Home
Calendar
Contact
Login
Register
Posted by: Evan.Miller
« on: October 16, 2019, 01:19:32 pm »Hi all,
I recently performed a successful surgery on The Blue Tornado ('93) replacing the water pump and valve stem seals. These videos from CarPassionChannel were extremely helpful in the process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et5aJnTE5w4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKHv5_d1a6I
How do you know if you need to freshen up those valve stem seals? One way is to coast down Missionary Ridge or Raccoon Mountain, stop at a stop sign, and then accelerate. If you see a massive plume of billowing blue smoke out the tail pipe, it's time. Other symptoms include smoke on a cold engine start and general unidentified oil loss.
I'll note a few things here that aren't in the videos:
1. You don't need a screwdriver to determine top-dead center. There's a metal nub on the crank pulley used for fitting the harmonic balancer. When the nub is at the top of the rotation, pistons 1 and 4 are at top-dead center, and pistons 2 and 3 are at bottom-dead center.
2. This tool from Lisle makes keeper removal and installation very straightforward:
https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-36050-Keeper-Remover-Installer/dp/B0012S61IO/
You'll want to use the smaller one in the set. During installation and removal, be sure to strike it with a hammer or mallet that is at least 3 pounds. I was using a 1-pound hammer at first and getting nowhere.
3. Be careful aligning the water pump mounting gasket! I let mine slip unnoticed and had to do it all over again.
4. If there's crud under your old valve stem seals, clean it out with a pick before putting on the new ones. Likely some nasty combo of ancient rubber and burnt oil!
5. These pliers are perfect for the valve-stem seal job:
https://www.amazon.com/BETOOLL-HW0107-Valve-Stem-Pliers/dp/B00QWY2RM2
Happy to answer any questions! This was the most challenging DIY job I've done so far, but's very doable once you understand all the moving parts and have the right tools.
Zoom zoom! No smoke!
I recently performed a successful surgery on The Blue Tornado ('93) replacing the water pump and valve stem seals. These videos from CarPassionChannel were extremely helpful in the process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et5aJnTE5w4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKHv5_d1a6I
How do you know if you need to freshen up those valve stem seals? One way is to coast down Missionary Ridge or Raccoon Mountain, stop at a stop sign, and then accelerate. If you see a massive plume of billowing blue smoke out the tail pipe, it's time. Other symptoms include smoke on a cold engine start and general unidentified oil loss.
I'll note a few things here that aren't in the videos:
1. You don't need a screwdriver to determine top-dead center. There's a metal nub on the crank pulley used for fitting the harmonic balancer. When the nub is at the top of the rotation, pistons 1 and 4 are at top-dead center, and pistons 2 and 3 are at bottom-dead center.
2. This tool from Lisle makes keeper removal and installation very straightforward:
https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-36050-Keeper-Remover-Installer/dp/B0012S61IO/
You'll want to use the smaller one in the set. During installation and removal, be sure to strike it with a hammer or mallet that is at least 3 pounds. I was using a 1-pound hammer at first and getting nowhere.
3. Be careful aligning the water pump mounting gasket! I let mine slip unnoticed and had to do it all over again.
4. If there's crud under your old valve stem seals, clean it out with a pick before putting on the new ones. Likely some nasty combo of ancient rubber and burnt oil!
5. These pliers are perfect for the valve-stem seal job:
https://www.amazon.com/BETOOLL-HW0107-Valve-Stem-Pliers/dp/B00QWY2RM2
Happy to answer any questions! This was the most challenging DIY job I've done so far, but's very doable once you understand all the moving parts and have the right tools.
Zoom zoom! No smoke!