Ques? about valve seals - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

85maroz28 · 03-22-2003, 06:39 PM

I am looking to replace the valve seals on my 85 tpi motor pretty quick and just wanted to see hom many others have done it and if it was fairly easy or hard. I am pretty sure that i will have no real problems w/ it but just offer some info or suggestions.

8Mike9 · 03-22-2003, 07:33 PM

Well, this topic has been covered about a zillion times, a search on the general board should give you all the info you need....

Other than what you will find on your search, make sure you use a quality spring compressor, stay away from the cheapo ones

Nasty_Bird_'90 · 03-22-2003, 08:15 PM

very easy if you're mechanically inclined.

Pull off the valve covers
Yank off the rocker arms.
Get an air chuck and thread it into the spark plug hole and hook it up to your air compressor. This will stop the valve from falling into the cylinder when you take the spring off.
Using a good spring compressor, compress the valve spring and use a magnet to pick up the valve locks. Remove the valve spring.
Just pull the old seals off and throw them as far into the woods as you can.
Press on the new seals ( Hopefully you sprung the extra $$ for the good Viton* seals) using a socket and a rubber mallet to tap them onto the valve guides.
Replace the spring and keepers.
Move onto the next cylinder and repeat 7 times (or is it 14?

)
Replace the rocker arms. DON"T FORGET TO ADJUST THE ROCKERS!!!!!
Replace the valve covers and you're ready to roll!

HTH,
Tony

85maroz28 · 03-23-2003, 01:28 AM

Thanks for the info. I have been around here long enough to know to do a search first and did not come up w/ all the info I wanted so I posted!

Quick_Trans_Am · 03-23-2003, 10:18 AM

one thing you want to do... if you do get the viton seals, soak the 'umbrella' part in warm/hot water before you press them on. It will make them a little more pliable before you press them on to the valve stem. Trust me, you don't want to crack them ( I just put new ones on my v8).

85maroz28 · 03-23-2003, 08:05 PM

Thanks for the info I am looking to do it real soon and will keep this stuff in mind. Mine blows so smoke on start-ups and am hoping to cure this problem w/ replacing them. I am doing this and some other fix-ups/tune-ups till i get my hands on the lt1/t-56 set-up.

c4boom · 03-23-2003, 08:14 PM

i would clean the valve stems befor i put the new seals on

Quick_Trans_Am · 03-23-2003, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by c4boom
i would clean the valve stems befor i put the new seals on

this is definitely true, also make sure you clean your oil ports on the cylinder heads too, mine were pretty badly clogged. If they get clogged and oil builds up, a lot of times the oil has no place to go except for through the seals, causing them to go bad and of course the smoke on startup.