Listers,
The recent question about valve seals is interesting since I have been tracking
the elusive teflon valve seal for my TR6 for several years after experiencing
the usual smoking etc. that resulted from the use of the auxilary oiler
(everything else is new). I spoke to a restoration guy on the east coast of
Florida the other day who swears by the ones installed on his cars by a local
machine shop. I called the machine shop owner and learned the following: The
machine shop uses all teflon seals that are manufactured by Pioneer Products.
These seals are small enough to work on valves that use double springs. He
said he mills about .015 off of the outside top of each valve guide to a
diameter of .415 (???) and then snaps the seal over the end of the guide. The
seal has a spring clip on the valve guide end to secure it to the guide and a
teflon wire wrapped end around the valve stem. He mills the ends of the valve
guides while they are installed in the head and otherwise the head is bare. I
am still trying to come up with a set of these seals since I now use rubber
ones that work pretty well so far but in which I have little long term
confidence (I use a single spring on each valve). The guy said he gets about
$50 for the milling and seals on a TR6. I hope to eventually come up with a
set of these seals for reference purposes and to use the next time I have an
occassion for removing the head though I may just send the head to him. I have
no personal knowledge of the machinist and have no financial interest in this
but his name is Harold at Harold's Engine Rebuilding in New Smyrna Beach, Fl.
telephone number 386-426-1416.
Mike Lunsford, 1970 TR6
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