How to Replace the Valve Cover Gasket on a 1998 Dodge Caravan
- 1). Park your Dodge Caravan on a level surface and turn the engine off. Engage the parking brake. Open the engine hood and disconnect the negative cable from the battery.
- 2). Remove the top of the air filter assembly. Turn the wing nut at the center of the assembly counterclockwise until it comes off the threaded post. Pull the assembly out of the engine compartment. You can leave the air filter in place.
- 3). Use a socket wrench to remove the bolts holding the valve covers in place. Do one side at a time so it is easier to keep track of which bolt goes in what hole. When all the bolts are removed, pull the cover off the engine.
- 4). Remove the old gasket. The gasket may be stuck to the engine block or, may have adhered itself to the gasket channel in the valve cover. Either way, gently scrape the gasket off the metal using a thin paint scraper. Use a small amount of acetone on a rag to soften up any hardened bits and then scrape those off as well. You want to get both sides of the gasket channel as clean, dry and oil-free as possible.
- 5). Place the new gasket on the engine block where the gasket channel of the valve cover will mate. Make sure you line up the holes in the gasket with the bolt holes in the block.
- 6). Put the valve cover on and hand tighten the bolts in place. Use a socket wrench to complete tightening them moving from corner to corner and then working one bolt at a time, top side and then bottom and back until they are all in. Repeat on the other side.
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