The top of my engine leaking through the back and its getting worse i got told by my mechanic that is the rocker cover gasket. is the job big would i be able to do it myself? does it take a fair bit of time? where could i get these gaskets from ? any help would be much appriciated..
It is not a small job as the intake plenum has to come off to get access to the rocker covers. While it is off you should do the under plenum deletes if they have not yet been done. This will eliminate extra points that coolant can leak. Check the tech section for this. The rocker cover gaskets (4 in total, 2 rubber ones and 2 are glue) can be a bit fiddly if you aren't handy on the tools. All in all I would suggest getting some help if you haven't worked on cars before. If you have, then time will be your only issue. Even if all goes well you will still need to set a whole day aside as it seems you are new to these cars. You may well come across other things that need replacing to such as coil pack connectors and injector connectors. maybe you could host a tech day and get a few pairs of hands onto the job.
As stated - the plenum has to come off! When this happens you need to do as much as possible whilst your there including the deletes and replacing the PCV valves and hosing (if they have not been done before) The absolute minimum you will need is the plenum gasket and rocker gaskets and possibly injector/ electrical connectors / PCV hoses if they break from being brittle. Best done with someone who has done it before - as suggested run a tech day if you can ! Offering beer for help can sometimes help get some numbers if interest is low - lol Good luck
Don't be put off by cost. The Upper Plenum Gasket is only $15 new. I don't remember how much the rocker gaskets are, but they aren't expensive. This is a good thing - you can get some other things done (as mentioned) whilst you are in there, and extend the life of your car by quite a few years. Get your codes checked before you go in though - you would hate to have for example a det sensor code, do this job and not replace it.
manual labour is the real cost! Very true - but a det sensor is a nightmare to replace even with plenum off as you need to remove the lower plenum to get access The biggest issue in cost is the manual labour to remove the plenum, so if you can do this yourself or with helpers you will save $600 - $800 alone! This is why its best to do as much as possible whilst your there. all up with PCV Valves/ hoses/ gaskets and some beers for helpers etc. it should come in under $200 or at worst $300 if you end up needing new injector and electrical connections (if they are brittle and break) The good news is that it could end up costing virtually nothing but the PCV valves and a new plenum gasket as often the rocker cover seals become loose over time and many times require only to be tightened up again (if any doubt though - such as the rocker bolts are tight when you inspect them, then replace them as you don't want to end up having to remove the plenum again) Good luck JC
