Machine shop shop error...

[bill2]

I needed to do a re-ring on my daytona, so i sent the head out to be freshened up while it was all apart. Two days after the rebuild, i started to smoke at idle. I pulled the head back off today and found oil leaking down the exhaust valves on cylinders 1 & 2. After a closer look, i noticed the valve stem seal on cyl 2 wasn't even on the guide. I'm a little irritated since i've never had a problem like this on any head i've had redone, and am wondering what the machine shop could have done wrong other than not installing the seals properly. Any one else have this happen?

[MiniMopar]

If a guide drops, the seals can pop off.

[bill2]

The guides haven't dropped. The shop replaced all the guides, stem seals, and did a valve job. The head was fine before i sent it off, no smoking or leaking. Any other ideas for why the valve stem seal would be off of the guide, within days of a rebuild?

[MiniMopar]

Never had one pop off for any other reason. Sounds like an installation snafu.

[CSX321]

I've got smoking at idle with my '89 CSX. I was hoping maybe it was the valve stem seals, since that's the only time it smokes. I picked up the seals last night, and I'm planning to put them in this weekend.

Any tips? Should I use the compressed air method or the "rope in the cylinder" method to hold the valves up? I've never done it with the head in the car, but I have the Miller spring compressor, so it should be possible.

[cordes]

If you can do the compressed air method, I think that would be most expedient.

[turbovanman²]

The guides haven't dropped. The shop replaced all the guides, stem seals, and did a valve job. The head was fine before i sent it off, no smoking or leaking. Any other ideas for why the valve stem seal would be off of the guide, within days of a rebuild?

Sounds like they just messed up, fix it and throw her back together.


I've got smoking at idle with my '89 CSX. I was hoping maybe it was the valve stem seals, since that's the only time it smokes. I picked up the seals last night, and I'm planning to put them in this weekend.

Any tips? Should I use the compressed air method or the "rope in the cylinder" method to hold the valves up? I've never done it with the head in the car, but I have the Miller spring compressor, so it should be possible.


Are you sure its not the turbo?

What do your plugs look like?

I have never done the rope trick but I hear it works, I have an air compressor so thats the only way I've ever done them.

[CSX321]

Are you sure its not the turbo?
No, not sure at all. It seemed cheap and easy to try the seals, though. It smokes for about a minute after a cold start and starts smoking if it sits and idles for several minutes. During normal driving I don't see any. I followed my daughter for about 20 miles while she was driving it, and I didn't see any smoke.

[bill2]

After talking to the machine shop today, their assesment was "extreme exhaust gas temps caused the valves to bind in the guides and chew up the seals".

I call shenanigans :p . When i first started it after the rering, it had a bit of topend noise that wasn't there before the head was redone. I am pretty sure the issue is valve guide/ valve stem tolerance. They offered to pay for new exhaust valves and guides, but i think i'm going to get a head elsewhere, then drive the car to the machine shop to request a refund ;) .

Dave-
Good luck on your in car stem replacement. I've done the air hold before, (it was on a kia, and i had to do some grinding to make the spring compressor fit).

[tryingbe]

Air compressor is going to work MUCH better than rope to change the valve stem seals. It's going to take a LOT less time too.

Make sure you have your e-brake on and put the car in 5th gear.

[CSX321]

Thanks for the tips. I've got a short hose with a spark plug hole adapter on one end and a quick-connect on the other. I bought myself a good compressor last year, so I should be good to go tomorrow.

[CSX321]

Got 'er done today, and no more smoke! :clap2:

I kept breaking things putting it back together. First two of the old hard plastic vac lines snapped, then I broke the nipple off the air box putting the PCV pipe back on. :banghead: Finally got it all fixed.

[Aries_Turbo]

I never use air or a rope. I use a small neodymium magnet (one of those little retrieval telescoping magnets) to keep it in place while I yank the old seal off and pop the new one on. compressed air works though. :)

Brian

[cordes]

I never use air or a rope. I use a small neodymium magnet (one of those little retrieval telescoping magnets) to keep it in place while I yank the old seal off and pop the new one on. compressed air works though. :)

Brian


Do you use it from the top side, or stick it in the cylinder. Those neodymium magnets are no joke. I got some for the kids to use in science experiments and they think they are the greatest thing in the world.

[CSX321]

I used one of the telescoping retrieval ones to grab the keepers.

One of these days I have a plan to make a perpetual motion machine with some of those rare earth magnets. :D Seriously, though, my son does have a magnetic toy that I have NOT been able to figure out how it works. Pretty neat.

[cordes]

I used one of the telescoping retrieval ones to grab the keepers.

One of these days I have a plan to make a perpetual motion machine with some of those rare earth magnets. :D Seriously, though, my son does have a magnetic toy that I have NOT been able to figure out how it works. Pretty neat.

I remove my keepers the same way. It works so much better than sticking my big fingers in there.

[Aries_Turbo]

I too use the magnet for the keepers but I put the magnet where the rocker arm rides... on the tip. it holds it up and i can catch the keepers when the spring goes down cause I have one of those hook on the cam valve spring compressors.

Brian

[Turbodave]

I use the magent to fish around in the cylinder and pull the valve stem back through the guide when I accidentally drop it.

Note: the hose from the compression tester works great for holding the valves shut, but you have to remove the scrader valve from it first...Doh...

[CSX321]

Note: the hose from the compression tester works great for holding the valves shut, but you have to remove the scrader valve from it first...Doh...
Heh...yep, I eventually figured that out. I should probably put it back in now, before I forget about it and try to do a compression test one of these days.

[MiniMopar]

Yeah, that's the method we used (compression tester hose) when we replaced the seals on the old 3.0L.