I'm also changing a valve cover gasket. I'm using a Mann filter and Amsoil "Signature Series" 0W-30. I thought the Mann filter was OEM (and am still not really sure if this is the case, but I assume it will suffice), and the Amsoil looked like good stuff and my local shop had it on the shelf. They stock this and Royal Purple, but no Redline, and didn't have the Royal Purple down to 0W - just 5W. It was all basically the same price for me (good neighbour discount), and the same price as synthetics from Castrol, Mobil, etc.

This is not my first oil change, but it will be my first valve cover gasket change. I'm not really worried about it - more just worried that I remember to take the correct tools home from work! I hope I can get my enormous 36mm socket into the engine bay...

I'd been running Castrol Edge 5W-30 for a while, along with Power Up Engine Maxx oil treatment. I believed the marketing literature on this stuff, and still have no reason not to. Anyone have any experience with it? I'm not putting it in the new oil, because it's another $12 I didn't feel like spending. I use a number of Power Up products around my bike shop, and am generally very pleased with them.

 

This does not appear to meet the BMW LL-01 standard for Long Life oil. The Castrol you mentioned (I think) does as does Mobil-1 0w-40 (but not other Mobil-1 products) and also the MINI oil you get at the dealer does. I follow the oil change intervals on the service indicator in the speedometer, so getting a Long Life oil is imperative. If you change it more frequently, it may not matter.

Val

 

Amsoil is good oil, not sure of the specific grade you mention, but it should be fine. From under the car (especially if you take the wheel liner off) it is easy enough to get the socket on. Really it is right there. These days with such high machining tolerances, and synthetic oil, nothing needs to be added to get long life out of engines in my opinion.