alright, this 3.4l puffs on start up after sitting over night. changed injectors around trying to find studder/hesiation. So leaking down injectors aint it.

Plus, lately when driving it more, it does smell like oil, so I'm sure its valve seals.

How hard is this to do w/o pulling head. I heard of some tool I can buy to stick in sp hole, and hold valves up or something.

How much are the seals?
recommend new springs right now?


What kinda expense am I looking at, and any highly recommened "better" parts to install while doing this. Not sure I can swing my roller rockers right now

 

the tool you need is just a fitting that connects to your air compressor and it fills the cylinders up with air so that the valves stay up. I dont know what exactly its called, but if you go down to advance auto parts or something, they will know what you are talking about.

Valve Stem Seals are only like 10$, they are just stupid rubber things that slip right on and off.

Umm, since you need to take the valve springs off to get to the seals, i guess it would be a good idea to replace them, along with the valve stem locks. (cheap)

If you wanted, you could also get new pushrods since they will be right there anyways, but its not needed.

 

all you need to keep the valves up is the hose that comes with most compression guages, you know the screw in one that has the quick connect fitting on one end. A compression guage is a good thing to have anyway, so it doubles as 2 tools. Personally, i wouldn't worry about new springs, but then again, I'm a cheap *** just looking to have the car running, so that works for me.

 

just remembered, if you want the real cheap *** way i do it then here it is. Go down to Pep Boys, AutoZone, whatever, and buy the engine oil stop leak, I think it's kind of an orangish color. Whenever mine starts to smoke on startup, i run down to the store and pick it up. I get the oil changed and toss some in. lazy, but it works when you don't have the time to take a day to change valve seals.

 

ok, so seals are cheap. then new locks, how much are springs?? I have 2 compression guages, so I guess thats good to go.

I'm gonna need a spring compressor tool right??


I don't like to do to do things "half ***", but I'm on small budget. This is also not a daily driver, so if its down for day or two, no biggie. I just dont want to pull the heads.

 

yeah, you will need a spring compressor tool too.

I dunno how much valvesprings are, it depends on which ones you wanna get

 

yeah, mine is a daily driver...every freaking day, so if it is down...that means that i am screwed so sometimes half-assed has to be the way to go until I can spare it for a day. But yeah, seals are way cheap...

 

don't forget the magnet for the valve locks. When you compress the spring, thoses bad boys will just fall off. I saw someone do this in auto shop once and they forget the magnet...lock went right down the pushrod hole...:sillylol: what a dork.(and i promise it wasn't me...)

 

Locks just slide right out?? I was thinking I was gonna have to use a punch to get them out.

O well, thats what this board is for, tell me what I don't know.

 

i had to beat the **** out of mine to get them out...

 

that guys slid right out as soon as he compressed the spring and mine did when I did the head gasket, I figures that while I had it all apart I might as well...plus they came with the gasket kit. Slid right back on too and locked on and have been there since.