How to replace the valve cover gasket

 Remove Engine Cover

First, you need to remove the engine cover. The mechanic will have to remove the plastic engine cover to access the valve cover. Next, they will remove the necessary components. On most four-cylinder engines, the valve cover can usually be reached after any electrical parts and emission control tubing is removed out of the way, along with any accelerator linkages that might be in the way of the valve cover.

Ø Remove Air Intake Plenum

On other modern cars that contain more powerful engines that are six or 8-cylinders, you might have to remove the air intake plenum. The intake plenum is part of your vehicle’s intake manifold that contains various individual tubes called runners, all of which extend out of the plenum. 

Ø Remove Valve Cover 

Third, the mechanic will have to remove the valve cover. Once the valve cover is able to access and the mechanic can fully get to every single part of the cover, the retaining bolts on the valve cover are removed, and the cover is pulled off. The valve cover sealing surface is analyzed with a straight edge to ensure that the cover can be reused again. If the valve cover can’t be reused, you will have to get a replacement valve cover, increasing the valve cover gasket price. 

Ø Install the New Gasket 

Next, the mechanic will finally install the new gasket. The new valve cover gasket is installed in tandem with a new rubber grommet under the retaining bolt heads to keep the bolt heads in place. The mechanic will often replace the spark plug tube seals and add oil-resistant room temperature vulcanization, or RTV, to the segments of the sealing surface to make sure the seal is complete, secure, and can hold the cover on securely. 

The cover is then bolted back on and all of the other components that were previously removed to access the valve cover are reinstalled in their same spot, ensuring that all of the components are back inside. 

Ø Check for Leaks 

Lastly, the mechanic will check for leaks to make sure the replacement process went well. He will perform a visual check for any oil leaks while the car engine is running. If the problem persists, this could enhance your total valve cover gasket price, as the mechanic will have to go back in and see what is wrong with the car.