Valve stem seals - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

EA1191 · 05-04-2004, 16:37

One of the plugs on my EA blackens and the problem may be a leaking valve stem seal. It is more or less under control with a hotter plug and not allowing the engine to idle for any length of time after a cold start. I have thought of replacing the seals using the rope in the cylinders to hold the valves method but it is not an urgent problem and wonder if anyone has used that method.
I expect that the oil leaks onto the valve stem when the engine stops by draining from the rockers into the cavity of the retainers on the top of the valve springs, past the gaps in the collets, down the valves stem and through the leaking seal. If the gaps in the collets could be sealed most of the leakage may be stopped.
Maybe the cavity in the retainers could be washed with solvent and sealed with gasket cement, silicone rubber or shellac. Or a barrier of a disc of metal, felt or leather over the retainers. A thick felt washer perhaps could be split and resewn with wire. Or a combination of both methods.

mongrelEB · 05-05-2004, 01:46

Just replace the seal, they're like $30/set dude...
I usually use the piston to hold the valve. Make sure to rotate the engine by hand, just in case.
Then a big screwdriver braced against the rocker pedestal will compress the spring nicely (but it's slippery) and a magnet-on-a-stick between the teeth takes care of the collets.

Rollin · 05-05-2004, 02:05

the oil is actually sucked into the engine because there is a partial vacuume in the cylinder pretty much all the time the engine is running - any time you are at anything other than Wide Open Throttle.

replace all the valve stem seals mate, its better to do it once properly than a couple of times poorly...it shouldnt even be that expensive to pay a mechanic to do it, it should take an hour, hour and a half at most, to do ALL of them.

John_xr6 · 05-05-2004, 06:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by mongrelEB

Just replace the seal, they're like $30/set dude...
I usually use the piston to hold the valve. Make sure to rotate the engine by hand, just in case.
Then a big screwdriver braced against the rocker pedestal will compress the spring nicely (but it's slippery) and a magnet-on-a-stick between the teeth takes care of the collets.

have you ever lost a valve in the bore doing it this way by accident? wouldnt like to fish it out. lol. another way to hold the valve in is to use compressed air with a special attachment to fit in spark plug hole. not really worth buying unless you know your going to do a few of these.

mongrelEB · 05-05-2004, 10:33

[quote]have you ever lost a valve in the bore doing it this way by accident?[quote]

No. It's not really possible. You work in pairs, 1-6, 2-5, 3-4. After finishing each pair, rotate the next pair to TDC. Absolubtely no way the valves can fall out.

But yeah, it would piss you off slightly if it happened

EA1191 · 05-05-2004, 18:08

How close is the piston from the valve at TDC? Can see that a simple tool could press either side of the rocker onto the spring. Is it possible that the collets could be tight and not release easily? The position of the piston could be checked through the plug hole so the valve should not fall into the cylinder.
The leakage problem is after standing so the oil must have leaked past the seal otherwise there would not be much point replacing the seal. Where does it come from?

mongrelEB · 05-05-2004, 20:29

About a cm depending on the cylinder head.
If the collets are sticky, which is not common, use a small flathead screwdriver to separate them.
The oil comes from the galleries in the head. It collects on the spring, the collets/spring head, valve stem, etc. Doesn't take a lot to make a heap of smoke! Bloody good way to scare somebody actually - stick oil or brake fluid in the intake of their car and watch their face when it starts hehe

eskyboi · 05-06-2004, 08:04

The XE/XF stem seals were the worse for this as they hardened pretty quickly and get brittle and just fall to bits (literally).

When I replaced mine on the XF there were bits of seals laying around the top of the head everywhere!

tickford2001 · 05-06-2004, 08:35

yeh mine were the same in my XD eskyboi, they were absolutely shot before i replaced them.

i used compressed air to hold the valves in, and compressed the springs with a special tool i made up. Pretty easy job, so better off to do it all now and then you know its right

eskyboi · 05-06-2004, 08:42

tickford,

Yeah took the easy way out on mine.. well maybe not easy but correct...

Ripped the head off, used a valve spring compressor to remove all valves.. cleaned up the head thorougly and piston tops.. and put back together.

Didn't take much longer than (apart from the cleaning) than using the cheaters methods and gave a very favourable result.

Still debating what i do with my EA now that its not running right.. too lazy these days.. working too many hours