2.8 valve stem seal question

[johnc]

I am replacing the heads on my '84 2.8. The new gasket set came with just 6 stem seals, and a packet of "O" rings the size of the valve stem. My heads had stem seals for all 12 valves. Another gasket set had the same packet of 6 stem seals and "O" rings in it too. The gasket set is for 83-88 2.8's. The parts store gave me another package of stem seals and "O" rings to complete the set. I cannot figure out where the "O" rings are supposed to be used. Anyone know, or were both gasket sets just packaged wrong?

[bszopi]

RE: 2.8 valve stem seal question

O-rings are most likely for the injectors.

[johnc]

RE: 2.8 valve stem seal question

There was a mpfi 2.8?

[bszopi]

RE: 2.8 valve stem seal question

Yep.

[geoffinbc]

There are 12 O-rings that go on the top of the valve stem. You will see them when you remove the keepers. They go below the keepers.

[johnc]

Uh oh

[geoffinbc]

You didn't put the 12 little O-Rings in did you? Bad boy they need to be there, they are for oil control.

[johnc]

so that's what that "extra" groove in the valve is for? I checked another head today, and no O-rings in it either. Do they disentegrate with time? Might have to yank the springs off the heads. They are installed, but I have a compressor, or the string in the sparkplug hole is 'sposed to work too.

[johnc]

I just checked another head, and it has the O-rings, and just stem seals on the intake vavles. I have 6 heads, and just one was right. So I had close to an 84% chance of using the wrong head for a reference!

[geoffinbc]

All iron heads should have them. If not they discintigrated or someone left them out. No aluminum heads had htem.

[johnc]

With stem seals on all valves, do I still need them, or are they meant to keep oil in the keeper area? I am thinking the parts heads were done by volume builders on "autopilot"?

[geoffinbc]

Yes you should have them or else shit loads of oil will run down the stem and the seals cannot cope with it. You may burn oil or get oil in teh exhaust. Remember the intake is under vacuum so it will try and suck oil through the seal.

[johnc]

I have one cylinder done so far. Using the rope trick. I will have to come up with a better way to compress the springs. I am using a large washer on the the rocker stud and a front end tool called a "pickle fork" to lever the spring. It tends to slip off. NASA will have to tell me where one of the parts launched to.

[geoffinbc]

See if you can borrow a tool from a parts store

[johnc]

Parts store just had the regular spring compressor. They did have a tool for sale for 9 bucks. It was so simple that I just went home and made one. My materials were free, and when it falls into the black hole where all my other seldom used tools went, I won't be as pissed off.