! I did have my belts replaced fairly recently after an oil change, but I can definitely take a look at the tensioner as well. The insta gasket is something I had forgotten about though, thanks for the reminder! I also realize this may not be the best job to start out on, but I do beat on the car a bit more than I should and felt like this would be a good opportunity to get my foot in the door with doing my own maintenance from now on. Also plan on taking a weekend to make sure I’ll be able to get to work afterwards
I think while tasca has good prices on the actual parts, their shipping costs make them nearly as much as going to the dealer. (At least that’s been my experience with my Ford)
You aren’t wrong, they are more of my fallback from Rock Auto. Sometimes they are the best option though.