Since you’re here, you’ve probably searched the valve adjustment cost on the internet. And we get it if you’re confused about the price differences. You’ll see even the local shops trying to make a fool out of you and charge a lot of money. So how much does a valve adjustment cost exactly?
On average, you’ll have to spend about $246 to $336. Laborers charge $220 to $278, and the rest is for the things you need for the adjustment of the valve. Still, there’s much more to consider, such as finding an affordable shop or dealer, the right components, etc.
Since there’s much more to know, let’s help you with that.
What Causes A Valve Adjustment Cost to Vary?

The costs vary depending on some factors like your vehicle type, needed cylinders, the brand of the parts you’re using, and much more.
Above, we’ve presented the average calculation so far. Another fact is considerable here. Sometimes you might find an affordable service provider who wouldn’t charge you more than $100-$150, while occasionally, you might need to spend over $250 to get a mechanic.
Shops might charge you more labour costs, and even their components are a little pricey. Sounds complicated? A table might help you get through it by summarising the whole deal.
Costs of Valve Adjustment | ||
Shops/Dealers | For Labour | For parts |
$230- $280 | $26-$58 | |
Independent Mechanics | For Labour | For parts |
$100-$150 | $15-$30 |
Anyways, still there, we find the average rates. You might find places that can charge you even over $500, depending on their service and parts. We recommend searching online and comparing the dealers before you outset with one.
Why Do You Need A Valve Adjustment?
The imbalance between valves can make you go through many potential dangers. That’s why we keep ourselves so aware of warning you constantly about the whole fact. So let us help you learn the reasons why you must perform your valve adjustment right on time.
- Too much cleaning can cause clatter in your vehicle, which might make you end up with a completely damaged vehicle
- Unadjusted valves in the long term will cause severe damage to themselves
- They will never be fully closed on the unadjusted phase
- The valves will make your vehicle go through more excessive heat than ever
- The engine of your vehicle will keep losing power and shutting itself down again and again.
How Do You Know If You Need A Valve Adjustment?
Inspecting the valves properly would be the right decision to figure out if your vehicle needs a valve adjustment or not. But that inspection would straight drag you to a mechanic or dealer. So here we’re with some common signs that can tell you when to get your valves adjusted.
- A loud clatter can be a decent sign of your vehicle’s valve adjustment requirement.
- Too much clearance of valves can reveal itself by not letting your vehicle generate any noise.
- A weak and broken valve shows up with the loss of power of your vehicle.
- Your vehicle producing more heat than usual is also a sign of the imbalance between valves.
How Do You Check The Valve Adjustment?
Always turning to the mechanics might not be possible based on the potential issues you might have. So you should have a basic idea of how you can check the valve adjustment of your vehicle. Let’s get started with the process, shouldn’t we?
- First, you need to remove the valve cover
- Now measure the space between intake and exhaust valves using thin feeler gauges
- Write down the measurements and check online for your vehicle’s required valve adjustments; if they don’t match your measurements, then it’s simple that your vehicle needs valve adjustment.
Should You Adjust Your Valves by Yourself?
Adjusting a valve tag along with many other things. It includes such jobs that should be efficiently done by someone experienced. If you take the responsibility on your shoulders, then you must be experienced enough to deal with the things that the job includes.
You’re to open, close, measure, and do the adjusting using some tools that are tricky enough. So if you cannot be totally confident about your skills regarding the tasks you need to do, we recommend you to turn to a mechanic or dealer. It’s always better to avoid risks than saving a couple of dollars.
Conclusion
Adjusting a valve is a costly job. We can’t deny that fact. Whether you do it by yourself or with the help of a mechanic or a dealer, the cost of parts can not be overlooked.
However, if you’re stressed by seeing how much does a valve adjustment cost, you can do the job by yourself and save some bucks. But do not risk it if you’re not experienced enough. Money won’t be able to cover up the aftermath otherwise.

Hello, I’m Michael Rosales an expert in cars. As a little boy, I have always loved cars. Over the years I became lucky to have the opportunity to work as a car dealer. It was at this stage I became vast in the knowledge of cars, things you need to know when buying cars and how to minimize cost while still getting your dream car.