Should i replace valve cover gasket

Ownership valves cylinders. View More. Thank You Thanks for subscribing. Check your in-box to get started. Sign Up More Info. We notice you're using an ad blocker. Please consider allowing Autoblog. Allow Us! Here's how to disable adblocking on our site. Click on the icon for your Adblocker in your browser. A drop down menu will appear. Select the option to run ads for autoblog. The exact text will differ depending on the actual application you have running.

Refresh the Autoblog page you were viewing. Hey again! You still haven't turned off your adblocker or allowed our site. If a nut or bolt falls into the engine there will be a lot more work to do.

Even an old newspaper tented over the engine can help stop this from happening. Step 4: Remove the old valve cover gasket and install the new one. The valve cover shown here is cast aluminum and has a groove in which the gasket sits. If scraping is required, do not use metal scrapers on aluminum valve covers or cylinder heads. Use plastic to prevent leak-causing nicks.

Also note the new grommets on valve cover bolts. Step 5: Apply silicone only where required. Do not use silicone or sealer unless the service manual or gasket instructions say to use it.

Clean all oil off all surfaces before applying silicone. Allow silicone to cure before starting engine. Step 6: Install the valve cover with the new gasket and tighten bolts to the recommended torque. A torque wrench and service manual will eliminate guesswork. Install everything you removed to get at the valve cover. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group.

Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Do valve cover gaskets need to be replaced every time you reopen the valve cover? Ask Question. Asked 6 years, 2 months ago. Active 3 years, 5 months ago. Viewed 21k times. Improve this question. The gasket prevents motor oil from leaking out as it travels around the camshafts, rockers and valves.

In addition, many spark plug ports are sealed by the valve cover gasket. In the majority of modern engines, two style of gaskets are prevalent — liquid gaskets and formed rubber gaskets. The choice of gasket will depend on the material used in the construction of the valve cover, and how much pressure the seal might be under. Loss of motor oil is always a concern. Having said that, the oil leaking down from the valve cover tends to soak parts on the motor.

Oil is acidic, and will eat through rubber and plastic over time, causing additional problems outside of loss of oil. The portion of the gasket that seals off the spark plug port is particularly weak, and over time will let in oil where the ignition wire or coil meets the plug. Although unseen, this leak may cause an engine misfire, leading to serious problems.