anyone what price im looking to have these replaced on my 1995 wrx...also anyone knwo the cheapest place to buy uprated gaskets

 

well the stem seals should be no more than about a £10,the main cost is the labour unless your doing it yourself,engine out, heads off,you will need new headgaskets aswell,api is the best for these.

 

I bought valve seals to replace the ones in my heads when I built the engine and they were something like £80 for the complete set.. I didn;t use them in the end and at that price returned them to the dealer.

Simon

 

It's a very labour intensive job. If you are just getting a puff of smoke on startup I'd be tempted to leave them until a major rebuild. I dunno if it'a applicable on Impreza engines, but usually the seals get damaged because the valve guides are shot, in which case the new ones would only last 5 minutes.

 

My god, i thought id heard the last of stem seal problems when i stoped using vauxhall forums lol

 

not normal for them to go tbh.. the previous engine with 186,800miles on it was still okay on the valve stem seals.. what makes you think it is the problem Shane?

Simon

 

My thoughts exactly JGM.

David APi

 

if you dont want to take the heads off maybe you can use compressed air to keep the valves up while you change the stem seals. I did this years ago on a pinto engine out of my escort. Compressor with a spark plug screw in fitment, screw it in, make sure the compressor is running and bingo the valves are held up while you work. Worked a treat, I thought is was the dogs danglies thinking of that at the time lol

 

That may work on a ford ohc,But obviously wouldnt on a subaru due to the fact that its a boxer engine and you cannot gain access to the valve colletts to remove the valves with the head bolted to the block.

 

Simon, sorry for the slow reply..i forgot i made this thread, was just about to do another....anyway, bits of smoke on startup and on boost, when it went to scoobyclinic they said they might need changing

 

not sure if they are MY specific?

I have a spare set available.


Bob

 

Also the design and position of the heads means the steam seals are less susceptible to leakage compared to others.

 

i heard they can be done with the engine still in place, there is no way its coming out again anyway lol
has anyone had them changed? if so did you change any other bits while there and what did you pay

 

Good luck doing that! Especially the lowers ones

 

don't think it would be possible to hold the valves whilst you replaced the seal either???

Simon

 

IMHO there is no way this can be done with the engine in.

Mark.

 

oh poo poo...well if its gotta come out again suppsoe i better save more money and do some extra while its out, but think it will be a while before that happens!

 

Yes it can, don't be such a party pooper.

1/ take off the front suspension
2/ drill holes in the inner flitch panel from under front wing. Titanium drill
recommended for drilling chassis legs
3/ make a long tool similar to Subaru genuine ABC123 revision L
4/ take off valve covers
5/ take off front covers and cam belt
5/ saw off cam pulley bolts [ always tight ]
6/ remove cams and buckets
7/ make a spark plug adaptor to take an air line connector, connect airline
and apply pressure to the cylinder to keep valves in place
8/ apply tool abc123 L to valve retainers, lift out cotters and release
ABC123L
9/ remove valve stem seal & fit new.
10/ replace cotters, buying new ones in bulk beforehand is adviseable due
to high loss ratio.
11/ reverse procedures above to get back together again
12/ repeat for every valve, drilling holes wherever necessary.
13/ to prevent water ingress to the engine bay it is adviseable to weld up all
drilled holes - this is optional as water injection can be a bonus in some
engines

Subaru book time for this procedure is 1.45 hours, so no real problem in my opinion.



David APi

PS. of course if you unable to carry out the procedure above it may be an idea to take the engine out

 

David do i have to wear a cotton jumper and red plastic sandels while working on these hi tech procedure?

 

I wouldn't recommend sharing your feminine side on an open forum mate, it can become a point if discussion amongst the various undesirables that inhabit these places.

Perhaps a burqua ??

 

David,

I concede it's possible to do the job, but do you think 1.45 hours is realistic to do all this work ? And that's assuming the owner is happy to have multiple holes drilled, welded, and then re-painted

I think doing all this work for less than £100.00 inc' vat, is a bargain, and I'll have to book in for a cam belt service, and suspension swap, about £35.00 all in by my calculations


Mark.

 

Ask me who the major tuning specialist is who believed every word I wrote - go on ask me!

Nope can't do it - my lips are sealed.

David

 

This Must have been a dead givaway

 

You've obviously not seen David working then, I have, and the only shock was the time he'd do the work in


Mark.

 

Me ? working ? with my reputation ??

Anyway, I'm a blur when working, that's how I get so much done and stay slim.

David

 

still think it is unlikely to be stem seals..

 

Agreed

 

DAM, What else could it be?!!!!!

 

Are you running catch can? have you checked Crank/ oil breather pipes.

If is happenning on Boost could be blow by, which forces Oil vapours into the intake system.

And residue left in the pipes would cause it on start up.

 

yer i got a catch tank