GMC K1500 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

(42)

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

(42)

Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Service

How much does a Valve Cover Gasket Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a GMC K1500 Valve Cover Gasket Replacement is $166 with $26 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
1998 GMC K1500V8-6.5L Turbo DieselService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$1189.88Shop/Dealer Price$1279.97 - $1502.43
1993 GMC K1500V8-5.0LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$211.29Shop/Dealer Price$229.45 - $279.80
1990 GMC K1500V8-6.2L DieselService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$932.34Shop/Dealer Price$1009.55 - $1222.36
1994 GMC K1500V6-4.3LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$237.15Shop/Dealer Price$261.80 - $331.56
1995 GMC K1500V8-6.5L DieselService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$810.28Shop/Dealer Price$886.82 - $1087.95
1993 GMC K1500V8-5.7LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$211.29Shop/Dealer Price$229.61 - $280.09
1992 GMC K1500V8-6.2L DieselService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$932.34Shop/Dealer Price$1009.61 - $1222.47
1990 GMC K1500V8-5.7LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$211.29Shop/Dealer Price$229.47 - $279.84
Show example GMC K1500 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 GMC mechanics

Real customer reviews from GMC owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(42)

Rating Summary
41
1
0
0
0
41
1
0
0
0

Ramon

21 years of experience
166 reviews
Ramon
21 years of experience
GMC K1500 V6-4.3L - Car is not starting - Tucson, Arizona
Great to work with. Explains everything well and does thorough PD.

Ramon

21 years of experience
166 reviews
Ramon
21 years of experience
GMC K1500 V6-4.3L - Brake System Flush - Tucson, Arizona
Very knowledgeable and professional. I will ask for Ramon when having future work done.

Luis

5 years of experience
302 reviews
Luis
5 years of experience
GMC K1500 V8-5.7L - Oil Change - Mechanicsville, Virginia
Luis was just here for an oil change, my daughters truck needs some brake attention and I feel very comfortable with Luis doing the work for her. Will be making another appointment with him! Very knowledgeable, thorough and friendly!

Tomas

18 years of experience
226 reviews
Tomas
18 years of experience
GMC K1500 V8-5.7L - Oil Cooler Lines - Clark, New Jersey
Tomas is Very Good At What He Does. This Coming From Ex Mechanic of 30+ years My Job Was Not An Easy One & He did an awesome job on it.

Excellent Rating

(42)

Rating Summary
41
1
0
0
0
41
1
0
0
0
Number of GMC K1500 services completed
462+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT GMC MECHANICS
900+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

P0989 OBD-II Trouble Code: Transmission Fluid Pressure Sensor/Switch E Circuit Low
P0989 means there is an issue with the E circuit in the transmission fluid pressure sensor, likely due to a bad sensor, solenoid, or fluid level.
Tennessee Speed Limits, Laws, and Fines
Following Following is an overview of the laws, limits, and fines as they relate to speeding traffic violations in the state of Tennessee. Speed limits in Tennessee 70 mph: rural interstates and some other controlled-access highways 55-65 mph: urban interstates...
The Guide to Right-of-Way Laws in California
Common Common sense, courtesy, and right-of-way laws work in combination to ensure your safety in traffic. This is why, when yielding the right of way means avoiding a collision that could cause harm to others, or damage to vehicles, you...

Camaro iroc z sat for 17 years... Won't start

The fuel in the tank is bad from sitting so long. The entire fuel system may need to be flushed and the carburetor rebuilt. This means that the fuel tank should be removed and cleaned. The fuel pump should also...

Hi there. I own a 2013 Hyundai i20 and when I drive in the rain, half of the dash lights go off.

Hi there. The wiring could have a ground that is loose or shorting out when driving in the rain. Check all of the ground wires to the vehicle and look for any loose wires or wires that could be contacting...

I accidentally put oil in my coolant tank, what can I do? 1998 Mercury Marquis

Hello - not ideal, but certainly not fatal. You may even be able to remove the coolant reservoir, and drain the coolant/oil mix before any has gotten into the engine. Even if oil is in the coolant, a coolant drain,...

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