Subaru Valve Cover Gasket Replacement - A Complete Guide

[@AgingWannabee]

Thanks for this video. I especially appreciate the heads up regarding bolts that like to break and the tips on lifting the engine just enough. I also appreciate your ego-less mention of BMOB's detailed videos.

[@DanielB-py1yi]

Thank you so much for for this video. I just changed the spark plugs on my sons 2001 Legacy and and found heaps of oil (clean oil) in the spark plug tubs. We were so stressed that the engine was stuff or needed a head gasket. After some googling and watching your video, I'm confident we can do this ourselves now in the workshop.

[@CarsNToys]

Glad it helped!

[@gregd3551]

Nice. I went to change my plugs today on my 2010 Outback and found my spark plug tubes fouled with oil. This vid will help changing those seals and gaskets. Thanks. Car just turned 200K miles. Update: Did this job without jacking up the engine. If you're careful, you can get the old gasket and tube seals off and put the new ones on while the cover is loose with all the bolts off on the driver's side. It still sucks, extreme caution must be used to not damage the new gasket.

[@THNDERHDS]

I can’t figure out the drivers side yet, but I got it out so I’ll have to get it back in.

[@ryanleechee2921]

@@THNDERHDShope it went well

[@THNDERHDS]

@@ryanleechee2921 it went back in, but it leaks more than before. Probably didn’t seat the gasket properly. It’s sitting in a driveway currently.

[@user-sd9xr2bj2l]

I was watching this video after two others and each one has its own gems. The first video I watched, didn’t lift the engine, it removed the serpentine belt and rotated the cam shaft til the notch was visible on the top, to give the cover clearance around the lobes.

[@ErezYafee]

WOW man you are awesome! Every time before I work on my car I check if you have video on it, and I gotta say that you never ket me down!!! So thank you for all of your Impreza videos (mine is 2009 non turbo but 1500 liter, engine code EL154). Timing video, control arm, fuel filter, even the multimedia replacement - I did it all with your videos. You helped me a lot so thanks again

[@lee_dubs3206]

Used these exact techniques on my 2010 Forester this weekend. Had to jack engine and everything. Actually needed to rock engine to the side with help from a friend when getting the passenger side. Just grab the intake manifolds and pull toward the driver’s side.

[@NM-pl1iv]

Glad I found this video, I was able to replace my valve cover gaskets on my 2011 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport. I was able to get both covers off without messing with the engine mounts but it was a tight squeeze. I had to remove the metal bracket that protects the fuel rail. I used a socket set and box wrench, definitely recommend a ratcheting wrench to get the drivers side bottom back bolt on and off. Took me just under 4 hours. Be mindful of the VVT solenoid, I must’ve hit mine when removing my cover and had to replace it. Other tips would be to put towels under valve covers to catch the oil from valve covers, blow off the area with air and the plastic shielding on my wires was very fragile and may break apart. I was also able to unbolt the power steering reservoir from the fender instead of disconnecting the tubing which gave me enough room on the passenger side to get that valve cover off.

[@wes1356]

I’m so glad I found your video. I was about to throw in the towel and call a mechanic because I was having trouble removing driver side valve cover. Thank you!!!!

[@52blueapple]

Outstanding video with exceptional detail! Thanks for making this task a lot easier than it fist appeared! Everything went smoothly.

[@pirihern9329]

Great. Thanks for the heads up on the clearence issue. That po447 and 448 was a defective pcm 1y50 dollars at the subaru dealer.

[@TheRushrv]

Great video! I was worried about removing the motor mounts but just loosing them makes me feel better. Nothing on hand heavy enough to line the engine up if it shifts.

[@CarsNToys]

Happy to help!

[@GranthamMann]

Thank you for the tutorial. Very useful for me changing my gasket covers. It was still a pain the in ass due to the boxer design, but hopefully don't need to do this for at least another 5-10 years... Just a tip when jacking up the engine, when jacking at the oil pan, if the engine doesn't seem to be going up, keep jacking until it does provided you have undone the bolts to the engine mounts as per the video. I initially thought it the engine was caught on something, but I just didn't jack it high enough (I was worried I might break something. My car is a 2009 Subaru Liberty/Legacy...

[@nmartin5551]

A mechanic friend of mine showed me how to use tiny Counter clockwise to clockwise movements plus PB, to loosen tight bolts. I saw another video where the guy did that AND once broke them free, he didn’t remove them until he had broken them all free. Makes sense to me.

[@ef2744]

Thanks for taking the time for doing a detailed, step by step excellent video. Really appreciate it since I'm getting ready to tackle a similar job on my 2013 subaru outback.

[@CarsNToys]

You're very welcome!

[@Peter7Paul]

Great video, I have an '08. These cars are a bit of a pain in the ass to work on with all the tight clearances.

[@noahbrown3121]

hey bro i believe i have the same issue as you how much did it cost

[@o.c.stiggs5377]

As always, an exceptionally well presented tutorial. We have two Subarus (our third was recently totaled) and, despite being a fairly competent shade tree mechanic who enjoys maintaining vehicles, the boxer design is trouble-prone and often a PITA to work on.

[@CarsNToys]

Certainly not my favorite vehicle to work on. Appreciate the comments.

[@mogtrader8]

i think this is why I'm just a lil hesitant on getting a subaru. the DIY seems a lot more challenging, as compared to Hondas.

[@miguelserrano9057]

Thank you great video, I can do this job by myself.

[@PeterHernandez-lg2eh]

2006 Subaru sti pain to work on. 1998 Honda prelude much easier. Same with my 98 Toyota rav4

[@Hamsandwich13]

2008 Subaru Legacy here, the only way I was able to remove my valve covers was to remove the engine mount nut and washer on one side and jack up the motor lifting only that side. Then let it back down, replace the nut and repeat on the other side. You’ll have to repeat this same strategy when replacing them too unless you clean and then replace the gasket while you still have that side of the engine raised, which I would not recommend. Be EXTREMELY careful but it is possible. I am by no means a mechanic but was able to do this job, pay attention and make sure you trust your jack!!

[@Dessla]

Nice video but being doing this for years on Subaru and there is no need to jack up the engine to remove the cover. Being working in my legacy GT spec B, legacy NA, my 2009 Subaru WRX/STI. Will support ur video because I have small hands n learnt to work around boxer engine tight spot. Got to love a subaru

[@CarsNToys]

Appreciate the heads up!

[@zigwil153]

Really good prefacing with the cover bolts. *Imagine having to pull an engine because of a twisted off valve cover bolt!*

[@binhonz]

For those no familiar with foot-pounds of torque I'd strongly suggest you to use ugga-duggas as it is internationally accepted in the english speaking world as measurement unit of force. The valve cover bolts will take about 1 to 1.5 ugga-duggas. The engine mount bolts can easily accept up to 4 or 5 ugga-duggas. For reference, 7 ugga-duggas is as close as you'd get to super tight territory without snapping the bolt/screw. Hope this helps! =) BTW, the actual torquing values area easy to find in most reputable Subaru forums out there where'd find servicing manuals for your specific model vehicle. Cheers! =)

[@forensic8385]

Ha, you're not joking. I tried loosening the passenger head cover bolts on a 2010 and it was a no-go. 3 of the 6 were seized in place. Using a 6point socket held super tight stripped the heads, a RocketSocket really held but it was taking way too much pressure on a 2' long breaker I was afraid the whole thing was going to shatter. I think i'm going to have to get a spare head cover because the next option is to cut the cover away with a dremel around the bolt shank. I have read that the whole shank of the bolt corrodes onto the head cover hole

[@GatsuFromBerserk]

Thanks for making this video, I’ve been having a hell of a time with my Subaru and just got blindsided by this when looking into a cylinder misfire. Going to get the stuff and crack into it this weekend

[@zSomertonn]

did it happen to be a cylinder 4 misfire? currently have one and replaced my plugs and wires and still have the issue. wondering if this is whats causing my issue

[@dickorneles704]

That s funny. I was doing the same. Cylinder 1 misfire here. Now the valve cover us leaking.

[@zSomertonn]

@@dickorneles704 my issue ended up being a wire and the ignition coil

[@dickorneles704]

@@zSomertonn damn. I got lucky with just replacing my spark plugs and the valve cover and spark plug seal/gasket.

[@anticcael7904]

$1000? Hahahaha, Subaru told me it was going to be a $3000 minimum per side. Great vid bro. It's a big help.

[@JimboDaMagnifico1086]

That's absolutely fucked with how they have some of the service costs.

[@colewyatt5298]

Amazing video man you managed to show/explain every detail. I'm an apprentice of 3 months and even I could follow along

[@fxdamien1206]

Every detail but doesn’t explain the spark plugs going back in or maybe boot grease?

[@colewyatt5298]

@@fxdamien1206 I mean idk if someone doesn't know how to put a spark plug in then they probably shouldn't be messing with valve covers and whatnot

[@pauln3895]

Hi thanks for the great vid! I ended up snapping my engine fastener as I was tightening it under the drivers side. You mentioned that it would be big trouble if that happened. Could you recommend what my options are? Thanks again!

[@NathanFarrisRI]

thanks for the video! I ordered the fel pro kit for my 2011 outback and will be attempting this job soon! found a bunch of oil in my spark plug wells.

[@DIViking]

Thank you for such a great tutorial. You have provided some great tips as well. I appreciate these videos and your timing belt video gave me the confidence to perform that service on my own without any issues. I do, however, have one suggestion for future videos. It would be really helpful to take a minute or two at the beginning of your videos to explain why you are performing the maintenance/repair you are performing and how you diagnosed the problem. For this video, why are you replacing the valve cover gaskets and spark plug tube seals? This may seem obvious to an experienced mechanic such as yourself, but it's really helpful for those who are still learning. For example, you might consider talking about whether you had an oil leak, how much it was leaking, how you distinguished this leak from a head gasket oil leak or other leaks, and how common this issue is with this model. I have a 2008 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport with 117.5k miles and have a very slow oil leak, but I am having trouble figuring if the leak is coming from the valve cover gaskets, or if my head gasket is starting to go, or both.

[@CarsNToys]

Thank you, Taylor. Appreciate the feedback.

[@AndrewMtzpL]

Can we have an update. Wich gasket did you need to replace???

[@CDVEDROD]

Nicely done! Question: I am wondering what you think about using anti-seize on fasteners to make the job easier next time? Also, how about PB blaster on all fasteners before removing?

[@Glenn_123]

Great video as always. Very well done and great reference to Brian's Mobile. This looks like a horrendous job.

[@v-squared]

Super helpful, I'm just about to tackle this on my 20`0. Also being in a rusty climate, it's good to know about the engine mounting bolts and such.

[@JonathanVaucher]

I have a 2008 Impreza 2.5i (same engine as yours). Today I changed my sparkplugs and notice a bit of oil on my sparkplug socket and on the sparkplug boots. I wasn't a massive amount of oil (maybe 0.1-0.2 milliliters per well) It's 60000 miles. I changed the plugs with new NGK. Is the sparkplug well gasket seal leaking a common thing on these subies ? I really hope my suby won't leave me stranded. I'd go for the valve cover gasket and sparkplug gasket seals replacement at the dealership but they want 800$ and I just spent 1500$ canadian for timing belt, pulleys and tensionner at the dealearship. Can I live with leaky spark plug well gaskets or is it a major bad thing ? Thanks for all your awesome videos !!! it help me change my sparkplugs and I will soon do the fuel filter (already bought the fuel filter and big round gasket).

[@CarsNToys]

At 140k miles the spark plug tubes weren't too bad. Based on your oil reading I wouldn't be concerned. Just watch for leaking head gaskets and keep any eye on the oil. Cheers!

[@JonathanVaucher]

Thanks for the reply ! Will do. For now, head gaskets look good (no visible leak from the outside of the short block-head interface).

[@christopherclark8965]

One of the most explanatory videos I've ever seen!

[@patrickzawartkay8114]

I'm working on an 06 Forester right now and needed this video thanks for posting it

[@Nvp8985]

Excellent video sir, alway enjoy learning more about Subaru’s. My 2013 looks quite similar. Happy New Year!

[@jbaudet]

Great video, you are very conscious about getting a good angle for us to see. Just one quick question, I have a Forester 04, do I have more clearance or its pretty much the same thing. Thanks

[@colinfiggins3372]

I have an 05 Forester XT. It's doable without lifting the engine. But id you have dohc motor you have to put extra silicone sealant on certain areas, this is difficult to get right without jacking the engine up lol

[@DarcyCorbitt]

I believe you said this was a 2010 Impreza. Does it have the same engine as a 2009 Forester? I believe I have a valve cover leak, and found this video useful for a step-by-step repair.

[@julioholguin5378]

Great video, straight to the point and the camara shots are just what I wanted tos see. Thanks

[@beefy1231]

Would you recommend replacing the injector seals while in there for the valve covers? I have a '09 Forester, same 2.5 L engine, with 40,000 mi. No current problems with the injectors or leaking from seals but curious whether you've had to replace them on your Impreza. Thanks for this fantastic instruction in this video.

[@mistone9784]

thanks for that vid having to put gasket covers on a subaru tribeca you helped out a lot yea that last bolt on the back is hard to get to

[@stickman-1]

Wow. Truly excellent camera work guy. Very helpful.

[@georgejexter]

Could this leaking cause power loss issues randomly ?

[@seanlavery6477]

Best video out. Just what i was looking for and no bullshit.

[@quirky5555]

Excellent video ! Did you have a chance to replace the broken boot ?

[@herbslusher4409]

One of the best presentations I've seen. Good job!

[@s0nnyburnett]

This was an unnecessarily hard job, really need an engine support bar when I jacked it up by the pan it wouldn't separate from the subframe and I was sweating about bending the pan or the car body dropping out suddenly and damaging something. Subaru could have left some relief room in those frame rails all you need is 1" extra room and the labor time is less than half. At least they had the sense of mind to angle the plugs. Took 6 hours with help and you really should clean the area before doing anything so dirt doesn't fall into the rockers. I love Subaru's, 90% of the stuff that's annoying to get to on other cars is way easier but anything with plugs and valve covers is always a pain in the ass.

[@kujochurch3133]

I really like how you specified not to strip the head of the bolt nearest the firewall... im here because i stripped it ha..... thinking bout drilling a hole in the crossmember to get some sockets on it... we'll see

[@alejandrotobienne584]

Driver side cover, rear closer to fire wall down and front up and slide forward. You’ll have to slide it from the bottom of car though.

[@diemf50]

06 forester xt with a ej255, i didnt have to jack up the engine for this. other than that, great video

[@Gilpinales1]

Do tou have to take the oil out first?

[@daveginter9030]

This is an expensive repair at a dealership. I had a 2014 Outback that needed valve cover gaskets. They pulled out the motor. With front brakes added the bill was over $2400. My advice is to ask who does your oil change to keep an eye on leaks and get rid of it as soon as one apears. And to those buying one look out for leaks! I had 129K on it at the time. The problem is that oil burns on the exhaust system and the smell is awful!

[@JJJDrums]

Great video, I had my cam carriers serviced on both sides of my 2013 outback. Is that the same valve cover that would of been removed to access the cam carriers? I have a slow oil leak on my passenger side cover. Looks like some sort of silicone type material was used to seal it instead of an actual gasket. Also my coil packs 2 and 4 are now misfiring. Do older coil packs tend to go bad after being removed?

[@cyberedwing]

What is the average labor costs? You made it look so easy.

[@Drew.407]

Do you need to drain oil first?

[@yellowjoe.2000]

Thank you Great video. Is this the main cause of the dreaded Subaru oil leak in a year 2010 Subaru legacy 2.5L as an example? valve cover gasket is work out or the the cover is loose?

[@robertflicker6510]

Greta video, just one thing, do you need to drain the engine oil completely before commencing this job?

[@CritterMunch]

I think it’s down in the pan unless you ran the engine recently.

[@ehpunka]

The curve on your hat is astounding

[@negritto86]

What a nice video! Can I apply the same process on a 2007 WRX?

[@growingup4487]

It's alot harder on a DOHC

[@hbic3]

I have a 2010 Forester. Yesterday, I had one side(I assume driver side) gasket replaced. Couldn't get to the other side because of MY time constraints. I love my mechanics, been using them for 25 yrs, always thorough job so nothing ends up costing me more later. However, this morning, my car was leaking gas from driver side engine compartment. It turned out to be fuel injector seal....No charge. That leads me to believe it was their mistake, something they did or forgot to do and that's why they didn't charge for it. For one, if it had been leaking for a while, how didn't I smell it. And if it had been leaking while they had it yesterday, how did they not notice. I'm not upset that made a mistake, since they aren't charging me to fix it, just curious as to what they might have done to cause it.

[@matthewmolina642]

I know this is 4yrs old but are non turbo subies not required to put RTV on top of the gasket like the turboed models?

[@juniorstailey4841]

Do I need to loosen both sides of engine mounts so I can jack the oil pan up enough to get a socket on the bottom back bolt? I got frustrated and didn’t want to strip it so I tightened it all back up. Also, are there replacement bolts which are harder metal? These seem soft.

[@yourloverandy]

Thank you so much my friend I have and issue with my sparks plugs passenger side but with that description I have a better idea I was really worried about it. I'll subscribe on your channel!!! Thank you

[@Gilpinales1]

Do you have to get the oil out?

[@kevinrush1804]

What is the torque for the engine fasteners?

[@TheGhungFu]

Great video. Thanks! I've been dreading this. Now not so much. ('09 Forrester)

[@CarsNToys]

Happy to help!

[@stormb3948]

Hey thanks for the informative video 👍 just a quick question, what was the work time on this job?

[@randyhiggins2124]

i need to change the gaskets in my wifes 2011 outback. how long did it take you to totally complete the job?

[@michaelchipak422]

What happens if one of those motor mount bolts snaps? I couldn't get mine to budge but was nervous to really lean into it. Hitting it good with the PB blaster and I let it sit overnight. About to try it again.

[@jmm6165]

Help ! Of course I couldn’t take out the drivers side. I unbolted the two engine mounts but jacking by the oil pan is lifting the entire front end. I’ve ran out of possible solutions. Any way to release the engine from those mounts if it’s stuck to it? Would removing the fuel rail be an alternative?

[@harryburford6629]

have you done any 1990 ej20 rocker cover's and what if you cant get gaskets due to covid hold ups. can you use ThreeBond super sealer HIGH TEMP rtv silicon gasket maker great viedo .

[@MadAboutTutorials]

Nice Vid. was the RH so difficult because you left the engine raised up on the LH side? I wonder how hard the RH will be with the turbo in the way?

[@CarsNToys]

Both sides were lifted. Incredibly tight. I think working on a Forester or Outback would be quite easier.

[@MadAboutTutorials]

@@CarsNToys im about to do the RH side (drivers side in AUS) on a Liberty GT-B (Legacy). could be interesting with the AC lines, Break booster, abs controller and turbo all in the way.

[@eggchen18]

@@MadAboutTutorials I'm about to attempt this on my 2007 Liberty spec B, how did yours go? Did you jack up each side of the engine separately?

[@MadAboutTutorials]

@@eggchen18 I only did the RH side, bolts were all fairly east to get undone, a little fiddly to access some of them, just have a few different spanners and ratchets on hand. I didn't need to touch the engine mounts at all, from memory I put a jack under the engine just to tilt it slightly. The only trouble i had was using the wrong method to unplug one of those electrical connectors he shows at the front of the cover, I snapped the locking tab off and had to use some hot glue to hold it back in (may have been an O2 sensor plug)

[@eggchen18]

@@MadAboutTutorials Impressive you didn't have to touch the engine mounts at all! Where exactly did you place the jack and did you have to remove the coolant reservoir immediately above the RH valve cover? What about the power steering stuff? My RH side is leaking oil the most (hardly if I drive gently) but I'm going to replace both sides.

[@mackit6231]

Hope you didnt have a leak nownits been 2 years, you put the gasket on backwards. The bend in the gasket contours prefect only one way. You can also see in the final product how you dont see the blue gasket around the center bolts.

[@MegaCartman100]

My respect to you, amazing content.

[@robertgary3561]

have you ever had the bolts for the cover not break?

[@carlincooper5501]

Man your videos are extremely good and very helpful. Love them 👏🙌🏽🤩🙏👍🏾👍🏾🇧🇸

[@KLNYC]

i need to do mine too. mine is 2007 OB wiht 115k odo. So when u jac up into the oil pan is that safe? No denting the pan?

[@markmurillo3687]

Hi mate do you need to unplug any wire from ac compressor when you changing valve cover gasket?

[@hussainalhosni9817]

Hi there, i saw some kind of corrosion in the engine something like white dots on the compressor on the alternator also around the engine do you have any idea why is that coming also my subaru have the same thing. Is there anything to eliminate corrosion or to take it out or ti prevent it from happening

[@MCDuncan08]

I wish you would have showed the jacking up procedure.

[@probro6722]

Hey i have a question, If it's done poorly (also changing inner seal part number 13293) Can it cause a puff of oily smoke upon cold startups?

[@AnthonyGary-k7z]

Good stuff. Thanks for the informational video!

[@paulcrouser2898]

Do you have to drain the oil prior to executing this repair? Thanks!

[@zacharyk8794]

No

[@shaecloud4403]

Long story short; Midas doubled my oil drained the trans and then handed me the keys like it was good to go… Ok, so what should I spend 200 diag money on if the transmission was already declared as cooked?? Im thinking valve cover gaskets/ spark plug tubes, but what else can be checked short of pulling the entire engine apart?? Midas is at fault and trying to get me to sign a release of any future unknown claim liability before they’ll replace the transmission. Subaru keeps saying the transmission needs to be fixed before the motor can be tested.

[@koltonamore]

What's up with the raised, threaded hole above valve cover bolt bottom right passenger side? I had a bolt in it like the one connected to timing belt cover but longer, and yours looks like it was empty. Visible paused at 15:00+

[@jamesankney7535]

How much do you think it would cost to have dine at a shop?

[@asphaltwarrior1]

Awesome and informative video thank you

[@vijayanchomatil8413]

So you didn't even need to do anything to the fuel injectors or the fuel rail?

[@beau5375]

Great video & narration. Thanks!!!

[@yuriyfitak6942]

Does the gasket need rtv silicone?

[@developmentprofessional1868]

I did the same change but when i replaced the oil, its not showing on the dip stick an its stuttering

[@smithd2312]

You are amazingly patient!

[@zedajuk90]

Thank you for This video , Helped me a lot

[@wadeross]

Excellent tutorial!

[@dm19609721]

utterly amazing!

[@courtneyhamadi4274]

Is this the 2.5 or 3.6R motor?

[@VideoNOLA]

20:30 Missed opportunity to slather on a light coating of anti-seize so those 12 fasteners remain easier to remove in the future.

[@DinsaurHelicopter]

Hey what was the torque on the motor mount bolts ?

[@tristanblock]

Do you have to top off the oil after you do this job?

[@jamesballard7537]

Yes he said it’s best to put new oil in after jobs complete

[@holbizwanzig3529]

Are you sure you're not Jeff Cavalier from Athlean-X?

[@JonathanVaucher]

Awsome tutorial. As always. Now subscribed !

[@axlroze3572]

Amazing job done!