if you read my post, I did both side. I actually unplug all the harness, and label them with different color to make sure I can put them back. You also need to follow the sequence of tighten the bolts back, in that case the cover are evenly tightrned and will not have a leak.

 

On this page in the service manual, it tells you to put RTV on the four corners only, not the entire thing.

 

need to do this soon

 

It might look like a lot however take into consideration OP did not use OEM. Non Oem tend to require that "extra" to do the job.
I dealing with leaking ones after 2 years of being replaced.

 

​​​Hereby a picture of the parts with the OEM article numbers I used. The only thing missing are the O-rings of the throttle bodies and the gasget of the intake manifold, because I reused them.

 

I just replaced my spark plugs and found a small amount of oil in one of the spark plug tubes. SO, I guess I'll be doing this soon. I've got the gaskets and RTV ordered but I'm a little concerned about the possibility of needing more tools to reach all of the bolts because I only have basic tools. Can anyone advise exactly what tools are needed to complete this job?

 

The most special tool I needed was the spark plug tool to replace the spark plugs. As you have already done this you should be fine with your basic tools (I assume it's more than a hammer and a screwdriver :-) )

 

Ok, thanks!

 

I got this task completed. I started the engine and drove around for a few minutes and the seal appears to be good from the outside. Would it be a good idea to remove the throttle bodies and spark plug coils to check all of the spark plug tubes to make sure they're dry too or should I just consider it good to go?

 

I'm going to be doing the gaskets and plugs very soon on my 91k mi 2013 coupe. I'm also considering the z1 silicone hose set. I figure since I have to drain the coolant anyway, might as well upgrade all the hoses now. I think I may also do the silicone post-MAF tubes and K&N drop-in filters. Are there any other items I should consider doing while I'm in there? Mostly looking for opportunities to do easy OEM+ upgrades while I'm in there.

 

I would stay away from the silicon hose set.maybe replace the coolant bleeder port with aluminum not the oem plastic one since your draining coolant.

 

I just did a little research, and I will definitely be staying away from silicone coolant hoses. Vacuum, oil-based fluids, and post-MAF intake hoses are all still ok to replace with silicone, though, right? The metal bleeder port is now on my radar as a potential preventative maintenance/upgrade item.

Should I just leave the heater core hoses and other coolant hoses alone until one of them starts to break down? I just figured since I have to drain the coolant anyway, I might as well do any other "low-hanging fruit" items while I'm in there.

 

Yes the post maf silicon tubes are fine.
I would leave coolant hoses alone except for the port,when that goes it will almost need to be replaced immediately.if you have the time now I recommend you get it out of the way.as far as air filters go I would get dry as the onces with oil can throw off your maf sensors.

 

by "the port", do you mean the heater core hoses at the back of the engine / at the firewall? those are kind of the main reason I wanted to replace hoses while doing the valve cover gaskets. my reasoning is I don't want to have to go back in to do them after I do the valve cover gaskets, so I'm looking at doing a preventative replacement now, rather than wait for them to fail. should I replace the heater core hoses with OE rubber hoses? that was going to be the plan now that I don't want to use silicone.

 

Heater Hose Connector
25
(Engine, Drivetrain & Forced-Induction)
: 08-13-2021 by Said Amir

OEM hoses are fine,not sure if you need to change them out but they are probably the best option.