Valve Stem Seals, or maybe throw in the towel

[KiwiAlfa156]

Lube is the best way to prevent seal lip damage. The valve stem end is beveled and collet retaining grooves are smooth and not sharp enough to damage the seal unless the seal is old, cold and hard. Best lube to use is molybdenum engine assembly grease. Factory manual says to use it. Assembly lube liquifies on start up and moly has strong anti-seize properties on metal on metal contact which is what you want until engine oil can reach where its needed. Stem seals wipe the valve stem but just enough oil is left on the stem to lubricate it. Just be gentle pushing the stem through the seal.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Thank you, gentlemen. Seals ordered.

[Grimly]

Remove the spring from the seal, oil the valve stem (GS valves do not have threads like in the movie shown earlier)
and push the valve through the seal.
No way that can cause damage to the lip.

Utterly wrong - it's very easy to damage the lip that way and you won't know it until you've put it all back together and on the road.

[Grimly]

The valve stem end is beveled and collet retaining grooves are smooth and not sharp enough to damage the seal

Another piece of wrong-headed advice.

[KiwiAlfa156]

Another piece of wrong-headed advice.

Were you traumatized by an unfortunate stem seal incident? Asking for a friend.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

All parts ordered, should be here before Xmas. I have vacation scheduled the whole last week of December. So with any luck I’ll be going for a New Years Day ride on a re-re-built GS. We’ll see how it goes. I may be able to get the valves back in the head this week.

I hate scraping gaskets, but at the same time find it very satisfying work. Complete focus on getting it all, and on not gouging the mating surface. Of course, after I took this picture, I dropped the razor blade down the cam chain tunnel. That really got me sweating til I eventually retrieved it with a small needle-nose pliers. I had a rag in the piston hole. No idea why I didn’t put one in the tunnel. But, with that, all parts are at least clean and ready for rebuild.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

8 down- 8 to go. That went better than I had any right to think that it might.

[Rob S.]

Good, because I checked: throwing towels is against forum rules.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Rob, with all the help here, l know I can do this.

All valves are back in place and I’m waiting on about $250 worth of gaskets, rings, and other bits to arrive to complete the rebuild.

[Cipher]

All parts ordered, should be here before Xmas. I have vacation scheduled the whole last week of December. So with any luck I’ll be going for a New Years Day ride on a re-re-built GS. We’ll see how it goes. I may be able to get the valves back in the head this week.

I hate scraping gaskets, but at the same time find it very satisfying work. Complete focus on getting it all, and on not gouging the mating surface. Of course, after I took this picture, I dropped the razor blade down the cam chain tunnel. That really got me sweating til I eventually retrieved it with a small needle-nose pliers. I had a rag in the piston hole. No idea why I didn’t put one in the tunnel. But, with that, all parts are at least clean and ready for rebuild.

Hey is that a towel we see.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

No Cipher. That is definitely a rag.
No towels thrown in, yet.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

So, I got this fiber/paper base gasket from eBay. It was packaged folded in half and the envelope bent in half longways. Out of the package, no creases or tears. But not sure if I should go ahead and use it, probably not worth the trouble to send back for $15 I spent? I did not leave a positive feedback.


or order this one?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294802954527?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=6-YLDnaeQ4a&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=EK7fcRW9Q5y&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[Baatfam]

So, I got this fiber/paper base gasket from eBay. It was packaged folded in half and the envelope bent in half longways. Out of the package, no creases or tears. But not sure if I should go ahead and use it, probably not worth the trouble to send back for $15 I spent? I did not leave a positive feedback.


or order this one?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/294802954527?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=6-YLDnaeQ4a&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=EK7fcRW9Q5y&var=&wid get_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I wouldn't be comfortable with the folded base gasket. Too much to redo if it doesn't work.
If it was my choice, I'd go with the OEM eBay one. (Only one left!)

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Thanks Bob,
Re-reading what I wrote. this is the only logical answer. Ordered.

[rphillips]

May be OK for some other gasket, but I wouldn't use it either. Just waaay too much to do if need to re-do it.