I’d be leery of buying these gaskets on Amazon.
See what Rock Auto has, or better yet check out Majestic or Bernardi for genuine Honda gaskets.
I think you just need the valve cover gaskets and the spark plug tube gaskets plus some Honda Bond sealant.

 

I found this on Honda Original Parts;

OEM 2003-2010 Honda Valve Cover Gasket Set 12030-RYE-A01 | Honda Automotive Parts

2003-2010 Honda Valve Cover Gasket Set 12030-RYE-A01

www.hondaautomotiveparts.com

My question is; Do I need 2 of these sets? One for the front and one for the back? Are the front and back the same size gaskets? I don't mind paying more to get original parts.
Thank you

 

No, that is the head gasket. You need valve cover gasket. Below is the link to rockauto.com to the valve cover gasket section. Scroll down the bottom and select MAHLE VS50428 . That should take care of your front and rear covers plus sparkplug. For an even a better deal, use the discount code here at rockauto checkout.
5% Discount Code: 046EE998F7906C
Expires: February 12, 2021

2007 HONDA ODYSSEY 3.5L V6 Valve Cover Gasket | Shop Now at RockAuto

Engine Parts and More for Your 2007 HONDA ODYSSEY at Reliably Low Prices. Fast Online Catalog. DIY-Easy. Your Choice of Quality. Full Manufacturer Warranty.

www.rockauto.com

 

You can get Honda bond or any form in place gasket (FIPG). You only need it in several areas where the gasket makes 90 degree turns.

As for the gasket I use the Mahle brand. It seems to work fine.

Getting the proper torque is very important when you install the gasket back on.

YouTube is your friend here. Watch as many video as you can to see how others done it.

Las the rear back is definitely a pain. But If you push the wire harness up and back it should let you pull the cover off

 

Keep in mind that the LX and EX models (without VCM) use a different rear gasket than the VCM models. Your EX-L has VCM. I think the non-VCM rear gasket is the same as the front, whereas the VCM rear gasket is unique. Make sure you buy the right one. I wouldn't have any qualms buying a reputable brand like Fel-Pro, Mahle, or others from RockAuto, but I suppose the OEM ones aren't much more.

Lastly, you should really consider performing a valve adjustment at 203K while you have the valve cover gaskets off.

 

I just did this job on a 2005 EXL with VCM. I used Rock Auto stuff (SEE PICS). I also replaced the spark plugs (NGK 1ZFR5K11), vvt/vtec gaskets (NAPA NOE 91702681), front and rear cam shaft end cover gaskets (Honda OEM 91301-P8A-A00), and adjusted the valves.

Also, if your van is like mine and the coil connector tabs break off. I bought those off of Amazon (currently unavailable from the seller I bought from) and they were super easy to swap out without repinning the wires. See pic.

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I just did this job on a 2005 EXL with VCM. I used Rock Auto stuff (SEE PICS). I also replaced the spark plugs (NGK 1ZFR5K11), vvt/vtec gaskets (NAPA NOE 91702681), front and rear cam shaft end cover gaskets (Honda OEM 91301-P8A-A00), and adjusted the valves.

Also, if your van is like mine and the coil connector tabs break off. I bought those off of Amazon (currently unavailable from the seller I bought from) and they were super easy to swap out without repinning the wires. See pic.

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I found this clip on youtube;

Is this the Camshaft end cover gasket you are talking about? Is this the front one or the rear one? By the way, I have a 2007 Odyssey EX-L
Thank you

 

The plenum cover gasket could be different on the 2007. Anyway, rockauto will have apex and beck arnley like I used for the 2007 valve covers and plenum. They were very good quality. Verify all numbers are same for 2007 if you go that route.

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The plenum cover gasket could be different on the 2007. Anyway, rockauto will have apex and beck arnley like I used for the 2007 valve covers and plenum. They were very good quality. Verify all numbers are same for 2007 if you go that route.

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Was the middle section gasket also included in that package? I'm talking about the straight and long gasket that sits in the middle of the Plenum cover and sits a little lower than the gasket that goes all around.
Thank you

 

I also opted to use TOYOTA FIPG for the corners on the rear valve cover gaskets by the VVT/vtec solenoid.

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Get yourself a 1/4 inch clicker torque wrench like this from Harbor Freight. Often on sale for ~ $10. Overcomes tendency to overtighten.

And that Toyota FIPG is good stuff among RTVs and the like.

 

Get yourself a 1/4 inch clicker torque wrench like this from Harbor Freight. Often on sale for ~ $10. Overcomes tendency to overtighten.

And that Toyota FIPG is good stuff among RTVs and the like.

Yes, 3/8 is too large to get accurate readings on the valve cover bolts because you will be at the bottom of the scale. Torque wrenches are usually accurate withing a percentage of FULL SCALE. In other words, it's best to be on the upper end of the scale of those types of torque wrenches. Also, you can get the torque procedure and order by doing a google image search.

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I found the plenum Intake Manifold Gasket on Rockauto but it does not seem to have the middle section of the gasket included in it. It looks like this;

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

Where do I get this middle section gasket?

 

Speaking of Torque wrench and torque specs.
There are many different torque specs and patterns on Honda forums about the Valve cover and Intake manifold / Plenum bolts.
I appreciate if some one who did this most recently would tell me the pattern and torque specs on the Valve cover and also on the intake manifold plenum cover bolts.
Thank you very much

 

Here is my cheat sheet. 3 steps means go around the bolts at least three times before finishing them off.

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One more question regarding Valve adjustment;
When I want to manually turn the engine from the passenger side with a long wrench in order to get the valves on each cylinder adjusted, does the gear shifter on the car need to be in neutral position?
Any other recommendations in respect to the valve adjustment is greatly appreciated.
Thank you

 

No, you do can leave it in park.

Here is a good video that covers the valve covers.
Honda J Series V6 Valve Adjustment (Part 1) -EricTheCarGuy - YouTube

 

IMHO. If it is not leaking, let it be. When it does leak, then replace. In the future, you may have "other" issues, which
require taking off the valve covers, then it would be a good time to pro-active, replace gaskets....

 

No to neutral. Your engine will turn quite readily in P, as it does when you start it up and just before you turn it off.

 

Thank you very much

 

The Mahle and Victor/Reinz gaskets are my go-to gaskets. In most cases they are identical to the OE gaskets from Honda. I would bet my lunch money that's who makes them but I can't prove it. That's how identical they are. High quality stuff at a fraction of the cost. In my opinion, as Aisin is to timing belt kits, Mahle is to gaskets.

 

Look on any dealership's website that offers Honda OEM parts at a discount. Some charge a service fee, others charge varying amounts of sometimes more expensive postage.

The Mahle and Victor/Reinz gaskets are my go-to gaskets. In most cases they are identical to the OE gaskets from Honda. I would bet my lunch money that's who makes them but I can't prove it. That's how identical they are. High quality stuff at a fraction of the cost. In my opinion, as Aisin is to timing belt kits, Mahle is to gaskets.

The Victor Reinz kit for a 2007 Ex-L is about $15, plus a few dollars shipping, on rockauto.com. I have always used Permatex silicone sealants from the local auto parts store. I have never had issues with any of these products. Be sure to get an oil and gas resistant (silicone) sealant for valve cover gaskets.

I see no need to spend any more than this to replace the valve cover gaskets - nothing to lose, nothing to gain with OEM.

I would also suggest you look on rockauto.com for any parts you may need, because the pictures often show what these parts actually look like, with names for the parts in a kit. Peruse this website as a learning experience before you buy parts. Most of us here have found what they sell to be of good quality.

Some of the parts brands you may not recognize are the same as OEM parts at maybe a third of the cost, just in a different box. For example, some "Standard" branded parts may be the Denso brand, which is Honda OEM for some parts, like the Idle Air Control (IAC) valve, which, from rockauto.com, is likely to be a third of the OEM price - with no service fee from a dealer!

Valve cover gasket replacement is a good learning job for a beginner. Clean off the valve cover and surrounding areas before removal, to keep the grime and grit out of the engine. If you use a degreaser, keep the water off of the relay and fuse boxes.

I have always bought the tools to do a job before paying someone to do it for me. Get yourself that 1/4" torque wrench - and a 3/8-incher when they show up on sale. This forum is a very useful tool, as are U-Tube videos. As always, evaluate and check out whatever information you find, before you leap.

 

The trick to getting the rear valve cover off is to take the power steering pump off so that you can remove the wiring harness bolt under it. This little bolt holds down the wiring harness that is in the way of the cover. Just remove two bolts on the PS pump an you’ll see it. No need to drain and disconnect the hoses. Well worth the 5 min to save all that hassle.

 

How do you remove the power steering pump without removing the serpentine belt? I am guessing I am not sure which two bolts to remove. I can't get the rear valve gasket out because of the harness. Please help.

 

Also make sure you guide the spark plug tube seals to the outside of the tubes. They can easily get pinched and ripped. Do the front first so you can see how to guide them on properly. This is the hardest part of the job to get right IMO. It easiest to screw up and have to redo it completely.

 

I used a little motor oil on the under side of the seal to help them slip over.

That reminds me, I was doing this job in the cold. I opted to use a torch to (quickly) warm the old seals to help get them out. Be careful not to score the metal under the seal when prying them out.

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Hello, There it’s going to be fun DIY but you can do it, 1st of all give yourself a favorite go to your nearest Honda dealership to the part department and they will look for all the gaskets and seal you need they are very helpful just tell them you tech friend is doing the job and that you want to get all the part he needs and they will help you the parts are not that expensive they should be no more than 200 for everything, the reason you need to use OE because the other brands don’t seal properly and they will leak oil right after you have done all the work, good luck and let me know how it goes. The best thing is to enjoy working on you ride if you don’t like getting dirty just pay a good mechanic shop to do it for you.

 

You may need also throttle body gasket!

 

Thank you very much for all the suggestions.

 

Well, finally finished the job. One thing led to the other and I did much more than I had initially planned. first thing first, I have to thank Scottn3 for his tip. Removing the Power steering pump helped a lot in order to free up the rear wire harness and removing of the Rear Valve Cover. Then I changed the power steering pump too, What the heck, it was 14 years old. Also changed the plugs, Serpentine belt, Bank one Sensor one oxygen sensor, Cleaned the throttle body and air intake Manifold, mass air flow sensor, Changed the front Crankshaft gasket, adjusted the valves, New engine and cabin air filter, New Air intake hose, Cleaned all the electrical connectors and whatever else I saw needed attention, including engine oil and filter change and full service.
But the result speaks for itself, The engine now runs much more quieter and even smoother than when I bought the car brand new 14 years ago.
One may say, 3.5 days of work and $500+ part for a 14 years old car with 204K miles on it, really? But the reward IMO is the accomplishment of such task, it is not about money! Home made mechanics know exactly, what I'm talking about!
Again, I have to thank you all very much for all your tips and your help.
Cheers,....

 

All that for not much more than what a dealer would charge for the valve adjustment. But it should provide several years of quiet, dependable, trouble free service. Good work!

One question: Why change the PS pump as PM? The cost is not trivial. The location is readily accessible if and when it does fail, and I've rarely heard mention of PS pump failures. I would have more confidence in a working OE than a no-name new or reman.

 

I'll refurbish the Old PS with new seals, gaskets, Bearing, etc. All standby to use if needed. The one I bought from Amazon was only $79.

 

Good going. FYI, because you cleaned the throttle body, if you are experiencing any idle issues, you may need to run a throttle relearn procedure using a bidirectional scan tool. Doesn't sound like you are however.

 

Would check engine light go on, if there is any trouble with the idle/Throttle boday? What kind of Idle issues would I expect in that case?
Thank you

 

The PS pumps were actually quite a common problem with the 3rd gen Odysseys.

The aftermarket ones don't seem much better, though. What brand did you purchase and do you notice any improvement with the steering response?

 

The PS pumps were actually quite a common problem with the 3rd gen Odysseys.

And really quite a few other Hondas of this vintage as well.

 

Did you use a scan tool or some alternative method?

 

There are a few clips on youtube. I did the 5 minutes idle at 3000 RPM followed by 2 cycles of fan on and off, followed by 10 minutes normal idle. No OBD II tool