GMC Sierra 1500 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

(412)

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

(412)

Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Service

How much does a Valve Cover Gasket Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a GMC Sierra 1500 Valve Cover Gasket Replacement is $169 with $29 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
2011 GMC Sierra 1500V6-4.3LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$246.16Shop/Dealer Price$272.55 - $343.62
2013 GMC Sierra 1500V8-4.8LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$284.83Shop/Dealer Price$307.50 - $369.76
2009 GMC Sierra 1500V8-5.3LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$284.83Shop/Dealer Price$307.54 - $369.82
2002 GMC Sierra 1500V8-6.0LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$284.83Shop/Dealer Price$307.54 - $369.82
2003 GMC Sierra 1500V8-5.3LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$576.44Shop/Dealer Price$657.54 - $886.58
2001 GMC Sierra 1500V6-4.3LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$266.35Shop/Dealer Price$291.54 - $361.70
2008 GMC Sierra 1500V6-4.3LService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$237.15Shop/Dealer Price$261.81 - $331.59
2016 GMC Sierra 1500V8-5.3L HybridService typeValve Cover Gasket ReplacementEstimate$261.79Shop/Dealer Price$278.74 - $323.74
Show example GMC Sierra 1500 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

(412)

Rating Summary
381
16
6
1
8
381
16
6
1
8

Roger

32 years of experience
5 reviews
Roger
32 years of experience
GMC Sierra 1500 V8-5.3L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Miami, Florida
Excellent customer service!

Lamont

31 years of experience
62 reviews
Lamont
31 years of experience
GMC Sierra 1500 V8-4.8L - Brake Pads Replacement (Rear) - Fairfield, California
Lamont was great, he was a little bit early, and finished before the given time. Everything went very smoothly with Lamont, he really seemed to know what he was doing.

Steve

16 years of experience
27 reviews
Steve
16 years of experience
GMC Sierra 1500 V8-5.3L - Headlight Bulb Replacement (Passenger Side Low Beam) - Austin, Texas
Great experience

Rigoberto

12 years of experience
739 reviews
Rigoberto
12 years of experience
GMC Sierra 1500 V8-5.3L - CarGurus Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Chicago, Illinois
I like his attitude

Excellent Rating

(412)

Rating Summary
381
16
6
1
8
381
16
6
1
8
Number of GMC Sierra 1500 services completed
4532+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT GMC MECHANICS
900+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

P2455 OBD-II Trouble Code: Diesel Particulate Filter Differential Pressure Sensor Short to Voltage
P2455 P2455 code definition Diesel Particulate Filter Differential Pressure Sensor Short to Voltage What the P2455 code means P2455 is an OBD-II generic code that the engine control module (ECM) has detected the diesel particulate filter differential pressure sensor (DPFPS)...
All About Car Warning Lights
Your car has a variety of warning lights to let you know when a specific feature is on, or if a part needs service or maintenance.
How to Buy a Good Quality Gasket
There There are a wide variety of gasket types on a typical vehicle, from head gaskets which are installed between the cylinder head and the engine block to engine gaskets which seal out harmful elements and keep the engine safe...

How do I access the luggage floor box?

The luggage floor box is located at the base of your trunk, and provides secure extra storage. To open the luggage floor box, press on the button, or pull on the handle (depending on your model), then lift the floor...

Check Engine code reads "catalytic converter"

Hello. If you have a check engine code for a catalytic converter then most of the time that is exactly what you need. In some cases a bad oxygen sensor can make it look like there is a bad converter....

Will battery disconnect erase/delete obd2 data

Disconnecting the battery will not clear any codes in memory of the computer for stored OBD2 codes. The only way to clear the codes (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/check-engine-light-is-on-inspection) is to use a scanner and use the code clear function.

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