BB valve guide concerns

[Spoof]

You may have noticed from other threads New1, Southpa and myself installed new valve seals on his New1's 402.
Damned if it's not smoking worse than ever.
From what we can gather umbrella seals will ride up the valve stem, this is normal. Some have disputed this and the originals which were in fairly good shape seemed to stay seated. The new ones are all over the place.
I noticed some play in the valves in the guides, a slight wiggle. Is it time to haul the heads to a machine shop?
New1 is searching the rebuild receipts for any info on valve work etc.
Were already two cases of beer into this job and could use some advice.

[Denny]

If you can wiggle those valves the guides are worn out. i would have a machine shop check them out. Good luck.

[jamis]

Umbrella seals without the metal retainer clip will ride up an down the valve. There are seals that wont like the crane teflon ones but the last time I used those you have to machine the valve guide to fit.

You might have a problem some where else. usally bad valve seals only smoke when you first start the engine or if you oil drain holes in the corner of the heads are clogged.

You might have
1. worn rings
2. worn valve guides
3. Intake manifold gasket sucking oil


Tell us a little more about when it smokes, idle, under load, high rpms, etc.
Do you have blowby

Does it still smoke if you leave the valve covers off or unplug pcv.

Do you have and automatic trans. with a vacuum modulater?
Check to see if its not that thats blown and your burning trans oil.

[RAT-AT-TACH]

before we opend it it would start and idle with no or very little smoke,driving around it would smoke a little bit(drivers side only) but if i punched it or gave the peddel a quick kick it would smoke like a pig.now it smokes even worse
the trannys a turbo 400 .
drain holes in seem clear.

[Chevy67Tk]

Umbrella seals will ride up on the valve stems hence the name they act like umbrellas to keep the oil from raining down the side of the stem. If you can easily feel the valve wobble in the guide it is time to get them replaced before more damage is done to an area like valve seats. As the others said they do make a positive valve seal but my personal feeling with them is on older guides you need a little oil to get in there for lube. I believe the newer guides are made of a different material.

[Spoof]

The play idicates worn valve guides. The pro stock rebuild info indicates new guides about 10,000 miles ago, along with new valves and bowl work.
There is no pcv.
We just re-installed the intake manifold and it appears to be holding fine but could use futher testing.
The smoking was not outrageous pre-seals just a little excessive, seals seemed the likely culprit.
I will have to check the manual for a valve guide tolerances or a test.
A compression test last year indicated compression well within expectations.
I'm thinking it must be the guides but WTF, gone after 10k?

Thanks for quick advice, it's appreciated.

[Southpa]

Is there a difference between bb valve seals and sb valve seals? I remember when we pulled the old seals that their holes were much bigger than the new ones. We attributed that to wear from the valve stems running up and down. I don't believe the seals are supposed to move once installed. That sort of defeats the whole purpose of preventing oil from draining into the cylinders.

When I did my valve seals a few years back, 350 SB, I adjusted the valves w/ the engine running and all the seals stayed in place. Maybe there is a bigger size hole available?

Anyway Zane, I just talked to Shane (Spoof) and let him I know found my spring compressor. You are welcome to use it anytime, at least you won't have to unbolt the carb, . And next time I won't show up with a pitman arm puller. (what a marooon) instead of a spring compressor. I honestly forgot what it looked like.

[Spoof]

Just so long as you didn't forget the smoked salmon!