'01 4.4i M62 Valve Cover Gasket Replacement

[cpgifford]

So,

When I put my X5 in the shop for the common bushing replacement, The Tech mentioned that I had the worst oil leak he has ever seen. I then discussed causes that could cause such a leak in the system. I told him that I noticed a bit of oil around the spark plugs when I pulled them and replaced with new ones. Of coarse thinking that it was the valve covers I didn't think to much of it. He told me that that could be the main reason that I had a Leak that bad.

Long Story Short- I'm going to be replacing the Valve cover gaskets myself. I was wondering if anyone else has attempted this and had any tips or tricks they wish they knew before hand. I know its pretty straight forward and my Bentley manual shows step by step, I just wanted to know how long and how difficult and what to watch out for.


Questions:

-Are there any bolts on the back side of the valve covers? (Closest to the firewall)

-Should I drain the oil before starting? (Its due for an oil change anyways)

-Anything I need to inspect for wear while valve covers are off?

-Should I use gasket sealer on the gasket when reinstalling?

Thanks for any help!

Also, Should I do A write up (with pictures!) on it? I looked on the forum and didn't see anything on the 4.4i and also in the how-to section. I kinda thought it might be useful for future reference.