Dodge Dakota Valve Cover Gasket Replacement at your home or office.

Our mobile mechanics offer services 7 days a week. Upfront and transparent pricing.

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

(8)

Included for free with this service

Online Booking

Mechanic comes to you

12-month / 12k-mile warranty

Free 50 point safety inspection

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to your home or office 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

Customer Ratings

(8)

Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Service

How much does a Valve Cover Gasket Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Dodge Dakota Valve Cover Gasket Replacement is $163 with $23 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
2002 Dodge DakotaL4-2.5LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$272.04Shop/Dealer Price$304.90 - $395.38
2008 Dodge DakotaV6-3.7LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$446.73Shop/Dealer Price$509.88 - $693.56
2001 Dodge DakotaV8-5.9LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$262.77Shop/Dealer Price$293.82 - $382.80
2009 Dodge DakotaV8-4.7LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$389.47Shop/Dealer Price$438.34 - $579.10
2010 Dodge DakotaV8-4.7LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$389.47Shop/Dealer Price$440.40 - $582.71
1996 Dodge DakotaL4-2.5LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$219.95Shop/Dealer Price$240.44 - $297.41
2004 Dodge DakotaV8-4.7LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$311.93Shop/Dealer Price$341.43 - $424.06
1995 Dodge DakotaV8-5.2LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$262.77Shop/Dealer Price$293.82 - $382.80
Show example Dodge Dakota Valve Cover Gasket Replacement prices

What is a valve cover gasket and how does it work?

Each cylinder head on your car’s engine has an aluminum or plastic valve cover bolted to it. Between this valve cover and the cylinder head, there is a gasket that keeps engine oil from leaking out. The valve cover bolts keep the gasket compressed, thus preventing leaks. Over time the gasket becomes brittle from the engine’s heat or the bolts loosen, creating an engine oil leak.

When to consider replacing a valve cover gasket?

Look for these signs of oil leakage at the valve cover gasket:

  • Oil seepage or dripping. Should the joint between the valve cover and the cylinder head fail, oil often becomes visible on the valve cover or cylinder heads. Usually, the oil will attract and hold dirt.
  • Oil accumulating inside the spark plug well. The spark plug tube seals are part of the valve cover sealing system. If the tube seals are leaking, you will see oil on the spark plugs or wires. The valve cover gasket and tube seals are all replaced at one time if either fails.
  • Oil leakage at the rubber grommets. The bolts holding the valve cover to the cylinder head sometimes have rubber grommet seals under the bolt heads. If these seals are leaking, you will see oil seepage around the bolt heads.

How do mechanics replace a valve cover gasket?

  • Remove engine cover. Some engines have plastic covers over the entire top. The plastic engine cover is removed to access the valve cover(s).
  • Remove components. On 4 cylinder engines, the valve cover is usually readily accessed once any electrical components and emission control tubing are removed, plus any accelerator linkages that might be in the way. On 6 or 8 cylinder engines, depending on which valve cover gasket is leaking, removal of the air intake plenum might be required, as well as additional steps.
  • Remove valve cover. Once the valve cover(s) is accessed, the cover retaining bolts are removed and the cover pulled off. The valve cover sealing surface is checked with a straight edge to be sure the cover is flat and thus reusable.
  • Install new gasket. The new valve cover gasket is applied along with new rubber grommets under the retaining bolt heads. If there are spark plug tube seals, these are replaced as well. In some applications, oil resistant RTV (room temperature vulcanization) sealant must be applied to specific segments of the sealing surface, along with the new gasket, to ensure a complete and effective seal. The cover is bolted back on, using a calibrated inch pound torque wrench, and all other components are restored to their original position.
  • Check for leaks. Finally, the car engine is run and a visual check is made for oil leaks.

Is it safe to drive with a valve cover gasket problem?

Yes, as long as the amount of oil leaking is small, and there is no leak onto hot engine parts such as the exhaust manifold, it is safe to drive your car until you have an opportunity to fix it.

If you notice oil leaking on to the ground beneath your car after it is parked, you do not have a small leak, and it needs to be found and repaired as soon as possible. Any leak, of course, means your oil level is dropping as you drive the car. If you have a leak, be sure to check your oil more frequently than usual so you do not run low on oil and damage the engine.

When replacing a valve cover gasket keep in mind:

  • The mechanical components of a car engine will typically outlive the gaskets used to seal the engine. However, many of these gaskets, including the valve cover gaskets, are relatively easy to replace.
  • Never add stop leak type products to engine oil or other vehicle fluids. Not only are these materials not approved or specified by the original equipment manufacturers, but they also can create additional problems that may be costly to repair.
  • Often, if a car is old enough to have a valve cover oil leak, there will be oil leaks elsewhere on the engine, so you should request a complete leak inspection. It may be more cost effective to repair multiple leaks during one service call.
  • Often, the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valve is inserted into a rubber grommet in one of the valve covers. An old rubber grommet is a potential leak source, as well as connections to the PCV valve. These components should be inspected and considered for replacement while there is access to the valve cover.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee


Meet some of our expert Dodge mechanics

Real customer reviews from Dodge owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(8)

Rating Summary
7
0
1
0
0
7
0
1
0
0

Joseph

16 years of experience
52 reviews
Joseph
16 years of experience
Dakota 2001 - Valve Cover Gasket - Boca Raton, FL
very professional will definitely request again and highly recommend

Chris

10 years of experience
31 reviews
Chris
10 years of experience
Dakota 2001 - Shock Absorber - Clearfield, UT
Chris was very friendly and professional

Pedro

7 years of experience
26 reviews
Pedro
7 years of experience
Dakota 1998 - Wheel Stud - Bakersfield, CA
Great worker

CURTIS

5 years of experience
8 reviews
CURTIS
5 years of experience
Dakota 2003 - AC Belt - Warrington, PA
great all around

Excellent Rating

(8)

Rating Summary
7
0
1
0
0
7
0
1
0
0
Number of Dodge Dakota Valve Cover Gasket Replacement services completed
88+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Dodge MECHANICS
1400+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

P2067 OBD-II Trouble Code: Fuel Level Sensor B Circuit Low
P2067 P2067 code definition? Fuel Level Sensor B Circuit Low What the P2067 code means The Engine Control Module (ECM) utilizes a sensor either built into the fuel pump, or into the fuel tank, which communicates to the ECM the...
How to Drive a Manual Transmission Car Without Using the Clutch
Manual transmissions have a clutch that allows you to change gears when needed. There may come a time when your clutch fails while you're on the road.
How Long Does a Blower Motor Relay Last?
During During the summer months, there is nothing more important to a car owner than a properly working air conditioner system. Most car owners are unaware about just how many components have to work together in order for cold air...

Car overheating after only a few blocks

If the engine is overheating, then the coolant level should be checked. The system may be low or may have an air bubble trapped in the system. Please note that the cooling system should never be opened or checked while...

I need a website where i can find spare parts.

There are several such sites. If you are looking for used spare parts, the enormous catalog/database at www.car-part.com (http://www.car-part.com) is one of the better ones. Obviously, if you are looking for new spare parts, such are already vended by VIN...

Just bought a new car and the transmission is slow going into drive and reverse. Plus skipped when I attempted to hit the gas hard

What you are describing is often a sign of low transmission fluid (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/transmission-fluid-service) or a faulty transmission control solenoid. As you know, automatic transmissions use pressurized hydraulic fluid to change gears. Every time a gear change is required, the car's...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com