8 Best Valve Cover Gaskets in 2024 | Expert’s Guide

When I was going to my mother’s house last month with a low oil level in my car, I was worried because the road has not oil filling station. I was in stress all the way because I was worried about running out of oil!

How much oil does an engine leak every day while driving? Not too much! But at that very moment, every drop of oil leaks from my engine was pinching my heart!

I have never been interested in the cover gaskets because the oil it leaks does not bother me at all! I got home and I thought of how much oil an engine can leak every month? Have you summed it up ever?

What if you add each and every drop of leaked oil and find out that the amount of oil that the engine leaked might bring you a new smartphone? It hurts, right? Yes, I felt the same!

And from then till now, I have never gone out with my car without the valve cover gaskets installed. In the process of using a lot of valve cover gaskets, I got to know which one is the best and which one is the worst.

And I am here to talk about the best valve cover gaskets I have used so far. Have a look at my top picks to know why I have chosen them!

Expert’s Guide for Best Valve Cover Gasket

If you drive a vehicle, you need to keep in mind that valve cover gaskets are important to keep your engine protected. You cannot prevent the oil leakage of the engine without the help of a cover gasket. The work of valve cover gaskets also includes resisting chemicals along with maintaining the sealing.

There will be temperature swings and your car will also go through rough roads. You cannot stop doing these but all you can do is to keep the engine safe by getting the best valve cover gasket.

I have seen my engine working better than before after I discovered the right valve cover gasket for me. It is not your turn to get the best deal from the crowd.

Now, a cover gasket is a gear that you do not buy every day. And so, before you run for one cover gasket hesitantly, learn more about cover gaskets. A gear that will keep your engine safe requires more attention than we usually afford.

Let us know about the basic facts that I think are important while buying valve cover gaskets!

Types of Cover Gaskets

Before you go for a cover gasket, you have to stop and think about which material you want to use as your cover gasket. The work of the cover gasket is to seal the engine oil and make sure that the valve cover stays in the right place.

There are cover gaskets that are called silicon rubber valve cover gaskets and there are also cork valve cover gaskets available in the market. Besides, you will find some other types of cover gaskets in the market too.

Let me tell you about the different types of cover gaskets first. Then you can easily decide which one to settle for.

Silicon Rubber Valve Cover Gasket
The most common valve cover gaskets are called silicon rubber cover gaskets. There are vehicles that are originally fitted with this material.

If you want to replace the cover gasket in such vehicles then you should always stick to silicon rubber cover gaskets. The silicon rubber cover gaskets are usually made for reusing and these are reusable.

These are very easy to fit the vehicles and are highly durable. I will suggest this if you want your gasket to last for a longer period of time. These are less prone to crack and easy to remove and install.

You can replace these rubber cover gaskets easily. The material my shrink with time but the quality is better than any other gasket types.

Cork Valve Cover Gasket
There are people who require a stronger seal when it comes to cover gasket. If you are one of them, you should go for this one. Other materials that are used as cover gaskets may leak a little oil but you will never see oil leakage with the cork valve cover gaskets.

These are very good to keep your engine safe and leaks-free. However, if you are using any cork valve cover gasket, you have to be careful. Tightening the bolts of the gasket requires more attention if you have cork gaskets.

If you are not careful about tightening the bolts, you will need to re-do all your works from the beginning. The problem with these cover gaskets is these are prone to dry out and crack easily. These are not very much durable too.

Other materials
Materials matter when it comes to choosing the best valve cover gasket. You can go for a cork valve cover gasket or rubber valve cover gasket. But if you are intelligent enough, you will surely settle for coated valve cover gaskets. These gaskets are not made of only one material.

If you are thinking that there are only two construction materials of the cover gasket, you are completely wrong. Laminated cork is also used as a cover gasket.

There are gaskets that are basically reinforced versions of the regular cork valve cover gaskets. These gaskets include corks on the side and also add metal to keep the quality high.

These are very much durable and high-grade cover gaskets to protect your car. You can get cover gaskets that have the quality of cork valve gaskets along with the durability that Silicon rubber gaskets afford. These are highly expensive but you pay for what you get!

Best Valve Cover Gasket : Comparison Table

You can never deny that a strong seal on the valve cover will keep the oil leakage reduced.

On the other hand, some valve cover gasket also helps to keep the debris and dirt away! And so, valve cover gasket bears its own importance.

To keep your engine oil protected and save your money, you must go for the best valve cover gasket. Go through the best picks I have used and let me know which one you love!

Top 8 Picks of Best Valve Cover Gasket

1. Vincos Compatible CHEVY Cover Gasket

The gaskets by Vincos come in a sealed version. I refer to these cover gaskets for high-performance engines. These have amazing quality for lasting a very long time. There are no leaks and so, I never felt any worry related to leakage. This Vincos Cover Gasket is very thick.

I was shaken seeing the thickness as you know, thick gasket refers to the quality of the gasket. The screws of the gasket are thick as well. I find them giving a tight grip to hold the gasket.

First of all, I found out that the installation is a little tough for me. Then I realized that using it with the valve studs makes the process of installation easier. If you are going through a hard time installing the cover gasket, you can try it this way. All you need to use is valve studs!

The added valve cover is able to hold down the spreader bars. I saw that this reduces the chance of leakage too! The gasket fits the holes accurately and it makes the whole setting perfect. The issue we usually have regarding gasket is it usually does not fit perfectly.

In the case of Vincos, this gasket does not require any bent in the shape to fit the holes. It fits accurately without bending it!

If you can then you should apply High-Temperature RTV silicone film between the valve cover and the gasket. This Silicone Valve Cover Gasket will also help you in lessening the chances of leakage. I also love the construction of this valve cover gasket.

These heavy-duty valve cover gaskets ensure no leakage where the price of the gasket is highly reasonable. It is reusable too. The amazing capability of the gasket is it is able to stop harmful materials from getting into the valve train. It is also less prone to breakage and works great in both lower and higher temperatures.

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2. Assault Racing Products Chevy Cover Gasket

The great sealing quality has impressed me so much about this Assault Racing Products Chevy Cover Gasket. When I used this cover gasket, I was new in this field. I had no clue how to install cover gaskets.

This gasket is very easy to install and so, any newbie will be able to install this. I was searching for an affordable valve cover gasket and this exactly matched my preferences. The price of this cover gasket is highly reasonable if you judge this gasket according to its performance.

This gasket is reusable and so, you can rely on this gasket for a very long time. The fitting has amazed me because I never expected this great fit in such a reasonable cover gasket. This basically fits most of the small block Chevy.

I am fond of the thickness of the cover gasket because of the incredible thickness it has. These reusable Steel Core Valve Cover Gaskets are 3/16 inches thick and so, you can easily rely on this. As it is made of rubber, the motor oil will be sealed perfectly. We all know formed rubber-gaskets keep the oil better sealed than the liquid gaskets.

The steel shim core also made me feel that the cover gasket is made of high-grade material. The thing that made me interested more about the durability of this cover gasket is the aluminum welded valve covers. I thought that it would be durable and my idea was exactly right.

While using this cover gasket, I did not face any leaks and overall, the performance made me contented. Before getting it, I was thinking about purchasing a high-end gasket. People say that affordable gaskets do not afford you leaks-free features.

But it is amazing how this inexpensive cover gasket affords you leak-free feature along with the other benefits of a high-end gasket. Taking this gasket off and on is the easiest thing here.

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3. Fel-Pro VS12869R Valve Cover Set

If you want something at a reasonable price, I would highly recommend this Fel-Pro Valve Cover Set. Yes, the money you need to pay for this valve cover gasket is less that you get from the performance of this gasket. This gasket is very thicker than I thought.

When I planned to purchase this gasket, I thought this would be a moderate gasket as the price is moderate. But when I got my hands on this gasket, I was highly amazed by the thickness of this gasket.

How can a gasket be this thick to protect the car from oil leaks? The thickness of the gasket is 0.141 inches. The reason behind the perfect leaks-free valve cover gaskets is silicon. And when it comes to this gasket, you will love to hear that the gasket is made of silicon.

When it comes to perfect fits, I think that it is not very much easy to fit perfectly. However, the perfect fit will make you feel that you are with the right gasket. The interesting part is this best Valve Cover Set stays in place flawlessly.

The thing I did not like about corks is that they do not fit perfectly and in the end, they start moving from their places. And if you are with this Fel-Pro Cover Set, there will be no issues regarding loose fit after using it.

If it is your first time using a rubber-formed cover gasket, then after using it, you will be fond of molded rubber gaskets. After using it, I have never seen any oil leakage at all!

If you are with the right cover gaskets, you will surely not need gasket seals for holding the gasket on the valve covers. This is sold in pairs and so, you will get two valve cover gaskets together.

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4. Fel-Pro VS 50265 C Cover Gasket

If you want a perfect fit, you can try this Fel-Pro C Cover Gasket. This gasket is the right choice if you love cork gaskets. There are people who love rubber gaskets where you will also find people that are fond of cork gaskets still.

I highly prefer using rubber-formed valve cover gaskets. But if you want to keep it traditional and want to seal the oil of your car, you can go for cork gaskets. When it comes to cork gaskets, the first name that hits my brain is this Fel-Pro C Valve Cover Gasket.

In most cases, the cork cover gaskets are reusable. It will help you to use and reuse the same thing again without spending additional money on that. I have heard a lot about Fel-Pro brand when it comes to cover gaskets and when I tried this cork gasket, I loved the performance.

I have never seen any leaks while using this cover gasket. People are often tensed about if the cork gaskets can seal the oil properly or not. I will say, if you use this cover gasket, you will never see any leakage. The easy-to-install nature made it effortless for me to install this Valve Cover Gasket Set and use it.

All you have to do it put them and tighten them properly. If you see any leaks then you have to keep in mind that the leaks are for not tightening the gasket accurately. The premium seal will impress you as much as the validated fit will make you satisfied.

This perfectly fitted my vehicle and I also used it for stock replacement use. All the equipment is original and you can highly rely on the construction material.

Still now, if I do not like the rubber valve cover gasket and I want to pick up any cork gasket, I never think of anything other than this Fel-Pro over Gasket. This made me realize that cork gaskets can also afford better performance when it comes to sealing oil ideally!

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5. Fel-Pro VS 50088 R Gasket

After using Fel-Pro Valve Cover Gasket for once, I have been very enthusiastic to try their products. When I tried this valve cover gasket, the thing that made me interested was the 100% vehicle sealing technique.

Ultimately, this is the reason we buy valve cover gaskets, right? I have been fond of both cork gasket and rubber gasket. This is their rubber-formed gasket line that is made with molded rubber.

The premium fit of this gasket will help you in picking up this gasket over all the other gaskets available in the market. There is also a gasket made of foam and cardboard. These gaskets can get ripped easily. However, the VS 50088 R Gasket by Fel-Pro is completely different in terms of quality.

The performance is amazing and I have seen them last a much longer period of time. I used this for my 350SBC valve covers and I loved how perfectly it fitted to it. If you are a person who stays worried about the leakage of oil can completely rely on this gasket. The rubber construction does not allow the oil to get out and spread. No-leaks mean perfect rides!

I have always hated to settle down for the gasket makers. This Fel-Pro Valve Cover Gaskets have a tendency of squishing down properly. In the case of this valve cover gasket, the seal will get hurt by the gasket maker. And so, I prefer using this Fel-Pro Gasket as it is not a paper gasket.

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6. ECCPP Valve Cover Gasket

I used this cover gasket to replace the OEM unit in my Infiniti G35 sedan 2003. It fitted so perfectly that I never thought that I will ever change this gasket and replace it.

I was suffering from additional oil leaks and was worried about it. ECCPP Valve Cover Gasket saved me in that situation. If you use it, you will see that there is no oil leakage and all you get is a perfect vehicle!

It has an amazing quality of preventing any sort of air leaking too! You will surely know that if you face any oil or air leak in the system, you will not get a perfect ride. However, this cover gasket is incredible in preventing both air and oil leaks in the system.

When I got to know about this best Engine Valve Covers Kit, I was a little skeptical. I saw that this is highly reasonable in price and got more worried if it will work or not. It eradicated my worry so amazingly that I recommend all of my friends to use this.

I usually faced difficulties when debris gets into the engine and makes my car tough to ride. This cover gasket incredibly seals the valve train and it also seals the camshaft in every cylinder head to protect your car.

As it seals the cylinder heads, it does not let any debris and dirt into the engine. It has features to endure high pressure along with the high temperatures. As I hate gaskets that break, this made me feel secure.

These do not break at all! You will be able to remove the cover gasket and replace it with a newer one after some practice. It is not easy to deformation!

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7. LIYA Ford Diesel Valve Gasket

If you are up for gaskets that go right with your Ford vehicles, you can completely rely on this valve cover gasket. It has used this in the 2000 Ford and it worked amazing. This gasket was perfectly leaks-free. The electrical connections of this gasket were tight and accurately designed.

The glow plug that comes with these gaskets has a snug fit. Moreover, I liked the clips that fit incredibly. The injector connections are also designed in a perfect manner that you will never see loose fit anywhere.
This gasket is basically made for preventing the leakage of diesel.

The reason I like this valve gasket is heat resistant along with being oil resistant. If you are in search of something that lasts long, I will recommend you this because in my case, it lasted a very long time.

On the other hand, this valve cover gasket is a perfect replacement for the gasket you are using. It will go right with the Ford 7.3L Diesel Engines.

This Diesel Valve Cover Gasket Set comes with the glow plug harness along with the injector, as I said before. And I liked how perfectly the equipment matched. I think, if you are using a Ford diesel vehicle, you must try this out.

This can afford you whatever you want from a valve gasket! However, I do not like the pin. I think that the electrical pins are not well-made.

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8. Spectre Performance 5321 Valve Cover

When users love a product, you can never avoid the quality of the product at all! I absolutely love this cover gasket because of the performance. It has sturdy chrome plating over the clamps that make it durable and strong. This plating makes the over gasket look incredible and glossy.

I found out the clamps are more than 4 inches in length. As these are long, these can afford uniform pressure on the surface of the gasket affording startling performance.

If you are worried about valve cover distortion, you will stay worry-free the whole time if you use this Spectre Performance Valve Cover Clamp. These gaskets have an amazing feature of avoiding rocker distortion.

When I got to know the engines and the vehicle perfectly, I also got to know that the basic cause of oil leakage is the distortion of the bolting location. So, you need to cover the location to prevent oil leakage. As this can afford equal pressure, no oil will be leaked!

The chrome plating is done over steel material to keep the quality high and outlook amazing. The thickness of this valve cover gasket is 9/64 inches. The diameter of the hole is 5/16 inches.

It is basically made for Small Block Chevrolet V8 265-400 engines. As it is triple chrome-plated, you will never need to worry about the quality.

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FAQs on Valve Cover Gaskets

Q1. What is the best valve cover gasket material?
Answer: The best valve cover gasket material is Silicon rubber. If you are up for the durability, I will suggest you to settle for the Silicon rubber valve cover gaskets. When the prevention of oil leakage is more important, you can switch to cork valve cover gaskets.

If you want quality and durability both, you can switch to laminated cork gaskets. These usually include the best of both of these materials. You can get metal-coated cover gaskets as they work good and they afford a stylish glossy look too.

Q2. Do you need sealant for valve cover gasket?
Answer: If you want then you can use a coating on the rubber gaskets. You can use RTV or any other sealants so that the rubber gaskets last long. Basically, the process of sealant is done to make the gasket durable and strong.

In this case, the best way is to seal them with RTV as it will make the more leak-free.
In general, if you use a valve cover gasket then the sealant is not very much necessary. You can skip this if you do not require it.

Q3. Can I drive with a leaking valve cover gasket?
Answer: Oil leaking is a common case when it comes to driving a car. No matter what valve cover gasket you use, you cannot ensure a 100% leaks-free gasket. You can easily drive a car with a leaking valve gasket. But we recommend you using a valve cover gasket.

There are times you will see low oil level in your car. In this case, the valve cover gasket can help you a lot. With a valve cover gasket, you will be able to prevent oil leakage and save oil too. If you are going to critical oil level, you can try valve cover gaskets.

Wrap Up
Valve cover gaskets can save you when you have a low oil level and will also save a lot of your money. There are people who do not understand the importance of valve cover gaskets but once you use it, you will know how much importance it bears.

No matter if you want to go for a valve cover gasket for the first time or you want to replace the old cover gasket and install a newer one, you can select anyone from the best valve cover gasket list I have mentioned above. I can assure that they will never disappoint you!