A valve cover gasket leak produces a burning oil smell, leaves oil on the exhaust manifold, and — on coil-on-plug engines — destroys ignition coil boots when oil soaks into them. For Kenmore drivers on SR-522 and the Lake Washington loop routes, Tom's B&M Auto replaces valve cover gaskets with complete gasket sets including spark plug tube seals, and inspects coil boots for oil damage at the same time.
Visual inspection to confirm leak location — valve cover vs timing cover vs oil pan. Oil on the exhaust manifold near the head confirms valve cover. Coil boot condition inspected before cover removal.
Valve cover removed. Mating surfaces cleaned completely — old gasket material causes the new gasket to leak immediately. Complete gasket set installed including spark plug tube seals. Valve cover bolt torque applied in factory sequence.
Coil boots inspected for oil saturation. Oil-soaked boots replaced — they cause misfires that return after gasket replacement if not addressed. Post-repair idle quality check. Service typically completed in 1-2 hours.
Spark plug tube seals are the most common failure point in a valve cover gasket set — they allow oil to enter the coil wells on coil-on-plug engines and cause coil failures that look like ignition problems. Every quality gasket set includes them. We install them as a matter of course, never as a separate upsell.
Valve cover bolt torque sequence matters more than most technicians acknowledge. Overtightening in the wrong sequence crushes the gasket unevenly and causes a new leak at the lowest-torque point. We follow the factory torque sequence to spec every time — it takes an extra 3 minutes and prevents a comeback.
Includes spark plug tube seals — the most common failure point.
Oil-soaked boots replaced — prevents misfires after gasket repair.
Most valve cover gasket services completed in 1-2 hours.
Valve cover gasket replacement includes leak location confirmation, mating surface cleaning, complete gasket set installation (including spark plug tube seals), factory torque sequence, ignition coil boot inspection, and post-repair idle quality check.
From Tom's B&M Auto - serving Kenmore and the greater Seattle metro.
Tom's B&M Auto · 17820 Hwy 99, Suite E, Lynnwood · Serving greater Seattle
Also serving: Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline, Mukilteo, Kenmore, Alderwood Manor