i need to replace my valve seals, has anyone done this firsthand?? Options

[forkee]

k so i thought it was my turbo's fault the first time i was burning oil cuz when i took it off and ran stock, i didnt get any smoke. after getting the turbo rebuilt, it fixed the oil leak problem, but it was smoking again. turns out the added pressure is letting oil get past the seals onto the stems and burning out the back. and its really bad too. i added some "no smoke + stop leak" stuff, and it helps on the low end, but when i really punch it, i still get A LOT of smoke. i mean it clears the freeway about 50 feet behind me.

so my question is, has anyone replaced theirs or gotten it replaced?? i need to get this done asap because its really starting to bug me. plus its deterring me from boosting because i can never go full throttle. if anyone has had this done, how much did it cost for either DIY or for a mechanic to do it, what parts will i need, and where can i find those parts.

thank you

[97GTinKC]

still sounds like the turbo may be leaking internally, check the intake on the engine side of the turbo for oil b4 tearing in to the head, its almost as bad a job on the 7a as it is on the 5s, but you want to check all other possibilities 1st. usually, valve stem seals allow more oil in on conditions of high vacuum, such as idling at a traffic light, I suppose you could have too much blow-by past the rings under boost and be pressurizing the crankcase to force oil past the seals, could need extra crankcase ventilation, or the boost could have already cooked your rings...
you are looking at pretty much doing all the steps to actually pulling the head except the head bolts, intake and exhaust manifolds, then trying to work on it in the car, might as well just pull the head and get the valves done too, let the machine shop do it all properly. (and while the head is off, drop the pan and replace the rings and rod bearings too)

[FallenHero]

why is there so much pressure under the valve cover? Why not just cap off the silicon hose from the intake to the valve cover and install a breather? wouldn't that fix the problem?

[playr158]

vavle seals and a breather are TWO Separate things dude....i need to replace my vavle seals too...while your at it might as well p&p the head and 3 angle vavle job IMO just go to a shop

[erics1one]

It could be excessive pressure on the turbos oil seals. What size lines are you running TO and FROM the turbo?

Since you've recently removed the turbo, I doubt there is something restricting the return feed, but you'll want to make sure that line is as free flowing and big as possible. The only thing removing the oil from your turbo is gravity, so if you pump a ton of oil into the turbo...and have it slowly draining out the other end, it'll leak past the turbo seals and out your exhaust.

knowing this...consider that oil leaking past brand new turbo seals isn't all too common...but possible.

Also could be your PCV system. You running a catch can? Or have a breather blocking off any vents?

This post has been edited by erics1one: Jan 14, 2005 - 4:44 PM

[forkee]

i never fully understood the whole reason behind the pcv catch can/breather/ whatever its called. ive seen one pic, and its not very closeup of what im supposed to do. can you explain it to me?

im bringing it into the shop on tuesday and want to see if i can fix whatever i can before than.

[erics1one]

I know our engines our different, but the application should be the same. The blue hose on top is the PCV Valve, the blue hose sticking out sideways is the Crankcase Vent. The blue silicon hose coming out the other end of the catch can runs to my turbo intake.

Your engine runs best when their is a slight vacuum at the crankcase at all times. Blocking off either of these with either a breather, or a cap, is bad news with a turbo application (not sure if its okay on NA) since the turbo creates more pressure by nature.

The catch can will 'catch' any fluid coming out of your PCV or crankcase, preventing it from entering your turbo. If your engine is in prime condition, and you have the proper PCV system, you shouldn't need a catch can. When thats not the case and you begin to get excessive blow-by, normally the moisture would recirculated back into your system (which isn't entire bad...but obviously annoying).



To be honest...I don't think you're problem is the PCV system. A 50 foot clearing of smoke is probably a larger problem. But if it only occurs when you punch it (ie. boosting max) then its probably turbo related. Could be too much pressure into the turbo and not enough clearance on the way out (ie get smaller feed, and larger return line).

If you "punched it" when it was NA, and you didn't get any smoke. Then its gotta be the turbo.

This post has been edited by erics1one: Jan 14, 2005 - 5:47 PM

[playr158]

ok forkee go to advanced auto trash go to the rice section aka the neons and such look for a lil filter it will say breather

no go into your engine back and disconnect the line between your vavle cover and intake manifold

put the breather on the vavle cover side and cap off the intake vavle side with a rubber cover

[playr158]

eric your pic won't help you don't have 7afe he needs that cause your engine is just confusing

[erics1one]

I know...as I said "our engines are different."

But the application should be the same, he shouldn't install a breather, since he has a turbo.

Why would you want the crankcase vent to not have a vacuum source on a turbo application?

I'm not sure how different the PCV system is between the 7afe and the 5sfe, but this has helped me.

This post has been edited by erics1one: Jan 14, 2005 - 5:50 PM

[playr158]

yea i get a catch tank is a better idea but i'm just tellin him the other way from what you said personally i don't think it would hurt him

[forkee]

i never had any smoke while N/A. and it doesn't smoke if i drive normally and not accelerate quickly. but as soon as i get positive psi on the boost gauge, i get smoke out the back.

the oil return is definately bigger than the feed line. if i hook up the crankcase pcv hole to a catch can, then to the intake before the turbo, will it have any vacuum at all since the intake is to the open atmosphere??

and i still cap off the intake manifold side where the pcv hose went to, correct??

[erics1one]

Well most kits out there are -4 feed line and -10 return line. Some suggest going as small as -3 and -12. So if you custom made your kit and fitted your own hoses, I'd definitly check those sizes.

Going from PCV to turbo intake will provide a decent vacuum, obviously it will be strongest vac when you are boosting, but won't present a problem otherwise. If you wanted to ensure max vac when not boosting, I guess you could also split the PCV line into both the intake (where it is now) and the turbo intake, but not sure if thats necessary.

If you wanted to just run the PCV to turbo intake, then yes...cap off the intake mani nipple.

Again, your PCV system and blow-by should not create a 50 foot clearance of smoke. What will cause that is a bad turbo. If you rebuilt your turbo a while ago, and this smoking problem has slowly started up again, then excessive pressure from the PCV system could have already deteriorated the seals. But its not something that'll happen overnight.

So I'd check your oil lines.

This post has been edited by erics1one: Jan 14, 2005 - 6:16 PM

[forkee]

ok, thanks for all ur help! ill try tomorrow. the smoke is only really bad if i continue to push it hard accelerating. when i get on the freeway i get a 2 second puff of smoke cuz of the aceleration, then the amount gets smaller till it disappears as i keep my speed constant.