How to Buy a Good Quality Valve Cover Gasket

When you open the hood of your car to take a look at your engine, you'll find it is kept safe with a valve cover. What keeps this valve cover in place and not moving around is the valve cover gasket. This part is usually made of cord or rubber and creates a tight seal.

The tight seal that the valve cover gasket creates is important because it prevents the oil from the engine from leaking and spewing all over. If the oil leaks, you can bet it's going to cause not just a big mess, but a lot of damage that is expensive to fix.

Over time, this seal that the valve cover gasket creates starts to wear down. Once it starts to wear down, you don't want to wait to have it replaced.

When you are looking to replace your gasket keep a couple things in mind:

  • Don't switch materials: The most common type of valve cover gasket is made from silicon rubber. It is recommended that you don't change what the car came with - the factory standard.

  • Silicon rubber: Silicon rubber valve cover gaskets are easy to replace, and tend to hold up better where breakage is concerned. However, they are known to shrink over time.

  • Cork: Cork valve cover gaskets are the other option available. Not only does this material create a strong seal, but it will actually soak up leaking oil, should it start to leak. However, they are harder to deal with when it comes to replacing.

Your valve cover gasket needs to create a strong seal in order to be effective. If you suspect yours isn’t effective, it may be time for replacement.

YourMechanic supplies top-quality valve cover gaskets to our certified mobile technicians. We can also install a valve cover gasket that you've purchased. Click here to get a quote and more information on valve cover gasket replacement.


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Recent Valve Cover Gasket Replacement reviews

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Salim

31 years of experience
168 reviews
Salim
31 years of experience
Hyundai Sonata L4-2.4L - Valve Cover Gasket - Oakland, California
Amazing job! Salim really took care of my car and finish all his duties in a timely manner. I will definitely recommend him!
Toyota 4Runner - Valve Cover Gasket - Hayward, California
Mr. Salim showed up in and finished the job in a timely manner. All work was completed and as far as I can see, he did a fantastic job.

Travis

11 years of experience
296 reviews
Travis
11 years of experience
Mazda CX-5 L4-2.5L - Valve Cover Gasket - Houston, Texas
Friendly and explained all that he did with the vehicle. If something was not done/recommend, he advises why.
Chevrolet Cruze - Valve Cover Gasket - League City, Texas
Travis was honest and helped me understand why my car is overheating. I appreciate the fact that he came so late in the day! Thank you, Travis!!

Francisco

16 years of experience
36 reviews
Francisco
16 years of experience
Honda Accord L4-2.4L - Valve Cover Gasket Replacement - San Antonio, Texas
Friendly knowledgeable mechanic. Knows his business. I feel confident having him working on my vehicle any time.

Thomas

13 years of experience
227 reviews
Thomas
13 years of experience
Acura TL V6-3.2L - Valve Cover Gasket - Cedar Hill, Texas
Thomas was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. He explained the issues upfront. When a new issue arised he was honest regarding the time and cost to repair. He was often late to his appointments with me but made it up by texting and keeping open lines of communication.

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