I just ordered some spark plug tube seals for my car and right after decided to order a valve cover gasket along with them (had to cancel orig. order and make new one h

The reason being I'm not sure how finicky the valve cover gasket is compared with a head gasket for example.

My question is, do you need to replace the valve cover gasket whenever you remove the valve cover (I prefer "cam cover") or can you reuse it over and over until it gets too old?

I did search here and elsewhere but I've gotten mixed info so I'd rather get some advice right from the horses mouth, so to speak.

I would just save the new one for the time being if I can, since the current one doesn't leak.

Thanks for any help on this

 

i reuse it over & over until the rubber is hard & feels like it's gonna leak.

I also put a little bit of RTV in the corners.

 

:werd:

but I prefer HondaBond over RTV black.

 

yeap reuse the valve cover gasket. Although I've noticed in some cases the spark plug gaskets tend to warp or mushroom faster than a valve cover gasket. I have an oil leak in my 3rd cylinder because of a bad plug gasket.

 

bad plug gasket will cause misfires if oil gets down in the spark plug hole.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'll just take a look at the gasket when the valve cover is off.

Should I try and get ahold of some Hondabond then, even if I've got the new gasket ready to put on if anything leaks?

To be clear, I'm assuming you guys mean plug seal or plug tube seal when you say plug gasket. Seal/gasket being the same/almost same thing.

Seems obvious but my assumptions have led me astray before.


On my engine, the oil doesn't seem able to get up where the plug wire boot is, only on the threads and below. Even with synthetic oil (which gets by the seals faster) it only gets in the threads and if it sits too long fouls the electrodes.

It's the D16Z6 so has VTEC, I've read the spark plug tubes are different/better on the ones with VTEC but I'm not sure everyone includes the D16Z6 when they say "VTEC motors" :hsdunno:

 

RTV works fine but I use HondaBond since I work at a dealership and it is readily available. I put a BB sized bit in the corners of the cam cap. I do not put it everywhere that the valve cover gasket touches the cylinder head. It is unecessary and actually makes a huge mess.

I have reused valve cover gaskets before but they aren't really that expensive so I'd just replace it.

 

Cool, this doesn't apply to me now and may not ever, but should you also use hondabond on the corners of a head gasket?

I'm never gonna remove my car's head if I can avoid it (don't trust myself or my $20 torque wrench) but if it leaks and a mechanic replaces it they've probably never even heard of Hondabond around here.

 

I would not use sealant on a headgasket. Hondabond is essentially Honda RTV. RTV stands for room temperature vulcanizing.

 

copper spray do a few coats on the whole gasket and let it sit till its tacky, unless its a paper gasket, then i dont think you do that.