Valve Cover Gaskets and Stem Seals
You've been driving your car for years and it's always held up. She's lasted a good long while, and when that giant monster rose from the ocean and took out a main bridge, you knew you needed to get out of the city fast. This thing is huge, bigger than Godzilla ever seemed in all those movies you used to watch as a kid. Your driving down the streets and glass and rubble are flying everywhere. There's some group of kids video taping the whole thing but you just want out. And then you smell it: oil. Sure enough, one of your gaskets has busted and you've got oil spilling out of your car faster than TMZ spills celebrity secrets. So now your huddled in an alleyway, checking the Web on your phone and here you are, looking for help on what you need and how to install it. Take a deep breath, stay away from any large footprints you find in the concrete, and keep reading.
Valve Cover Gaskets vs. Stem Seals
The valve cover gasket does what it says, it covers the gasket that holds oil. If it is seeping just a bit, it doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be replaced. Many cars have this happen and run just fine. It's when you're seeing a full-blown leak that you need to replace the valve cover gasket. These are sold based on your car model, so obviously a gasket for a Buick won't work for a Subaru.
Where as the cover literally covers the gasket, the stem seal actually seals the bottom of the valve to the engine. When your valve stem seal is going, you may see blue smoke coming out of the car instead of an oil spill.
Installing A New Gasket or Seal
* '''Safety First''': Always wear gloves when dealing with the engine, as a lot of fluids are carcinogenic and you don't want to come in direct contact. Also consider wearing something to protect your eyesyou never know what may fly up and hurt you.
* '''Tools''': The kind of tools you need will vary depending on the car and what its fasteners are like, but the basics include pliers, a socket wrench, and of course whatever replacement gasket or seal kit you may have picked up. For the stem seal you will need a valve spring tool. Also, a cleaning chemical spray will help clean off any oil residue, and a silicon sealant will make sure those new pieces will hold fast and not leak.
* '''Disconnection''': You will want to disconnect the wires and valve hoses before you do any work on replacing the gasket, and disconnect the spark plugs before installing the stem seal.
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