Valve stem seals, without removing the cylinder head

[mike_of_bbg]

Awesome. I thought it would be do-able, but more difficult than you make it look. Another great arrow in the quiver...

Thanks muchly!

 

[tkent02]

I guess we can all learn a new trick every day. THanks for showing us how it's done.

 

[TheCafeKid]

Very cool. I only have one...gripe? I guess? But if the seals are long enough in the tooth to need replaced, wouldn't you want to check the rings and such too? I realize perhaps the point of this excerise was to save money on buyin gaskets, but it would be really heart breaking to do all of that work, then put it back together and have it still burning oil...as someone who's actually had that happen, I say this from experience...heh.

Nonetheless, a very nice job, and thanks for writing it up!

 

[tkent02]

A bike with 30 years of drying out hardened seals might have very low miles and nearly brand new rings. If it smokes but has good compression and no leaks it's a great candidate for this.

John, not counting thinking time and messing around with your tools, how long would this whole procedure take the second time?

 

[Guest]

Are you really sure you want to "attempt" this? Sounds like you need the help of a master, like Houdini. Short of that, it sounds like a desparation
attempt to save from the cost of purchasing a few gaskets. If you do this I wish you well, good luck. If it were me, I'd pull the head off.
Ropes in the cylinder, air to keep the valves up, you've got to be kidding me! I can visualize the anguish already.

You made a believer out of me! That is the most unique maintenace action I've seen. Well thought out and executed. Got any more tricks for us to see?

 

[john82q]

tkent02

not counting thinking time and messing around with your tools, how long would this whole procedure take the second time?

Maybe 2-3 hrs I guess, depends how well you know how to pull bits off your bike. (and put them back)


TheCafeKid

then put it back together and have it still burning oil...

I fully expect the bike to still burn oil, just not quite so much. so I wont be disapointed if it still does, having seen the seals I confident Ill reach my self imposed 50% reduction target. it wasnt that much work, infact a quite lot less than a rebuild.




sedelen

Got any more tricks for us to see?

By the power of ebay hocus pocus I can turn model train junk into a less than original Katana. (also junk)

 

[Guest]

I'm liking that last trick the best John...

 

[Buddy]

Well done. It took me a bit longer to do mine. I see some advantages you had over some of my techniques. The window in your pvc is larger than mine, and your ratchet strap and timber arrangment seem to have worked better than my pry bar. The best I could do was to hold te handle of the bar under my arm so I could use both hands on the retainers. Then the bar would slip off the pvc. I even had to stop once, about 12:30 or 1:00 am (yes at night) and convince a police officer that there was no way I was making enough noise to wake the neighbors.

Buddy

 

[john82q]

just update

just update

Update this a bit;

Since the job ive well and truly acheived a reduction in oil consumption,
maybe a like 60% less than it used to use.

But also a unexpected side affect. after a couple of bev races were rpm reach 8k or more, found evidence of blow by in the form of oil in the air box, never had that before. I guess it used to go down the valves, now it cant.

Dosnt happen normal riding, just shows it worn I suppose...I m still happy I did it.


john

 

[john82q]

Highway_Glider

Why is it OK to magnetise the keepers and the valve?

Really its not, for the same reason. But keepers and valves stem tips arnt exposed to rubbing fiction, like a shim is, so the negative effects would be reduced.

I dont like that tool in the video, as it involves hitting, also one slip and you might trash the bucket bore,or bend a valve.

Plus the whole point of this was to be cheap, spending $60 on tool, could be money put towards a head gasket.