CyCloNe!

Hey guys I'm fairly certain that my valve seals are going and I was wondering is it possible to change them without pulling the head? I kept thinking it was the turbo leaking but after 2 new turbo's I'm thinking its the valve seals. I get smoke after being during boost and after hard driving so when I'm stopped for a few min it smokes. If I rev the car at idle it does smoke until I let off the gas and it's grey in color. Smells just like exhaust and sometimes oil. No loosing coolant and have done a pressure test and no mixing. Car drives good no lose of power that I am aware of.

86 951 Driver

Your seals are shot. Have you ever had the head gone through? It might be a good idea. I did that and my car quit smoking and it runs a bit better as well.

Fara

Technically speaking, there are tools that will allow you to replace the valve springs, guides, retainers and stem seals without removing the head.

They, in my experience, do not work well.

I'd strongly recommend pulling the head and giving it a full service if you're doing your stem seals.
If it hasn't been done before, I'd also suggest grabbing a set of valve guides and checking the effective spring rate of your current springs. Mine were down to less than 90# which meant I would have been getting some valve float above around 5k RPM according to the guy I use for head services.

flashx

Ive never heard of anyone changing valve guides without taking the head off. A lot of times the seals wear because the guides are warn also. You will save yourself a lot of head aches to pull the head and have it gone over and checked for flatness while its off.

CyCloNe!

Figures don't currently have the time or money to pull the head and refresh it. I'll just buy a NA and port it and rebuild over time I guess and then drop it in when I have a few days off in a row. I also know my oil is on the thin side so I'm gona do an oil change woth some HM 20-50 and see if that helps for now. Last time I put to much oil thickening stuff in and decided to thin it out so I'm probably running a 10-30 or 5-30 now.

86 951 Driver

It shouldn't smoke with any kind of oil. I don't know what additives you are adding, but you should just run high ZDDP oil. I recommend putting some Valvoline 20w-50 ZR1 in it.

Van

With the right tool, it's easy. And I used some nylon rope fed into the spark plug hole to hold the valve in place while I used the tool. Some people say compressed air also works.

CyCloNe!

Van thats the method I was thinking of doing, do you have to crank the engine by hand to raise the piston for using the rope or just put a lot of rope in? Also where can I get that style tool? I've seen a different style than yours but I like yours better.

Van

I put the rope in and then turned the engine over by hand until the rope was pressed against the head.

I believe the tool is an "overhead spring compressor"... I borrowed it from a friend.

Here it is on ebay! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Valve-Spring...-/310605855868

Fara

Wow Van, that looks a lot better than the fiddly thing I used once.

I endorse van's method, it looks like it will make quick work of the stem seals.

eman930

Done this 1,000 times at work but with compressed air, Super easy if you have the tools, and on a 8 valve head should have it done in no time, 24 and 32 valve heads start to drive you crazy after a while lol

car_slave

+1

CyCloNe!

I've decided I'll be taking Vans method, I've got to change the cam gasket and seals anyway due to they're leaking slowly. I would pull the head and redo it but I cash is extremely tight now due to job changes and on top of it I can't be down for 2+ days.

eman930

Get the tool, and get the adapter so you can use air pressure to hold the valve up, also get your self a good magnet that extends, this will help you get the keepers out without dropping them

Van

And put some paper towels in the oil return passages in the head! That's not where you want to drop a keeper.