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?
There’s a few things I would recommend to someone wrenching for the first time to save many headaches, all having to do with reassembly:
First, when reinstalling screws, turn them counter-clockwise until they “click” and fall down a little before turning clockwise to tighten. This ensures that the screw is lined up in the proper thread and won’t cross-thread.
Second, buy a cheap Harbor Freight torque wrench, for a valve cover you’ll probably just need a 1/4" flavor. Screws with a 8mm or 10mm head (M6 thread) often get torqued down to 80in/lbs and no more. This’ll avoid stripping the threads in the soft aluminum head, which will be a super expensive fix if you can’t do that yourself. In general I look up torque specs as much as I can to get a feel for how much I need to tighten a fastener.
Finally, finger tight all bolts first, and then go around again and tighten all bolts in a criss-cross pattern. Once you tighten one bolt, tighten the bolt farthest away, and repeat until all are tightened. This will prevent parts from warping and gaskets from deforming.
Good luck fam, wrenching is a fun and valuable skill. Be proud that you can do it!