Leaky valve covers failed inspection

Hi , just purchased a 2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 and had to bring it in for a sticker in NH.
The Service Dept said the truck failed inspection because leaky valve covers were leaking oil on the exhaust manifold causing a fire danger and would have to be repaired at a cost of $630 because of the time spent for labor. I questioned why so expensive for leaky valve covers and he said that labor made up all of the cost because they had to take so much equipment apart to get at the valve covers.

While I was waiting in the Service Dept to pick up my vehicle after the repairs were done, I overhead the service guy telling a customer over the phone that their car failed inspection because of leaky valve cover gaskets. Does this seem like some sort of a scam. I felt like I had no choice but to have it repaired at the time.

Thanks for your reply

 

It's pretty easy to tell if they're leaking. Most times on these engines you can "fix" it by tightening the valve cover bolts.

My 04 all were loose except 2, tightening them all stopped the slight leak I had.

 

Mine were leaking starting about 4 years ago. Tightened them down a few times until last year when I fully replaced both sides along with a new PCV valve. The truck engine performs much better now. It needed the service performed, as tightening only lasts so long.

The VCG fail at this age and its only a matter of time before biting the bullet. The $630 sounds reasonable. Think I spent $200 just in OEM parts from stealer, which I didn’t mind doing so as the steered me into the proper parts for a proper DIY job.

 

Move to a free state?

 

Do not pay $600 for that repair. Take the advice of the people above.

 

Sounds like its too late. Besides, these VCG dry up and go brittle on our trucks. Tightening only buys some time. I’m assuming $200 in parts and $400 in labor? Pretty good deal for 5-6 hours of work (thats how long it took me).

 

Lemme ask you something OP, did you smell burning oil? That's a good indicator and what led me to change mine out. And $600 is WAY overpriced considering how easy of a job it is.

 

If it really is leaking out it will be slow. Get a can of Gunk engine cleaner and head to the card wash. Then get it inspected.

 

Valve cover gaskets from Toyota wouldn’t be $200 in parts. Honestly they’re not hard to replace diy can be done for under $100 easy with factory parts. The hardest part is replacing the spark plug tube seals

 

Labor time from Alldata is 1.9 hours. Factory parts are roughly 20 bucks for each gasket then I think around 5-7 for each tube seal


Assuming this is a v8

 

I went through the stealer and paid about $180 for the same stuff I can get for less on Toyota parts (pictured). The parts dept recco’d the FIPG (stoked they did) and new bolt gasket washers (seemed $illy but its a proper job versus using the old hardened cracked ones). Don’t forget brake cleaner etc. to clean the covers and I have a hard time finding the parts less than $150.

Hope this list helps someone.

 

I think for almost 700 bucks I’d tell them to kindly get fucked and eat a bag of dicks.

 

Yes, that was a scam...maybe you valve covers were leaking, but telling you it was a fire hazzard is the part that makes it a scam. That is some hyperbolic BS.

 

For the guys that do this themselves, is this typically included with doing the timing belt/water pump change?

 

Not usually.

 

No.

Key takeaways from having done this before. (And reading others mistakes online).

1) Buy all OEM Parts.

2) Replace the PCV valve and grommet. Grommet important! Probably dry rotted and will break into many pieces and get lost in hole.

3) Remove the half moons in the back (carefully) and use the high dolla FIPG from Toyota to re-install.

4) Use the high dolla FIPG in the corners near the cam gears. Do not let the old brittle chunks fall into voids when removing them.

5) Take your time removing the tube seals. Use pliers to bend the 3 of 4 tabs back and then carefully pry out the old seals which will be baked in the hole basically.

6) Use lots of brake cleaner to shoot that PCV hole gunk out. Trust me.

 

In this area, when service departments run out of work, they send mechanics home for the rest of the day so they don’t have to pay them to sit around doing nothing. Thus, these mechanics tend to “generate” work during inspections. Beware of this scam!