On my Healey 3000, I have seals only on the intakes. My machinist also "rifled"
or grooved my guides to provide extra lubrication for the valve stems. Ciao,
Marty
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From: MalcolmCox
Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2000 12:35 PM
To: vintage-race@autox.team.net
Subject: Valve Stem Seals
I have a question(s) about valve stem seals.
My MGA came with teflon seals installed on all 8 valve guides. That head
sadly now rests in piece(s), so building up a new head is the order of the
day.
I had never seen an engine before with stem seals, not having rebuilt an
engine since 1965!
1) So why are valve stem seals a good thing, don't the valve guides need
SOME lubrication?
2) It has been suggested that they should be fitted only to the inlets,
since they prevent oil from getting sucked down the stem into the inlet
port, thereby reducing the effective octane value.
3) At 11:1 and 110 octane race gas, do I care?
Malcolm Cox, headless in Napa
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