Subaru Legacy 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 Subaru Legacy Valve Cover Gasket Replacement is $176 with $36 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

Car	Service	Estimate	Shop/Dealer Price
2013 Subaru LegacyH4-2.5L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$563.18	Shop/Dealer Price$647.74 - $888.44
2015 Subaru LegacyH4-2.5L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$291.59	Shop/Dealer Price$312.49 - $369.00
2007 Subaru LegacyH4-2.5L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$555.44	Shop/Dealer Price$635.42 - $868.23
2013 Subaru LegacyH6-3.6L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$1020.61	Shop/Dealer Price$1154.52 - $1541.62
1996 Subaru LegacyH4-2.5L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$389.19	Shop/Dealer Price$436.73 - $568.13
2012 Subaru LegacyH4-2.5L Turbo	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$721.58	Shop/Dealer Price$829.53 - $1143.92
2005 Subaru LegacyH4-2.5L	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$536.82	Shop/Dealer Price$612.17 - $831.04
2011 Subaru LegacyH4-2.5L Turbo	Service typeValve Cover Gasket Replacement	Estimate$721.58	Shop/Dealer Price$829.23 - $1143.41

Show example Subaru Legacy 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 Subaru mechanics

Real customer reviews from Subaru owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(6)

Rating Summary

6

0

0

0

0

6

0

0

0

0

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Peter

10 years of experience

117 reviews

Peter

10 years of experience

by Lee Pfotzer

Legacy 1998 - Valve Cover Gasket - Antioch, CA

Peter was right on time and worked steadily to get our car fixed. He did a great job!

Victor

0 years of experience

196 reviews

Victor

0 years of experience

by Koren Walston

Legacy 2003 - Battery - Albuquerque, NM

On time, worked quickly, very pleased

Christopher

3 years of experience

23 reviews

Request Christopher

Christopher

3 years of experience

Request Christopher

by William Mcmeans

Legacy 1996 - Power Steering Pump - Denver, CO

Great.

Phillip

16 years of experience

307 reviews

Request Phillip

Phillip

16 years of experience

Request Phillip

by Larry Shuman

Legacy 1997 - Clicking or popping sound is coming from wheels - Sacramento, CA

Showed up for appointment early, was knowledgeable, efficient and everything you want a competent mechanic to be. I would recommend him.

Excellent Rating

(6)

Rating Summary

6

0

0

0

0

6

0

0

0

0

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Recent articles & questions

How Long Does a Radiator Hose Last?

Your Your car’s engine needs coolant in order to operate safely. Automobile engines generate a significant amount of heat while operating, and that heat must be removed and limited to a specific temperature range. If allowed to overheat, the engine...

What are the Car Pool Rules in Montana?

Car Car pool lanes have existed for decades, and have become increasingly popular in recent years. There are thousands of miles of car pool lanes spanning many states, and aiding a great number of people who commute to work every...

P2247 OBD-II Trouble Code: Oxygen Sensor Reference Voltage Circuit Open - Bank 2 Sensor 1

P2247 P2247 code definition The P2247 diagnostic trouble code is an indication that there is a problem with the bank 2 sensor 1 oxygen (O2) sensor reference voltage circuit. Related Trouble Codes: P2243 OBD-II Trouble Code: O2 Sensor Ref Voltage...

Passenger side rear mirror and gas cap

Hello, thanks for writing in. I would recommend buying a replacement gas cap (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/gas-cap-replacement) from factory Ford as these are typically engineered much better than many of the aftermarket companies. Regarding your Check Engine Light, you should have this checked...

My 2018 XC60 was in neutral at a car wash. When it was time to leave, the car would not go forward when put into gear

Hi Brad. Thanks for sending your question today. Since your car is 2017 I would strongly recommend contacting your local Volvo dealership or the location where the vehicle was purchased first. An issue like this is likely due to an...

I have a 2014 Kia Forte with the 1.8 liter and automatic. The last week it has started intermittently sputtering and stalling at idle. I cannot identify any pattern. There is no check engine light, and the car sometimes restarts easily and others I need to hold the pedal about halfway down to get it to start. There was a little under 1/4 tank of fuel the first time it did it, after I filled it and added isoheet it didnt repeat until I got to about 1/4 tank again last night. I filled up and it has repeated multiple times today.

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