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Changing Valve Stem Seals?

27K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  PROZIUM451 
#1 ·
How hard is this job and how much money to change them myself?

BTW my car smokes after idling awhile exhibiting stem seal problems and compression #'s are good so I'm ASUMING it's bad seals. Is there any other sure way to know if that is indeed the problem so I don't change them and then find out car is still smoking and that wasn't the prblem.
 
#2 ·
They are not hard to change at all. But getting to them is all the work. If you do not want to take the head off there is a tool for compressing the springs and taking them off. If you pull it, which is what I normaly just do, it makes it earier to work with, In my opinion.

If you have access to the tools for doing the job with it on the car I would do it that way. It will be cheaper.

If you pull the head it will take longer, replace the head gasket, and probably the timing belt since your in there.
 
#4 ·
#5 ·
You will need to have a valve spring compressor. You can get them at almost any parts store. Make sure you tell them you want the one where you can pull the valve springs with the head in the car. I got mine for under $20. You will also need something to put into the spark plug holes to keep the valves from dropping down into the cylinder once you take off the spring. If you have an air compressor great. Go get a leak down tester and use that. Or if you don't have an air compressor you can use a long piece of rope and thread it in through the spark plug hole. Make sure you leave enough hanging out the hole so you can pull it out haha. If you have any questions let me know.
 
#17 · (Edited)
This is the one I use and it does the job and isn't hard on your wallet.

http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPag...mber=2078&Description=Valve+Spring+Compressor

That DOES NOT work for our heads. Its mainly for cars that arent ohc.

I have the same valve spring compressor Kenny was talking about. It works great, all you need after getting that is some rope and a magnet on a stick. Its really straight foward and only takes a couple hours the first time. I followed the vfaq the first time I did it.
 
#7 ·
Ok thanks I'll have to think about whether it's worth doing or not since the smoking out the tail pipe is noticeable especially at idle but not THAT bad and oil consumption is still manageable :thinking:
 
#10 ·
1 or 1-1/2 qts a month which isn't a problem money wise and the smoking tailpipe isn't good but it's not obscene either using syntheic oil. When I used regular oil then it was really bad so that's why I switched to synthetic.
 
#9 ·
#11 ·
I'm surprised no one mentioned special valve seal pliers in all of this tool talk. They will help you not gouge the guides and make old seal removal much easier.

Make sure you check that there is no old seal left over on the guide or it can cause the new seal to sit too high.
 
#14 ·
#15 ·
I used the rope trick, It worked pretty well. They have the whole process on vfaq.

http://www.vfaq.com/index-main.html

The valve compressor he used on vfaq is a little different, but the valve spring compressor kennyjr904 recommended is the same concept and half the price. I used the same one he recommended and it worked well. I purchased mine through snap on though and it was 60 bucks more for the same thing.
 
#21 ·
lilred, You may call it crackheaded but the rope trick is by far the best way to hold a valve up (you have to use nylon rope), you can still drop a valve when the air compressor is connected. It takes a little longer but peace of mind is worth the extra few minutes spent on the job.
 
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