hey Dankhound or whoever knows this issue,
Of course the idiots who told me it was the valve cover gaskets didn't have a clue and it is still leakin oil. I told them it was the cam adjusters and they looked at me kind of smug. I am furious and they are going to fix this or I will burn their dumpy garage down. I will try to settle down as I write. Since it is probably the cam adjusters/seals, can you tell me what parts I am going to need. I would love to get them online and not through the thieves these people use. you have an idea on what kind of labor time this should be? they did work on the crankcase vent system which i almost had to beg them to look at. As long as I kep oil in it and it doesn't smoke too bad I can drive it around town right?
-marsh

 

You need the cam adjuster seal kit. It has a flat seal that mirrors the shape of the cam adjuster itself and a half moon seal that goes in a slot under the cam adjuster. I would also replace the camshaft radial seals at the same time since there is repeat labor involved. You need two per engine bank. You also need the valve cover gasket seals. Anytime you have oil hitting hot headers you run the risk of fire. So if you must drive the vehicle in that condition i would highly recommend a good fire extingusher. Odds are it wont catch fire, but its a real possibility. Labor will vary from shop to shop. Making the repair properly by removing both camshafts will run near 4 hours labor per bank. There is a "shortcut" method in which the cams stay in the head and the camshaft adjuster is only loosened and not removed. However for someone who has never replaced those seals i wouldnt recommend it as the seals may be installed improperly.

 

more things to look at,i had a leak on mine also,a very reputable mechanic said it's the front seal,having recently bought the car(rather cheap)i said do it and timing belt since your there.didnt fix it ,not knowing much about the car i said i think its the upper pan gasket.after more of their diagnosing,it did turn out being upper pan gasket,which they screwed up and had to do twice.if your oil drips in a line pattern,that may be it.

 

also onthis car it's best to have an extending mirror,like the dentist,check the whole thing out.