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Valve stem seal install

GVR-4

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Apr 22, 2002
Messages
2,610
Location
Asheville, NC USA
Has anyone done this job with the engine still in the car and the head still on the engine? Looks like I'll be doing it in the near future and I would like some insight in order to start planning.

Thanks.
 

curtis

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May 4, 2003
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Clarksville TN
Get the dealer seals first along with the seal from the valve cover. Should be a little over 100 dollars. Get with the technicials in the back and see if you can get there tool for this. Its a little slide hammer deal that has a magnetic holder for the keepers. Someone started a thread about this tool so someone on the board may have one. Slide a piece of rope down in the cylinder and rotate the piston up till it crushes against it after the cams are out. Take a large socket and extenstion and hit the top of the spring to get the keepers out of the retainer. Don't forget to block off the oil drain holes to the oil pan. Do this on all four slide on the protector on top of the valve stems, slide on the seals and seat them with a 7/16 deep well. Reinstall and repeat. Put on the new water pump and timing belt and reassemble everything. Your done. Sounds like a quick job but its not, the only thing your saving is the price of the head gasket and a mill and valve job. If the head has never been off I'm sure that a valve job would defininatly help performance. By the way how is the street racing on Patton Ave these days. I use to do some myself while I was in high school and when I was going to Mars Hill back in the late eighties.
 

I've done it before. The tool is made by Miller tools. It is basicly a spring compressor that screws into the top of the head for support. It works great and is easy to use, just very time consuming. Unfortunately, the tool costs over $200.
 

done it myself 2 times now, (my 2 galants), the tool is from snap-on ($180) plus 25 for the end attachment to screw in the spark plug hole (to keep it pressurized), takes about 3-5 hours to complete the job.
 

GVR-4

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Apr 22, 2002
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Asheville, NC USA
Thanks for the replies. I have an air compressor and the attachment to pressurize the cylinders, so I shouldn't need to do the rope thing (right?). Does anyone have the valve spring compressor I could borrow? If I can stand waiting, I'd like to do this job in a couple months. I just need some time to hate the car for a while before I start crawling around on the ground to fix something again. Along with the water pump and timing belt, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to do the lifter upgrade too, eh?

Curtis: Patton Ave is still crowded on the weekends, but being an old fart at 33 I rarely seek out a race. Besides, few people recognize these cars are fast, and when I have been on Patton in it on the weekend, nobody gives me a second look.
 

I think you guys in the latter posts may be talking about the other tool. The spring compressor tool is easily 180-200 dollars. The tool curtis is speaking of sounds like a device to hold the keepers in place to make reinstallation easier. If thats the case, I would like to know where to get this tool as well. It was a major PITA for me when I replaced my valve stem seals and that was the most time consuming part - getting the keepers in there right.

scott
 

curtis

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May 4, 2003
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Clarksville TN
quote:Originally posted by GVR-4:
Curtis: Patton Ave is still crowded on the weekends, but being an old fart at 33 I rarely seek out a race. Besides, few people recognize these cars are fast, and when I have been on Patton in it on the weekend, nobody gives me a second look. Old fart hell we're the same age. Where did you go to school? I grew up over in Mitchell county then my senior year moved to Yancey county. I only get home once a year. Except about 3 years ago when my father had a heart thing going on. I run to Asheville one Sunday and as I was pulling into the hospital in Asheville to my surprise there was a Galant VR4 at the red light. I guess that was you.
 

GVR-4

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Apr 22, 2002
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Asheville, NC USA
Maybe I just feel more like an old fart.
tongue.gif
I grew up in the Houston area and have lived here going on seven years. There are two of us (that I know of) who drive VR-4's; mine is green and Jeff's is black. Which was it?

Sorry for being redundant, but if anyone knows of someone with that tool, I'd really like to borrow it or rent it rather than paying the $200 to buy it.
 

speaking of houston..the show with the judge from texas had the "bling, bling! game"
 

HHIVR4

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Oct 6, 2003
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5,446
Location
Hilton Head Island SC
i know that places like advance auto have a tool loan program.i would try them first..you give them like a $40 deposit and when you return the tool they give you the money back..i have used their spring compressors before..(for suspension)
 

curtis

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May 4, 2003
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11,892
Location
Clarksville TN
"Green" so I guess it was you.
 

autobahntom

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Feb 8, 2003
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Location
Delaware
The Miller tool mentioned above is available from Snap-on also. I just got one (instead of borrowing one) and it was only $60 or somewhere there. Advance and Autozone do not have this tool for loan. They have valve spring compressors, but this tool is really the thing to have. You do need a compression tester to use to hold the valves in place with compressed air.
The tool works wonderfully. Takes about 30 minutes to install all valve seals (once cams are off). Make sure to get a cheap ($2) telescoping magnet. Put clean rags down in the head oil return holes also. The magnet (a big headed one) is great for picking up the keepers when they get dropped as they always fall to the center of the car.
Tom
 

CP

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Joined
Aug 30, 2004
Messages
8,938
Location
West Simsbury, CT
Quote:
compressor for rent to board members.



This link didn't work for me. Would someone that owns these special tools be willing to rent them to board members (in good standing)? I'm going to be building another head over the next 6 months. A guy on another board used to do this with a fender roller, taking a deposit for the full amount up front in case it wasn't returned.
 

spooling92vr4

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Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
2,511
Location
long island, NY
make sure to take great care when doing this procedure on the car, if you dont it correctly you can actually crack the valve guides. the best way to change the seals is with the head off of the car. I have done seals on the car before, I wont do that anymore if its a car that I care about
 
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