^^^This. Absolutely no need to pull the valve covers to replace the seal.

 

No kidding that is awesome. I had been putting this off since I didn’t feel like bothering with pulling the covers good info

 

land rover only sells them as a [art of the valve cover kit, but jaguar sells just the VVT seals.

 

Just for you guys, Ford sells them too.

 

Tired of spending 40+ bucks on Jaguar seal. Mine started leaking after just two years. Ordered a few on Amazon for 8. 40 each. It has been almost two years now and no leaks so far.
Price I can live with...

 

...there is no real need to replace them just for some oil seepage but hell if it's really that easy then why not?

 

Sure, but a deep turns to a weep, then a weep drips on your alternator and burns it out.

 

Mine were not leaking, I replaced as a preventative measure. In fact I had the seals for almost a year before finally doing them. But my thoughts are that if oil can get out then maybe other things can get in, including unmetered air. And the 4.4 is so dang sensitive to any sorta air or exhaust leak.

 

@DakotaTravler any tips?

I have the Jag-part O-rings. I have a chiseled-edge putty knife, and I'm ready to go. Was there anything that complicated this job? Did the solenoid pop out with ease? Any tricks to orienting either the O-ring or the solenoid? Passenger side looks a bit more of a pain but still easy to get to. Did oil spurt out? Any tools that made the job easier that you didn't think you'd need? Anything you can tell me is greatly appreciated.

 

Its really easy. Even a smaller flathead will do just fine. Disconnect the solenoid. Then simply lever upwards under the edge. Work at a couple spots, like noon and three, for example. It will slide right over. Solenoid stays in place. No oil comes out, but be sure to clean things before installing the new one. It really is a 30 second job once you have done one.