"Not sure about the oil in the Turbo tube but I know they go out around 100K."

You're scaring me, man. I'm at 143k and all oem, with three road trips totalling 4000+ miles scheduled for September.

 

[QUOTE=m000035;1117647]The right kombi valve is mounted on and "adapter" that is bolted to the head. (The adapter is a cast aluminum tube with 3 mounting screws. (2 where it goes into the head and one below the Kombi valve.) Mine was broken causing a major exhaust leak... $80 from dealer.)[QUOTE]

Is this a dealer only part? One of the lower bolts I removed was holding something else on, and thinking I had all three, I broke the adapter pipe you referred to above. Crap. I did calm myself down by going to Princess Auto and picking up a parts washer, lol. I'm going to order the tool to do the half moon seals correctly as well, seeing I have some time now.

Gary

 

Gary, I didn't have any problems getting the "adapter" off of the head on the passenger side... once I got the 3 screws out. As it was broken the upper section came off after only one screw! I did not remove the driver's side adapter... the screws appear to be under the turbo heat shield. I just unbolted the valve itself.

Bad luck on the "plug" leaking on the rear of the head. It looks like (to me) that the cams have to come out (or nearly) to replace them. I hope you can do it without pulling the cams. My plugs and cam adjusters do not seem to be leaking. I may not replace them until my next TB replacement. I paid for them to be replaced not long ago but the oil started leaking a few months later... Mostly at the little "valley" at the rear of the pass Valve cover gasket.

 

That sucks! Isn't that aluminum? You would have to go to the dealer for that or if you can find someone with a tig welder that can throw a bead over the crack that would be good too. Unless there is a junk yard around.

It never ends.

 

Yep, it sucks. It is aluminium, but it broke at the lowest mounting bolt location, kinda broke off the tab that the bolt goes through, IF I could get it welded and the mounting surface re-machined, or at least decked on at belt sander, it might work. Think I'll try some local wreckers first, and at least get a quote from the dealer.

On the removing the cam plugs topic:
Do you think this would work? get a small angle drill in there, put a hole in it, thread in a screw, and use a pry bar to pull the sucker out? Things I'm unsure of, how much clearance is behind the cap/plug, and if some shavings get inside, will they fall somewhere, or just sit in the head behind the cap where they can be cleaned out? Here's a pic of proposed removal method, and yes, I'm bored at work:

 

As far as I know from my 2.8L 12V, the plug would come out by grabbing it with a pair of needle nose pliers (the plug has 6-7 raised grooves on the surfaces you can get a hold of), but you have to remove the valve cover, and then the bearing cap that secures in place the plug. That way you can wiggle it out without removing the camshaft. After you slide in the new one you reinstall the bearing cap and tighten the nuts to the specified torque.
I (or someone else) can give you the torque specs for the bearing cap nuts if you go that route. However, you'll have to probably change the valve cover gasket (something you'll probably end up doing eventually anyway sometime in the future).

 

Thanks! I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gaskets/cam adjuster gaskets, and I have access to the torque values, so I should be good to go.One question, is it advisable to give the new cap/plug a thin coat of RTV black sealant before installing? What about the valve cover gaskets themselves? I've read of people doing either in the archives.
Gary

 

Well thanks! I was just trying to figure out how to do that

 

When I did mine, I just dabbed a slight film of oil on both, the valve cover gasket and the plug.
I would assume that a thin layer of RTV sealant would not hurt anything on the plug, but probably you'll have to let it cure overnight otherwise it may end up mixed in the oil. I would use a high temp sealant though.

Edit: if I recall correctly, I think there are two little oil passage holes on the matting surface of the cyl head, exactly before the depression in which the plug seats. You wouldn't want to plug those with sealant!

 

I believe they are pressed in dry, no sealant.