Valve Guide Seals

[Scrrem]

Originally Posted by Paul Workman

Nothing that extensive is needed, if one is only just going to machine the valve stems to accept the seals. However, some might take the opportunity to "freshen up" the heads by doing a valve job, etc "while you're in there anyway". But, is another matter.

Marc Haibeck prepped my 90 exhaust valves to accept the seals when I was doing the rest of the head work, for a very nominal price, as I recall.

I got my seals from Jerry. No more blue smoke on start-up, unless it has been sitting for some weeks. (I'm thinking some PVC oil could drain down from the plenum. An oil catch can is "in the works" for my car this winter which should address at least some of that too.

Yeah, I'm having the heads ported anyway, so it would be the time to address it, have to see what the cost would be. Yeah, I put a catch can on mine last year, really keeps a good majority of the oil from reaching the plenum.

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by Scrrem

Yeah, I'm having the heads ported anyway, so it would be the time to address it, have to see what the cost would be. Yeah, I put a catch can on mine last year, really keeps a good majority of the oil from reaching the plenum.

Correction: I meant to say the valve GUIDES are what require machining to accept the seals. Fixed on my post (above). My bad.

[A26B]

If your guides are not worn, then they can be removed, machined for the seal and re-installed. Because it is the same guide in the same hole doesn't necessarily mean it will be concentric with the valve seat. The valve seat may need re-cut to align properly with the valve. Not a big deal. Not unusual for the guide i.d. & o.d. to not be perfectly concentric.

As an aside, all of the new valve guides I have are configured to accept seals. New guides must have the bores reamed to fit the valves. Not a thing wrong with machining/re-using the original guides if not worn.

[Don in VT]

My 90 with 52K does not smoke at all at start up.

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by A26B

If your guides are not worn, then they can be removed, machined for the seal and re-installed. Because it is the same guide in the same hole doesn't necessarily mean it will be concentric with the valve seat. The valve seat may need re-cut to align properly with the valve. Not a big deal. Not unusual for the guide i.d. & o.d. to not be perfectly concentric.

As an aside, all of the new valve guides I have are configured to accept seals. New guides must have the bores reamed to fit the valves. Not a thing wrong with machining/re-using the original guides if not worn.

Maybe Marc will chime in here, but I seem to remember him saying he has a jig that will make the necessary groove w/o removing the guide...least that is what I think I recall (but I've slept since then, and it was almost 4 years ago). Hopefully his ears will be burning and prompt him to pop in here and clarify that this item for us.