# Difference between valve cover gasket and head gasket in Volvo 2000

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/difference-between-valve-cover-gasket-and-head-gasket-in-volvo-2000/38664>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** s70, volvo\
**Created:** [October 26, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/difference-between-valve-cover-gasket-and-head-gasket-in-volvo-2000/38664 "2009-10-26T23:05:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![volvocentric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a587f6/32.png) [@volvocentric](https://community.cartalk.com/u/volvocentric)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/difference-between-valve-cover-gasket-and-head-gasket-in-volvo-2000/38664/1 "2009-10-26T23:05:00Z")

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I do not know the difference

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**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/difference-between-valve-cover-gasket-and-head-gasket-in-volvo-2000/38664/2 "2009-10-26T23:25:13Z")

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The valve cover gasket is made of a flexible material, such as rubber, while the head gasket is a soft metal, usually layered to take the tremendous pressure it takes to hold the head on the cyinder block. A typical head gasket replacement willcost you up to $2000 on some cars since the engine has to be partially dismantled. The gasket itself may only cost $100 or so. A head gasket job also involves a new valve cover gasket.

The valve cover is under only slight pressure, so its main purpose is to keep the oil from leaking over the engine and trap some crankcase gasses and duct them to the engine intake where they can be burned off without contaminating the atmosphere.

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**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/difference-between-valve-cover-gasket-and-head-gasket-in-volvo-2000/38664/3 "2009-10-27T00:22:40Z")

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About $4,000. BTW, this car doesn’t have a valve cover ‘gasket’. It uses a special liquid sealer between two precision-milled surfaces of the cylinder head and valve cover.

For the 5-cyl engine on this Volvo, a head gasket replacement may cost as much as $4,500.

BTW, what symptoms are you having?

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**Author:** ![volvocentric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a587f6/32.png) [@volvocentric](https://community.cartalk.com/u/volvocentric)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/difference-between-valve-cover-gasket-and-head-gasket-in-volvo-2000/38664/4 "2009-10-27T00:54:36Z")

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I took the car in to have new ignition coils which lasted 205 thousand miles. Mechanic says motor oil is seeping into spark plug wells. The valve cover needs to be resealed. Figure around 600.00

Thanks for your reply