Valve Stem Seals
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 4
From: Maryland
Valve Stem Seals
Have I diagnosed this right? I'm thinking it's valve stem seals.
Car smokes on startup only after having been parked for several hours or overnight. Smoke is greyish white and definately stinky oily smelling and so thick it's visible in the rear view mirror without trying to see it. :eek: After the initial puff, no more smoke. There is some slight smoke when I give it a lot of gas on the hwy (as reported by followers). The startup smoke is the worst though.
Car is L98 with 123k miles, as far as I know the engine has never been rebuilt. I think the head gasket might have been changed as it's not presently leaking (and I thought they all did by 80k miles).
How involved is this job in terms of disassembly? What are the essential "while I'm at it's" to consider while rebuilding the top end? Consider that I don't want to make any mods which will be visible during NCRS judging. I'm considering some mild porting, so long as it doesnt' affect the outside appearance of anything. :p: I'm trying to plan this out as my big winter C4 project and get a rough idea of downtime (which I will of course quadrouple per the "Juliet" slowness factor.) :lol:
Thanks, ~Juliet
[Modified by Juliet, 1:10 AM 11/5/2002]
Car smokes on startup only after having been parked for several hours or overnight. Smoke is greyish white and definately stinky oily smelling and so thick it's visible in the rear view mirror without trying to see it. :eek: After the initial puff, no more smoke. There is some slight smoke when I give it a lot of gas on the hwy (as reported by followers). The startup smoke is the worst though.
Car is L98 with 123k miles, as far as I know the engine has never been rebuilt. I think the head gasket might have been changed as it's not presently leaking (and I thought they all did by 80k miles).
How involved is this job in terms of disassembly? What are the essential "while I'm at it's" to consider while rebuilding the top end? Consider that I don't want to make any mods which will be visible during NCRS judging. I'm considering some mild porting, so long as it doesnt' affect the outside appearance of anything. :p: I'm trying to plan this out as my big winter C4 project and get a rough idea of downtime (which I will of course quadrouple per the "Juliet" slowness factor.) :lol:
Thanks, ~Juliet
[Modified by Juliet, 1:10 AM 11/5/2002]
Pro
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 700
Likes: 20
From: Derby Kansas
Re: Valve Stem Seals (Juliet)
Yup, sounds like valve seals. Mine was so bad at 150K I'd look around to make sure no one was nearby when I started it.....it was embarassing.
You don't need to pull the runners, just the valve covers, so there's no excuse to do any porting of the intake, runners or plenum. You've got to go out of your way for that :) .
If I had it to do again, I would have replaced my valve valve springs with a fresh set. With high mileage and relative cheapness of replacement springs...why not?
You don't need to pull the runners, just the valve covers, so there's no excuse to do any porting of the intake, runners or plenum. You've got to go out of your way for that :) .
If I had it to do again, I would have replaced my valve valve springs with a fresh set. With high mileage and relative cheapness of replacement springs...why not?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 5,192
Likes: 1
From: Airport Cruise-in 1 Veteran Airport Cruise-in 2 Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Yup, sounds like valve seals. Mine was so bad at 150K I'd look around to make sure no one was nearby when I started it.....it was embarassing.
Juliet, porting sounds like a good idea. I would have done the heads on mine if I had more cash. Higher rocker ratio would be another hidden mod.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Re: Valve Stem Seals (Juliet)
depending, you may want to consider a set of roller rockers, too.
hardened push rods, good springs and titanium retainers :D
you will pick up a ton of performance for minimal expence... and since its under the valve cover, NCRS won't need to know... :)
hardened push rods, good springs and titanium retainers :D
you will pick up a ton of performance for minimal expence... and since its under the valve cover, NCRS won't need to know... :)
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 4
From: Maryland
Re: Valve Stem Seals (bogus)
Embarassing is the truth. I found myself explaining to some people once how it had 125k miles on it after I fumigated them. :lol: This was at a corvette show. :eek: Fortunately their reply was NO way, it doesn't look like it's got that many miles. :yesnod: Yuppers, and still the factory paint and interior even. :) Sounds like it might be easier than I thought if all I need to do is pull the valve covers. :cool: I'll get those repainted at that time then. :smash: Thanks for the feedback. ~Juliet
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 83,383
Likes: 87
From: Boston, MA
Juliet, sounds like you got it diagnosed right. :yesnod: (btw: Your injectors are still snoozing in their little box in my room in the heat. Hope you aren't mad yet, been kinda occupied lately :sad: )
[Modified by scorp508, 10:39 AM 11/5/2002]
[Modified by scorp508, 10:39 AM 11/5/2002]
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 4
From: Maryland
Re: Valve Stem Seals (bogus)
and since its under the valve cover, NCRS won't need to know... :)
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 787
Likes: 0
Re: Valve Stem Seals (Juliet)
I think it is an inherent problem of the SBC.
My LT1 has a little smoke with 75K.
My LG4 Z28 with 236K miles smokes a lot at start up. It has loud redneck glass pipes, so I think the smokes adds to its charm :lol:
My LT1 has a little smoke with 75K.
My LG4 Z28 with 236K miles smokes a lot at start up. It has loud redneck glass pipes, so I think the smokes adds to its charm :lol:
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 4
From: Maryland
Re: (scorp508)
Hope you aren't mad yet, been kinda occupied lately :sad: )
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 5,192
Likes: 1
From: Airport Cruise-in 1 Veteran Airport Cruise-in 2 Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Valve Stem Seals (Juliet)
Are they visible if you take off the oil fill cap and peer in with a flashlight? Or can I get the non-neon anodized stick out like a sore thumb kinds? :lol:
If that's the case...yes, you can get uncolored ones..I have them with the HotCam kit...yes they will get noticed if you take the oil fill cap off. That goes for any not stock looking rocker.:( Maybe others know of one that looks similar enough to go un-noticed.
[Modified by War Machine, 9:49 AM 11/5/2002]
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 88
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From: Springfield MAss
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,805
Likes: 36
From: Annapolis MD
Re: (Juliet)
It'll be after Thanksgiving before Greg's got his engine in the C2 and I can get one of my vettes back in the garage anyways. :rolleyes: ~Juliet
- Ol what's his name
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 4
From: Maryland
Re: (GregP)
...have a set of nice 235cc fully ported SBC heads in the garage that will be excessed in a few weeks that I can sell you, even come with their own nice shiney chrome valve covers :lol:
Greg, you might check with Scorp... he could be in need of some engine parts. :eek:
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 200
Likes: 0
Re: (Juliet)
Fel-Pro makes a nice Viton seal- works like the intake seal, can punt the umbrella seals. I've had mine for about 20K miles now, and I'm assuming the Viton will wear forever, as it does in about every other application- I just like how it appears to have a more positive seal. Usually have to ask the parts counter twice for Viton seals- they're a blue color on the exhaust.
