valve cover gaskets

[98outbackpdx]

my valve cover gaskets are leaking in my outback. i had the entire engine resealed about 25k miles ago, when i had the HG's done. how common is it for the valve cover gaskets to leak so early?

[ouch1011]

Depends on the quality of the gaskets. Crappy gaskets (which are VERY common) don't last long.

Could also be that the bolts have loosened up. Steel bolts in an aluminum head can loosen up with many heat cycles.

Also, the DOHC head design keeps the bottom edge of the valve cover in contact with a pool of oil pretty much constantly. So they are more prone to leakage than most engines where gravity drains the oil back to the pan.

[99gtlimited]

just make sure to clean the mating surfaces well, then seal them up properly along with a new gasket and you should be fine for a while.

I've already dealt with this 3 times, so trust me when I say: take your time and do it right, don't use cheap gaskets or sealing products, they generally end up failing rather quickly.

[98outbackpdx]

the guy who re gasketed my engine is a Subaru tech so i hope he knows what he is doing.
plus when i have it done i have a discount of some kind at the dealership (not where my mechanic works) after i bitched at them for failing to find a safety issue TWICE (both times different things, one was a ball joint and the other was a abs sensor, had tires put on both times.)