Valve stem oil seal change?

[Nickharding]

Hi guys,

I believe my valve stem oil seals are passing oil as i have to put about 2L's of oil in my clio per week (i do about 1000 miles a week), I know its not leaking it as i have checked and can see blue smoke out the exhaust and smokes like mad every now and again, exhaust is oily so i know it is burning it. I have done a compression test so know my piston rings are fine.

Now i was thinking the best way to do this would be to get the head off, use a valve spring compressor so i can change each seal, and then new head gasket and build it all back up, hopefully using the old inlet and rocker cover gasket.

Could i use the origional bolts to put the head back on? or will i have to get new ones?

How will i deal with the timing belt? Obviously use tip-ex to make ref points on the belt and the pulley, but how are they tensioned? so its easy to put it back on and re-tension?

The other approach would be to leave the head on? .. I found an old spark plug with the same thread, cut the top off, drilled it through and tapped a thread into it and PTFE screwed a nipple for a compressor to link to, what i was thinking of doing was taking the spark plug out of each cylinder, screwing this in, linking it to the compressor, putting about 100PSI in at mid stroke, to keep the valves up, quickly change the stem and then release them?

Thoughts?

 

[Tom@JMS]

Which engine?

 

[Nickharding]

Its the 1.2 8V 2002 Mk2 Ph2 engine mate.

 

[Jamesstone]

D7F?

Have seen that before! Happend to my old one years n years back, horrible little engines :dead:

 

[Nickharding]

Yeah it is.
Wont be in there for more than 6 months, my new project engine will hopefully be in there soon enough when i start getting the bits i need!, just cant keep affording the oil to go in it as its every week! so need to fix it.

Hoping i can just leave the head on, wack 100psi in the pot to keep the valves up, and do them while the head is on?

 

[sideways danny]

just remove the head. Not at all hard on that engine. Get yourself a haynes manual, and yes, use new headbolts, they're about £15

 

[Nickharding]

Thanks Dan!

 

[Tom@JMS]

Hoping i can just leave the head on, wack 100psi in the pot to keep the valves up, and do them while the head is on?

I've never heard of that method - I'd pay good money to see it done :star:

 

[Jamesstone]

I've never heard of that method - I'd pay good money to see it done :star:

Its a LASER tool thing :dead:

 

[Nickharding]

What are you on about laser thingy? you dont need a laser tool?

Il just take the head off, easier,

 

[buzzer1955]

I have done this on other engines using the rope method... Get some nylon rope, about 5mm and feed it into the cylinder via the plug hole. Turn engine over gently so the rope holds the valves up.

 

[sideways danny]

I have done this on other engines using the rope method... Get some nylon rope, about 5mm and feed it into the cylinder via the plug hole. Turn engine over gently so the rope holds the valves up.

That's one method that i've also seen done. it's not bad, but the trouble with doing this sort of work in the car is, if you so much as slip and drop a collet, you're in a world of trouble.

I have an attachment for pressurising the cylinder and holding the valves shut with an airline, but I've never been able to get enough access to the valve springs on the cars i've attempted it, to make it a viable job without just removing the head

 

[buzzer1955]

That's one method that i've also seen done. it's not bad, but the trouble with doing this sort of work in the car is, if you so much as slip and drop a collet, you're in a world of trouble.

I have an attachment for pressurising the cylinder and holding the valves shut with an airline, but I've never been able to get enough access to the valve springs on the cars i've attempted it, to make it a viable job without just removing the head

Agreed, On modern engines this is probably not worth doing... the rope and air method was quite useful on older OHV engines.... I have done it many times on BMC A Series and Ford Crossflows. I was looking in my tool box the other day and spotted the tool I used to use that compressed the valve spring in situ on the crossflow when I used to change the valve spring retainers... Race engines has alloy retainers and they didn't last long before fretting quite badly, so i used to change them... showing my age here!

 

[Rob.]

Headset - £40
Head bolts - £10
cambelt - £10
10-40 - £10

Job done.