Before tearing everything apart first try gently cinching down the valve. Over time and under higher temperatures the gasket shrinks and becomes brittle which might cause oil leaks.
An important task while installing new valve cover gasket is to apply a thin layer of RVT sealant to the cylinder head where it mounts to the valve cover.
How to put on a valve cover gasket. Before tearing everything apart first try gently cinching down the valve. Allow the engine to cool. Consult the service manual or instructions for valve cover removal.
Lift off the valve cover. Although valve cover gaskets dont necessarily need sealers or cements its a common practice to glue the gasket to the valve cover. There are a number of sealant choices too.
Insert and guide the new valve cover gasket into the grooves of the valve cover. To ensure the gasket is fully secured turn the valve cover over onto a flat surface and firmly push down on it. Use a dab and a permatex every 6 inches 152 cm on the valve cover groove.
Gently seat the new gasket in its groove and let it sit for about 10 minutes. 7 Gently move the valve cover back in position. Designed to seal the valve cover to the top of the cylinder head the valve cover gasket is designed to keep motor oil from leaking out.
For tips on installi. Once the valve cover is back on begin putting the bolts back on with their new rubber gasket sleeves. Start with the three center bolts middle one first.
Once the cover and mating surfaces are clean and dry apply new RTV in the same locations and install the new gasket. Valve cover gaskets are designed to seal dry so dont apply sealant to the face of the gasket. I use the blue rtv sealant on the valve cover side after making sure its straight and super clean put the sealer all the way around enough to hold the gasket flat put the gasket on and keep.
Coat the cover surface with a layer of black RTV silicon place the gasket carefully on it and press down. Check that all the holes etc. After a few hours do the same thing again lightly coating the surface of the gasket with RTV.
Spray the head surfaces lightly with WD40 or any sort of oil. An important task while installing new valve cover gasket is to apply a thin layer of RVT sealant to the cylinder head where it mounts to the valve cover. A valve cover gasket seals the gap between the valve cover and the cylinder head.
In most modern cars the valve cover gasket is made of rubber. Over time and under higher temperatures the gasket shrinks and becomes brittle which might cause oil leaks. Once the valve covers 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. The new valve cover gasket is applied along with new rubber grommets under the retaining bolt heads. For a 2005 Subaru Legacy with a 25-liter engine the labor time to replace the valve cover gaskets is estimated at 09 for the right side and 11 hours for the left side.
A factory valve cover gasket price is about 15 and a BeckArnley gasket set costs about 20. Insert each of the valve covers six retaining bolts through the edge of the valve cover and into the cylinder head then tighten the bolts only until they are snug to avoid damaging the gasket. Press the breather cap into the opening on the top of the valve cover.
Dirty Valve Cover When you go to give your vehicle an oil change pay attention to the condition of the valve cover. If it is dirty then it means oil is leaking out of the valve cover gasket. Replace the gasket first and then change the oil.
Either that or have a professional auto serviceperson do the oil change and gasket replacement job.