Ford E-250 Econoline Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Costs

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

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.

See availability

Customer Ratings

Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Service

How much does a Valve Cover Gasket Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Ford E-250 Econoline Valve Cover Gasket Replacement is $290 with $100 for parts and $190 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

Car	Service	Estimate	Shop/Dealer Price
1978 Ford E-250 EconolineL6-4.9L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$660.43	Shop/Dealer Price$761.80 - $989.40
1976 Ford E-250 EconolineV8-5.8L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$1007.56	Shop/Dealer Price$1177.08 - $1550.38
1977 Ford E-250 EconolineV8-5.8L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$1007.56	Shop/Dealer Price$1177.07 - $1550.36
1984 Ford E-250 EconolineL6-4.9L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$606.43	Shop/Dealer Price$711.27 - $949.36
1990 Ford E-250 EconolineL6-4.9L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$554.35	Shop/Dealer Price$646.31 - $845.43
1983 Ford E-250 EconolineV8-5.0L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$754.90	Shop/Dealer Price$883.21 - $1168.97
1981 Ford E-250 EconolineL6-4.9L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$609.43	Shop/Dealer Price$710.39 - $937.68
1989 Ford E-250 EconolineV8-5.0L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$686.58	Shop/Dealer Price$793.35 - $1012.15

Show example Ford E-250 Econoline 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 Ford mechanics

Real customer reviews from Ford owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(53)

Rating Summary

43

4

1

0

5

43

4

1

0

5

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Russell

24 years of experience

356 reviews

Request Russell

Russell

24 years of experience

Request Russell

by Jack

Ford E-250 Econoline * - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Portland, Oregon

He was great. He gave me a call ahead of time and was flexible. I felt like he took extra care in the inspection and provided the guidance I needed to make a decision on the car.

Son

25 years of experience

52 reviews

Son

25 years of experience

by Donerver

Ford E-250 Econoline V8-5.4L - Oxygen Sensor Replacement (Front/Upper/Upstream, Rear/Lower/Downstream) - Riverdale, Georgia

He arrived on time, completed repair. Answered any questions I had.

Theodore

16 years of experience

1587 reviews

Request Theodore

Theodore

16 years of experience

Request Theodore

by thom

Ford E-250 Econoline L6-4.9L - Coolant is leaking - Issaquah, Washington

Theodore was very professional and quick to diagnose and solve the problem. Took the time to explain the issue to me and gave me tips to keep the van running tip top for years to come.

Jay

37 years of experience

947 reviews

Jay

37 years of experience

by David

Ford E-250 Econoline V8-5.4L - ignition lock cylinder - Redlands, California

Jay arrived on time, quickly saw that I had misunderstood the nature of the needed repair, got the necessary part and completed the repair. The repair worked, my van was left clean, and I was a happy guy. From emailing in the appointment on Saturday morning to getting the repair Implemented on Monday morning, without needing to have the vehicle towed, it was the ultimate in convenience. I will use YourMechanic again.

Excellent Rating

(53)

Rating Summary

43

4

1

0

5

43

4

1

0

5

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Recent articles & questions

How to Buy a Good Quality Idler Pulley

The The idler pulley system drives a car’s alternator and is part of a belt and pulley system that also covers power steering, the air compressor, and other devices. The pulley is essential; with all of the important equipment that...

P0970 OBD-II Trouble Code: Pressure Control Solenoid “C” Control Circuit Low

P0970 means there is a discrepancy between the desired hydraulic pressure and the actual hydraulic pressure due to faulty solenoids.

P0834 OBD-II Trouble Code: Clutch Pedal Switch “B” Circuit Low

P0834 means there is an issue with the clutch position sensor circuit, usually due to a faulty sensor or damaged electrical components.

Alternator or Battery?

Greetings! This definitely sounds like you may have an alternator beginning to fail. As you know, the alternator (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/alternator-replacement) is responsible for charging the battery. The rate at which this happens is correlated to the engine RPM's as the alternator...

Cranks but no start with code C1200 and fuel pressure reading is 0.

Hi there. Check the fuel filter in the fuel line and see if its plugged. Then check the fuel pressure regulator at it controls the fuel pressure on the fuel rail. If the fuel filter and fuel pressure regulator are...

Blown head gasket but no water in oil and now it will not start

If for some reason the engine was over full of oil by 5 quarts then you may have oil above the pistons causing the no crank. All spark plugs will need to be removed and engine rotated to see if...

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