What is the actual problem, are the valve covers leaking on your V6? If not, I'd leave them as they are. On my first V6, I had to do a coil replacement on the right bank, you know, the passenger side. It was the weekend and I didn't have access to anything beside a new coil. I didn't see anything leaking on the valve covers, so I didn't loosen them. On the intake, I cleaned the original gaskets with electronic parts cleaner (degreasing fast evaporating CRC spray) and found the original gaskets to be in fantastic shape for an engine with 102K miles. They were literally like new. Looking at the part that does the actual sealing, it is like infused silicone bead, and that all cleaned like new. When I reinstalled, the seal was tight. No leaks, and 2 mpgs gained to boot. When I ripped it down, the intake bolts were all pretty loose, compared to the proper torque value. If the silicone is all in good shape, that is all there is on the intake gaskets, the rest of the gasket is a plastic spacer and has no wear surface to go bad. As I said, if the valve covers are not leaking outside or in the spark plug wells, there is not much of a need to take them apart. I had no idea they were that expensive, either. Wow.
