OFHG Replacement and...What Else?

[bosstones]

Mostly a lurker here but had some questions for the E8x collective. I just did a routine oil change on my N55 a few weeks ago and noticed a few small oil smudges underneath where I park. While under the car, I could see where there was a light oil trail running down on the passenger side from somewhere in the engine bay. Upon closer inspection of the oil filter housing, I can see a lot if grime under/behind the housing. I'm at 75k and have never had the gasket replaced. Seems time to do so.

I figure I'll swap out the valve cover gasket and intake manifold gaskets when I replave the OC and OFHG. Do I need to replace the valve cover, though? It doesn't seems in good shape..so maybe next time?

I'll also probably do a drain/fill of the trans fluid.

What else should I tackle while I'm under the hood?

When the weather warms up, I'll replace the trans pan/gasket/filter and fluid (again). Water pump and tstat, too. Maybe the down pipe while I'm down there.

[cwickberg]

I generally replace parts when I have to remove other parts as part of maintenance or a failure. Oil Filter Housing gasket is a typical leak area, especially at your mileage. I didn't have the tiime to do it myself, when my daughter was home for a weekend... A local indy shop did it for about $800. Mostly labor, but did get a full oil change as well.

VCG can be replaced on their own and not necessarily need replacing until it leaks. Same with oil pan gasket. After a recent oil change, my daughter noticed some dripping under the car. turns out the Oil filter gasket had a defect. a simple part to replace but caused alot of angst because I didnt know where the leak was coming from until putting it upm cleaning the whole undercarriage and engine area, driving in for a day or so and then finding the leak.

[bosstones]

Originally Posted by cwickberg

I generally replace parts when I have to remove other parts as part of maintenance or a failure. Oil Filter Housing gasket is a typical leak area, especially at your mileage. I didn't have the tiime to do it myself, when my daughter was home for a weekend... A local indy shop did it for about $800. Mostly labor, but did get a full oil change as well.

VCG can be replaced on their own and not necessarily need replacing until it leaks. Same with oil pan gasket. After a recent oil change, my daughter noticed some dripping under the car. turns out the Oil filter gasket had a defect. a simple part to replace but caused alot of angst because I didnt know where the leak was coming from until putting it upm cleaning the whole undercarriage and engine area, driving in for a day or so and then finding the leak.

I don't believe my pan gasket is leaking (hope I'm not jinxing it...) so I will happily defer that one a bit. I figured I'd so the VCG preventatively while I'm under the hood, but not replace the cover itself unless I shouldn't di tye gasket alone.

Might as well do spark plus while I'm there, too. Ah, how easy it is to grow the list. I'll skip coils and injectors for now.

Since it is recommended to do a 2nd trans fluid change after doing the initial trans pan/filter/gasket replacement (to get out what's in the torque converter), I figure I could do the reverse order just as well.