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?
I’ve read it’s a good idea to clean up the engine bay before starting to prevent number one, will that help at all? This engine also does need those spark plug seals, but I found a well reviewed kit for a decent price. And when you mention sludge, what would that indicate?
You can clean it if you want but be careful with where you get the water. Also let it dry completely before starting to work on it because you dont want water getting into the oil.
I never clean the engine bay, but I do get some painter’s masking plastic and I lay it over the top of the exposed cylinder head once I remove the valve cover to keep debris out.
Sludge would mean you didn’t change the engine oil often enough (in some cases it can also indicate very excessive blow-by, but in my experience I have only seen that once). I don’t know the past history of maintenance but I find it more times than I want to when working on customer vehicles. If you take care of your engine you probably have nothing to worry about.
Also, sometimes the underside of the oil cap or the inside of the valve cover can sometimes have a slightly milky yellow film on it, this is fine as it is a mixture of oil and condensation build up. As long as it is not all over the whole cylinder head, it is okay to just wipe it off or spray it off with something like brake cleaner.