I'm replacing valve seals on a set of vortecs on the bench.Felpro#ss 72861
I'm striking out so far,I've already boogerd up a couple and bought another set.
What is the correct way to do this,do I need the install tool?I was told that I could tap them on using a socket so that's what I did.After damaging a couple I tried stacking an old seal on top of the new one before tapping it down,That worked well and I finished one head that way.When I received the new set they came with a set of plastic tubes that didn't come in the first box so I assume I need to redo those too.Any advice would be much appreciated:-)

How exactly are they getting damaged?

The key to what you SHOULD do, lies in what's going wrong with what you ARE doing.

The "plastic tubes" are to go onto the valve stem and keep the keeper grooves from fornicating the new seals.

Once I've established that, I use a socket or piece of pipe / tubing to tap the seals down over the valve stems and onto the guides. Sometimes something as simple as using a bit of grease on something, or cleaning something, or something that seems otherwise trivial, makes all the difference.

I figured I was doing somthing dumb because it shouldn't be this difficult.Everything is clean and I'm oiling everything well.I knew what the tubes were for as soon as I saw them but the were missing from the first set.The first set I did went on fine but the springs are separating,the old ones didn't look that way.I don't know where I went wrong.
The stack does the the trick but I was wondering if the tool was worth it.You are right though sofa,I'm doing something silly,I just don't know what.

i just did my seals a few weekends ago i put the tube on a little wd-40 on rubber part of seal and tube used a 10mm socket and a 6inch eextension and push the seals down to almost bottom pulled up a little on the seal to move the tube up enough to grasp the tube with needle nose pulled tube out and pushed seal down all the way i would definatly redo any or all seals in question a small tear and smoke on start up is not what u want too see alot eaier on bench than in car

Without being told yet just exactly what form of damage they are suffering, all I can do is guess; but at this point, my guess would be, you need to take some 400 grit sandpaper, and sandpape the keeper grooves. Often, especially on cheeeep crappy soft stock valves, a burr gets thrown up around the groove over time, which will cut the seal as you try to push it over the valve.

The damage is external caused by me.They are going on hard,maybe too hard.I may have the wrong seal.This is my first sbc install,I have mostly done Pontiacs and big and small Fords and they didn't go on as hard.
Thanks for the input guys

the valve seals on my vortecs went on pretty hard, but they all went on without damage thanks to that little plastic sleeve and some 10w-30 and a socket that was just slightly larger than the valve stem.