# Leaking Valve Cover Seals

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-valve-cover-seals/55905>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** valves, leaks, subaru, forester\
**Created:** [October 3, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-valve-cover-seals/55905 "2010-10-03T18:16:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mvd599](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@mvd599](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mvd599)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-valve-cover-seals/55905/1 "2010-10-03T18:16:05Z")

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What oil additive do you recommend to stop leaking valve covers? 1998 Subaru Forester

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-valve-cover-seals/55905/2 "2010-10-03T18:17:46Z")

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Those type of products don’t work on valve cover gaskets. If the gaskets are leaking they require replacement.

Tester

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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 3, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-valve-cover-seals/55905/3 "2010-10-03T18:30:47Z")

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I’d just replace the valve cover gaskets. Oil additives are hit or miss. New valve cover gaskets will work 100%.

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-valve-cover-seals/55905/4 "2010-10-03T18:36:55Z")

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Sometimes just carefully tightening the fasteners that secure the covers works too…Just good and snug. You don’t want to crush the soft gasket and deform or crack the cover…

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**Author:** ![kizwiki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@kizwiki](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kizwiki)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-valve-cover-seals/55905/5 "2010-10-04T02:15:55Z")

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This is a very easy repair. It should not cost you more than $100. There is no additive that will repair a valve cover leak. If there ever is one, avoid it.