Replacing Valve stem seals!

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by AUSTmike

Is it OK to tap the top of the valve spring retainers before decompressing the springs to loosen the keepers?...and is it OK to tap the retainers with a hammer after the spring has been depressed to make sure that the keepers have settled back in their proper place with the valve stem!

I think you meant "before compressing the spring to loosen the keepers". I use a socket to contact only the retainer.

Yes on tapping the valve tip after installing the locks. Again, a socket. A slight to moderate tap should be enough to ensure proper retainer lock seating, but cover the target area with a shop cloth, block any black hole engine openings (e.g. oil drain tubes) and wear eye protection, just in case.

Sherwood

[nene]

I have recently replaced the intake valve seal for #5 and most recently, I replaced all from passenger side exhaust seals, due to the previous wrench using too much force installing them and ruining them. I will also be replacing the driver exhaust seals, as I can still smell oil being burnt, which is why I began replacing them.

I used the Brown Viton seals as I have read that the Teflon seals use a stiffer material and thus starve the valve stem.

Note: I replaced the seals while the engine was in the car.

[AUSTmike]

Thanks guys your tips they are most grateful! and very helpful is this area of maintenance!..I am up to the stage of removing the seal from cylinder 1 and i have dropped the stem down just enough so the keeper lines on the stem are level with the seal!..does the stem seal pliers that you can buy either from amazon or any auto store work with these type of seals?..or is there any alternatives to remove the seals!...i do have the black rubber type seal so they are tight and hard to move!..has anyone found ways to loosen these seals either by pliers or other tools to ease the seals off!.

[dannobee]

The old trick that I used was a pair of spark plug boot pliers. Keep wiggling until the seal pulls off.

[AUSTmike]

thanks dannobee!..i just ordered some spark plug boot pliers so they are on the way!..i know i will need some patience to get them off!..I'm so glad that you can have the ability to low the stem to remove the seal in 2 ways!..

1) so you will not scratch the stem itself when removing the seal and

2)you have more room to get to the seal!...oh and one other thing!..i am using the rope method to hold the valves!...One trick i learnt is to get a plastic tube and wedge it into the spark plug hole so you can feed the rope down into the hole !..so much easier than trying to feed the rope down because of the cam towers!...I hope this helps anyone!.....

[AUSTmike]

hi guys!..I hope you are all well and enjoying life!..well after my first replacment of the intake valve seal all went good and now i am up to the second seal which ofcoarse is the exhaust seal!

After draining the oil and removing the exhaust cover i checked the rocker pin hex keys to see where the 8mm and 5mm hex's are positioned on cylinder #1,#2,and #3!....

After checking #1 the 8mm is facing towards the front of car or gearbox!..and as you guessed it ,the 5mm hex is on the timing chain cover end!...

does this mean that i can't get the rocker off because the 5mm hex is the head bolt of the rocker pin?....or is the exhaust rocker pin hex the bolt head!...

Or can i get around this by loosening the 8mm side removing the 8mm hex round nut..then sliding the rocker pin back towards the timing cover so there is room to get a tool to pull the rocker pin out towards the front of car or gearbox!....Basically is there any tips to remove the pin without removing the timing chain cover to get the rocker pin out!...cheers!

[Walt Fricke]

You deal with this by shortening the end of your L shaped Allen to use on the 5mm end. You might be able to use an Allen socket after shortening its protruding end - a 1/4" socket type would be a bit smaller. And have a shortened 8mm L shaped Allen, too.

How the fasteners are installed doesn't affect the ability to push the rocker into one of the center spaces so it can be removed (though for what you are doing, you don't need to remove the shaft, just the rocker).

[AUSTmike]

Thanks Walt for your reply much appreciated!....I had the idea of shortening the allen hex "L" 5mm to fit into the space on the right-side of the rocker!..so i will shorten the 5mm! and 8mm...cheers!

With the rocker pin are you saying that once you loosen and remove the 8mm collar round nut from the left-side of the rocker pin, all you have to do is push the pin to the right of the shaft to remove rocker!....cheers!...

I'm assuming that the shaft is the rocker pin!

[Walt Fricke]

The standard advice is to install/remove the rocker shafts (pin??) with all their hardware (three pieces) removed. I suppose this prevents spreading the end of the shaft you are pushing on - the purpose of the tapered pieces is to spread the ends of the shaft. So it makes moving the shafts easier and less likely to score the hole in the cam carrier these shafts reside in.

But necessity sometimes dictates ignoring this to get a shaft out. It is sort of a fine point. And you can reinstall the "right" way.

Sockets of suitable diameters are helpful in pushing a shaft out after it has been pushed part way in. Having a suitable magnet is useful in placing these, and retrieving them.

[AUSTmike]

Thanks Walt this really helped me in removing shaft!..

I did noticed the shaft nut 8 mm was a little burred but OK!..so i just ordered 2 more as a spare!..
i did notice also that the intake and exhaust shafts don't have any rubber seals sitting in the grooves of the shaft and i don't get any leaks into the spark plug chamber areas!...strange!..is this normal?..or would it be a good idea to order some seals!..

one other thing i would like to ask!...Does it matter where the 5 mm rocker arm shaft bolt go into on each end weather it is left side or right!...The reason why i ask is that it was a real challenge loosing the 5 mm end because of the timing cover area which as you know is the back part of the engine with minimal space to work in!...if i install the 5 mm in reverse meaning placing the rocker shaft bolt 5 mm in the front of engine this will give a lot more room to loosen if i need to uninstall later in future

anyway thanks you guys for all your help!....cheers!

[nene]

According to Bentley, the 5mm bolt for the outer cylinders should face #2 and #5, which
makes is easy to tighten. #2 and #5 can go either way.

I just removed my rocker shafts (and put RSR seals) while in there.

Serge

[AUSTmike]

Thanks Serge!...my 5mm rocker shaft bolt was facing the timing case!..i will install the 5mm bolt facing cylinder #2 for future uninstalls if it comes to that!...cheers!

[AUSTmike]

Anyone know how to remove the outer valve exhaust spring!..seems that the spring is to big in diameter to slide out from the head!...I've uncompressed the spring with the special Wayne Dempsey spring compressor!..inner spring and keepers are out!..the spring sits loose when its flush with the guide!..Has anyone come across this situation with their exhaust spring!..There is no damage to the spring and this is exhaust cylinder #1.... the engine is a 1977 2.7 ltre

[Walt Fricke]

When I did this at the track once, I had the same problem. Maybe I could get it out, but not back in? In any case, a mechanic there took pity on me and did it. So I can't tell you how, but can assure you it can be done.

[AUSTmike]

Thanks Walt!..I have a pair of special pliers that i recently purchased for removing the valve stem seals!..These work perfectly in removing the seals!.. The pliers are thin also making it good to fit on the seal while the outer spring is still in the head!..these pliers are the best i could find for removing valve stem seals! and they are a MUST if you want to remove the exhaust stem seals..as for removing exhaust springs maybe you unwine the spring over the head part to remove it!

Here is a link for these good pliers!
https://www.amazon.com/Removal-Pulling-Cylinder-Insulated-Handles/dp/B07XXLM664/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=Car+Spark+Plug+Wire+Removal+P liers&qid=1569317559&s=gateway&sr=8-16

[nene]

Try some needle-nose pliers to pull the spring out.

[AUSTmike]

Hi nene!...how would you pull the spring out !...one idea i had was to get some descent cable ties thread them though the spring on each side and leave then loose or untied for the moment then get your valve spring compressor with the shim cap that sits on top of the spring and compress the spring down then do up the cable ties on each side and see if that will come out!..if it comes out you can leave the spring under tension for the time you remove old valve seal and replace with new seal!..then add spring back in compress a little more so the cable ties are a little loose and then cut ties remove and then uncompressed again!...Not sure if this would work though but if its possible to remove spring with pointy nose pliers how would you do it!...cheers!

[dannobee]

Needle nosed pliers and twist the spring while pulling.

[AUSTmike]

Thanks dannobee you are right it was easier than i thought!..all though cylinder #1 exhaust is more tighter in head room but cylinder #2 was a lot easier i just angled the spring to the right and didn't need the pliers but that was for #2!...one question though the chrome like disk plate that sits flush in the seated guide where the inner and outer springs sit seem to be a bit loose in there, there's no damage or bits of metal anywhere!...Thank God!..is this normal?...i mean does these inner disk-like plates have a clip to hold them or do they just sit there with the spring to hold them once tensioned!

[dannobee]

The spring shims just sit in there, under the spring, held in by the spring tension. There should be a spring cup, too.