Valve Seals
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 4,763
Likes: 1
From: Connectivette
Valve Seals
The seal on the left is for the intake valves. There is no mistaking it as it looks the same as the intake valve seal I removed with the band around it.
The exhaust seals are a different story mainly because I found no seals on the exhaust valves during tear down, so I'm not sure which one to use. The package I picked up form my local Chevy dealer came with two size(I.D. of rubber seal is different) of exhaust seals.
Both the black one and the white one are made of plastic.
The white one is snug around the valve stem yet not snug around the valve guide. Thus the white one moves up and down as the valve moves up and down.
The black ones' I.D. of the rubber part is larger than the white and is neither snug on the valve nor on the valve guide. However as I move the valve up and down the seal stays on the valve guide.
Any ideas as to which one I should be using? Are these what is referred to as umbrella seals?
The exhaust seals are a different story mainly because I found no seals on the exhaust valves during tear down, so I'm not sure which one to use. The package I picked up form my local Chevy dealer came with two size(I.D. of rubber seal is different) of exhaust seals.
Both the black one and the white one are made of plastic.
The white one is snug around the valve stem yet not snug around the valve guide. Thus the white one moves up and down as the valve moves up and down.
The black ones' I.D. of the rubber part is larger than the white and is neither snug on the valve nor on the valve guide. However as I move the valve up and down the seal stays on the valve guide.
Any ideas as to which one I should be using? Are these what is referred to as umbrella seals?
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 83,383
Likes: 87
From: Boston, MA
Re: Valve Seals (chucks88)
Chuck, I'm using what you have on the left there on all 16 of my valves with NO o-rings on the valve stems themselves. I had to machine the valve guides slightly for them, but it was a simple procedure done with a drill and arbor.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 670
Likes: 1
From: charlotte nc
Re: Valve Seals (scorp508)
I got my valve seals at NAPA. The Intake is different from the Exhaust, but both seals fit snugly on the valve and the guide and did not move with the valve. On the exhause package it said that slight machining of the guide may be necessary, but my heads didn't need it. Incidentally both valve seals were very similar which leads me to believe that one can use the Intakes for all 16 valves. BTW, I used the O- rings as well . I don't know if they are absolutely needed but it stopped my smoke and oil burning. :cheers:
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,246
Likes: 1
From: SouthBend IN
Re: Valve Seals (Sliding)
i bought mine from NAPA. i bought 16 of the intakes and used them. No machining was required. They worked great.
I didn't see how those white ones were any good either.
I didn't see how those white ones were any good either.