Vehicle Classics

How To Replace Your Car’s Valve Cover Gasket

While you’re driving, the moving parts of your engine are opening, closing, and shaking in a well-orchestrated symphony of activity. In order for everything to work properly, oil is needed in order to provide lubrication. Given the frenetic activity of your engine’s parts, it’s no surprise that oil is liberally splashed about.

You should be checking your oil level periodically to ensure that your engine has enough to properly lubricate the parts. If you notice that the level is consistently lower than it should be, you may have a leak. One of the areas that can develop leaks is the valve cover gasket (VCG).

A valve cover is bolted to the top of your engine (the cylinder head, specifically). The cover prevents oil from splashing over every component under your hood during operation. The VCG sits between the cover and your engine, and creates a seal. In effect, it keeps oil from escaping.

Over time, the gasket can dry out and develop cracks. If that happens, it will slowly lose its ability to provide a seal, allowing oil to leak. Fortunately, replacing the VCG is a simple process.

Step By Step Instructions

Before taking the valve cover off the gasket, first try to tighten it down. Occasionally, the bolts can become loose after thousands of miles. You might discover the leak can be resolved simply by tightening the cover.

Assuming the leak is still a problem after tightening the bolts, remove the valve cover. Every vehicle is a little different; the cover in your car may be surrounded by PCV hoses and cables, which you’ll likely need to disconnect.

Next, loosen and remove the bolts holding the cover in place on the cylinder head. Take the cover off while being careful not to let anything fall into the engine.

Your cover may be fitted with a groove that holds the valve cover gasket in place. Remove the VCG and look for residue along the perimeter of the cover. If any exists, scrape it off. Otherwise, it may play havoc with the seal of the new VCG.

The last step is to install the replacement valve cover gasket and bolt the valve cover back onto your car’s engine. Tighten the bolts, reconnect any of the hoses and cables that you had previously detached, and start your engine. The VCG should maintain a tight seal.

Replenish The Oil Until The Leak Is Repaired

If you’re unable to replace the valve cover gasket immediately, make sure that you keep the oil level in your car replenished. Too often, drivers neglect to keep the level up when their engine is leaking oil. If your engine lacks sufficient oil during operation, it can overheat due to excess friction. That will often cause expensive damage (a shame given that the gasket costs less than $20).

An experienced mechanic will probably be able to replace a VCG in less than an hour. If you intend to do the job yourself, set aside a few hours to make certain the gasket is installed properly.

Vehicle Classics

Related posts

• How Does Your Car’s Fuel Injection Work? (0)
• An Overview Of Headlight Types (0)
• What Is A Technical Service Bulletin? (0)
• Understanding The Basics Behind A Car Ignition System (0)
• The Basics Of Your Car’s Fuel Injection System (1)

How To Find A Repair Shop For A Transmission Overhaul

Your transmission is slipping and the mechanic has delivered the bad news: it needs to be overhauled. It’s an expensive job and prices vary wildly depending on the shop and the area in which you live. Sometimes, the prices at a single shop can practically double based on the amount of work involved for the technician. That’s why most shops will refuse to give you a firm quote until they have lifted your tranny, dismantled it, and have all of the pieces laid out in front of them.

The question is, how do you find a garage that will overhaul your transmission while maintaining a high level of quality in their workmanship? Millions of drivers can attest that the process of having your tranny overhauled is not as simple as having an alternator or water pump replaced. The work can take days and costs can rise dramatically. It’s not uncommon for the job to cost $1,800 or more.

In this article, I’ll provide a few helpful tips for finding a trustworthy repair shop that will perform the overhaul.

Use Your Local Auto Repair Garage

You’ll find that a lot of auto repair garages don’t work on transmissions. It’s labor-intensive and specialized. Even if the mechanics are capable of doing it, they’ll refuse the job. This is the reason many garages specialize in this area. Their entire business is focused on repairing and overhauling transmissions.

Use your local mechanic as a first resource. That is, ask him to serve as a go-between. Many auto technicians will maintain relationships with tranny shops and refer their best customers to them. If there’s a problem with the assembly after the repairs are performed, you can call your regular mechanic and he’ll communicate with the specialist for you. You may need to pay your local auto technician a small fee, but it’s worthwhile to avoid the headaches of working directly with the transmission shop.

Abandoned Vehicles?

If your mechanic is unable (or unwilling) to refer you to a trustworthy specialist, you’ll need to find one on your own. When visiting a tranny shop, check to see whether there are abandoned vehicles in their lot. That might suggest the garage’s quotes are far lower than the actual price of the repairs; owners may have decided to abandon their cars rather than pay the bill.

Also, check whether any of the vehicles that the specialists have worked on are similar to your own. Every car is a little different; knowing the mechanic has experience with your make and model will provide peace of mind.

When you go inside the shop to speak with the tranny technicians, ask them to quote a “worst case” price. Transmission repairs and overhauls have a way of escalating far above the original quote. A “worst case” price will help you prepare your expectations while discouraging the garage from trying to entice your business with a low-ball quote.

If your transmission is slipping or you’re having similar shifting troubles, finding a reputable specialist you can trust will be difficult. Your best path is to ask your local repair garage to serve as a liaison.

Vehicle Classics

Related posts

• Common Repairs That Are Performed On Automotive Transmissions (0)

What Is A Technical Service Bulletin?

When you drive a new vehicle off the dealership lot, you expect that your first few years of ownership will be problem-free. In most cases, they are. The parts and systems under the hood are brand new. Sadly, auto manufacturers occasionally make mistakes. When they do, they’ll often issue a technical service bulletin.

Most won’t affect you. In fact, were you to read the majority of the TSBs that are issued by automakers, you might be inclined to ignore them. For example, a manufacturer may send out a notice about a faulty cigarette lighter. It may be irrelevant to you unless you’re a smoker.

Having said that, it is important to understand what a technical service bulletin is and how it affects you as an owner. In this article, I’ll describe how they differ from recalls. I’ll also explain how to make sure the appropriate repairs are performed in the event a TSB is issued.

How Is It Different Than A Recall?

Many owners believe recalls and TSBs are the same. The former is issued when an automaker discovers that the design of their vehicle includes a safety risk or a problem with emissions. The recall does not expire. It remains “live” or “open” until the owner has a dealership technician fix the problem.

A technical service bulletin is sent to the dealership by the automaker for design problems that do not present safety risks. Unlike recalls, they usually expire once the standard warranty period ends. If the owner fails to have the work performed and the warranty expires, his chance to have the problem resolved by the dealer for free also expires.

Having The Necessary Repairs Performed

Occasionally, TSBs address serious problems with key parts and systems. For example, your car’s engine may have a recurring hard starting issue that is due to a design flaw. Or, the transmission may slip. If you suspect a problem you’re experiencing with your vehicle is due to design issues, you can investigate existing technical service bulletins online. Be aware that the content will often exclude details that are available to the dealership.

The key to having TSB repairs done by the dealer is to make sure one of the auto technicians can duplicate the problem. For example, suppose you’re having trouble cranking your engine in the morning. Further suppose you have noticed a technical service bulletin that mentions a cold start engine issue. If you deliver your vehicle to the dealership after warming the engine, they won’t be able to duplicate the cold start. Deliver it the previous evening. Call in the morning and ask them to crank the motor. Once they verify the cold start, they can resolve it based on the TSB.

Again, most technical service bulletins are not important. Nor are they widespread. However, if you experience a glitch with your car, and it’s still under warranty, check online for a TSB. It may be the quickest path toward having the problem resolved.

Vehicle Classics

Related posts

• Understanding The Basics Behind A Car Ignition System (0)
• Preventing Car Transmission Damage (0)
• How To Know It’s Time For A New Car (0)
• General Exterior Car Maintenance Checklist (1)
• Don’t Neglect These 3 Car Problems (0)