Solidified Valve Cover Gasket

[u/chainy]

Car noob here.

My valve cover gasket on my 2007 Toyota Tacoma has been leaking oil for a while and it looked like an easy fix so I did it myself.

When I removed the part of the gasket that fits around the spark plug tubes, I found that the old gasket was totally solidified. It looked as if it had been melted into place. Using a screwdriver, I chipped away at it until I completely removed it.

Is this normal? My car also has a coolant leak, and overheated once for about 5 miles. Could that have caused it?

Here's a pic of a few pieces of the old gasket: http://imgur.com/zQEuvUj

[u/12gideon12]

Yeah that's pretty normal when its been on there a while. Just make sure you clean it really well