Hi folks,
I've read most of the threads related to valve stem seals replacement and i'll be doing it in a couple of days.Just a silly question.
Why do i have to put the cyl. 1 at firing position ,loosen the timing belt,etc. when the camshafts and crankshaft will be always with the timing belt on and i can start with whichever piston is going up ?Am i missing anything? Of course at the end you should check all the alignments and correct them if wrong.
Cheers

Why do i have to put the cyl. 1 at firing position ,loosen the timing belt,etc. when the camshafts and crankshaft will be always with the timing belt on and i can start with whichever piston is going up ?

Question doesn't make much sense.
Please outline the steps in the process you are wishing to undertake.

Question doesn't make much sense.
Please outline the steps in the process you are wishing to undertake.

I assume he's taking the rocker shafts off to get to the valve springs. But the cam shafts are not being removed so theres no need to loosen the timing belt. And what does it matter where the pistons are positioned? It doesn't as far as I can tell.

Yep Alchemy, that's what i meant. Also when number 1 is at TDC the number 4 is at BDC or close (at least that's how it seems to be,number 4 beeing up). Question is can i do them both at the same time?I'm trying to use compress air but i'm anxious not to drop the valve in hence the position of the pistons(up). Cheers

Yep Alchemy, that's what i meant. Also when number 1 is at TDC the number 4 is at BDC or close (at least that's how it seems to be,number 4 beeing up). Question is can i do them both at the same time?I'm trying to use compress air but I'm anxious not to drop the valve in hence the position of the pistons(up). Cheers

Yes thats how it looked to me when I had the heads off another V6 magna recently. Pistons 1 and 4 were both at TDC at the same time, or so close to it that it barely mattered.

But I would suggest that you just tackle the front row first to see how you go. Reaching the front row is easy, just take off the rocker cover. No need to remove the plenum etc. You may find its harder than you think to remove the springs. Reaching over to do the back row is going to be even harder.

And I think I would use the 'rope in the cylinder' method myself. Less stressful I would think, although I've never tried it myself. (When I did the seals on my V6 pajero I had the heads off). I imagine that trying to get 4 springs off and replacing the seals all while having a compressor going would be quite stressful if you havent done it before.

Just another thought... and I could be wrong, but I think if the piston is at TDC the valves couldnt drop down much anyway. Theres very little clearance anyway (only a couple of mm) between the top of the piston and the valves.

Both banks are open now so ill try first with rope and will see about compressed air. Thanks

My mistake in previous post. Both 1 and 4 were on top position,Tdc

My mistake in previous post. Both 1 and 4 were on top position,Tdc

I could be wrong but I think that with the piston at TDC the valves couldnt drop down anyway. Theres very little clearance, (only a couple of mm) between the top of the piston and the valves. Maybe you dont even need the rope or the air, as long as you dont rotate the crank while the valves are loose.

An easy way to ensure you have TDC on any cylinder is to poke a thin dowell or long screwdriver in the spark plug hole and watch it go up and down. Just make sure you jiggle the dowell around as it is rising so it doesnt jam against the spark plug thread.

yep,i realized that there's nowhere to go. the first one was a mess,took me one hour. Had to modify the spring compressor to fit (not sure about the ones next to the spark plug tube) and the seal wouldn't come out. After a real struggle and using all the pliers in the shed it came out. Now,how far then new one will go as i pushed it as much as i could using a long tubular socket and i even tap it a bit with a rubber mallet,didn't damaged it.

One thing to note about those overhead spring compressors... One arm is deliberately a few mm longer than the other! The one I bought had no instructions and the difference in arm length was not obvious. I stuffed around for quite a while cursing it until I noticed the difference in the arms.

do you know the code of the seals as the set i bought from sprint auto parts has 24 seals all the same but in the manual says they are different. I find it very hard to push the exhaust ones and in my opinion they are not going all way down. The seal kit is permaseal VSS053.I asked the store guy twice and he was sure they are the same

Be careful with compressed air, it will act with more force on the top of the piston than it will on the valve (greater surface area) and could force the piston down, rotating the engine. Rope is the safer and simpler option.

I do it with rope. i'm just not sure the seal kit is the right one. all the seals are the same ,colour and dimensions.

I do it with rope. i'm just not sure the seal kit is the right one. all the seals are the same ,colour and dimensions.

I dunno if you need different seals. My book just says 'Make sure the correct type of seal is fitted to the appropriate valve based on Part no and package description'. It also says the exhaust valve is about 2mm longer than the inlet valves, although I dont know why that would matter to the seal. The diameter is the same on both (6mm).

I guess the main measurement would be the inside diameter of the seal where it fits around the 'nipple', for want of a better term.

I went to this site and typed in some details in the 'Vehicle parts search' boxes. I didnt get the same part numbers as you but I dont know your exact car details. Might be worth trying it yourself before you go too far...

http://www.getcarbitz.com.au/permaseal-valve-stem-seal-vss053-p-99780.html?ai_vehicle=4804&ai_category=22&qty=1&ai_part=Y

Intake and exhaust seals are different part numbers.

When I installed the valve stem seals they went on very easily.
When looking at them they don't look like they go all the way down but that is the design.

A hell of a job,the exhaust seals are harder to get out then the intake. Just finished the front bank in about 5 hours,well with lots of breaks.

Genuine seals are 2 different part numbers. Aftermarket brands I have used in the past are all the same

The Fel Pro aftermarket seals I bought had different intake and exhaust seals.

From my research these are the best aftermarket seals and may be better than OEM too. $50 something shipped from the US

I usually like to have the best in my car but at 220,000 km i won't be too fussy. I hope they will last at least half of the genuine ones.

The best isn't always more expensive though.
Do some research or Fel Pro, they are extremely highly regarded.
And are also cheap (comparative to OEM)

I could be wrong but I think that with the piston at TDC the valves couldnt drop down anyway. Theres very little clearance,

I guess the rope theory might be more useful if you have the cam shafts out and there is nothing to lock the crank up ie: piston could move, and/or a safety blanket in case for whatever reason you managed to knock a valve downward putting springs or keepers back on - the rope should cushion the valve as it only takes a small mark on a valve to effect the seal.

It is an interference motor so yes at TDC the valves won't actually drop but you need the rope to hold the valves as high up as possible because the valve spring can only be compressed so much and you then need the valve stem to be as high as possible to fit the retainers etc