timing chain cover gasket

[marckula]

i took the 540 on a road trip a few weeks back (seattle to bend oregon) and upon return, the car developed a bit of an oil leak. I cleaned up the surfaces surrounding the location I believed to be the source and drove the car around. well, it appears the leak originates at the intersection of the (passenger side) valve cover gasket and timing chain cover gasket.

I'm going to pull the valve cover off and inspect the area this weekend but can anyone provide me any warnings or things to look for if I do end up replacing the timing chain cover gaskets?

i read elsewhere a post for 'sealing' those leaks using loctite but think that may make the valve cover gasket (replaced this year) brittle so I think I want to avoid any 'hacks'.

thoughts?

[yaofeng]

Removing the timing cover is not for the faint hearted. I thought about it when the V8 was on the stand but gave up the idea. I'd never do it in car. There are too many things to remove even with the engine on the stand. You'll be removing groups of bolts from a few different areas, front of the cover, between the head, and inside the sump pan.

I think and I hope the leak is from the valve cover gasket.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b274/yaofengchen/BMW_95_540/DSC_2713.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b274/yaofengchen/BMW_95_540/DSC_2615-1.jpg

[yaofeng]

Actually looking at the pictures again the four bolts inside the sump do not penetrate the mating face between the timing cover and the sump casting so you may not have to remove the sump cover.