Valve stem oil seals

[muzak]

First: the seals are the same for both E and I valves right? NAPA's inane website has this seal http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?A=SEPST2083_0194532292&An=599001+101983+50022+2022036 and a separate listing for the same part # called Exhaust Valve Stem Oil Seal which they have listed for my store.

Installation: does anyone have a suitable size seal installer to substitute for the platinum plated Mitsu special tool?

[muzak]

Alright I found the Ford Escort tool which is 5/16' and that is very close to the right D (the seal is about .5 mm larger). but the Ford seal is not as long. I also found a lesser robbery for the real tool: http://www.handsontools.com/OTC-Tools_bymfg_182-3-85.html . That site has a ton of the Mitsu special tools. The key with the valve seals is how far they seat, the Mitsu tool compresses against the spring seat so you don't over or under compress the seal. I could drill out the Ford tool deeper at 5/16 and that might work but it's a tossup, $30 vs. $75 for the real thing. That's a tool I might actually use more than a few times.

[mikewarme]

Blah blah blah......... Buy yourself the 2.3 diesel ford ranger tool kit on ebay. There are always a few there. These kits come with all the special tools for the 4d55 motor and even plastic plugs to plug off the fuel system when disassembling. I'll PM you the auction number. Comes with all the seal installers for the 4d55.

[muzak]

Yeah yeah yeah, usually you tell me this before dawn when I hit the order button. But here's what we now know, the intake and exhaust seals ARE different. And the NAPA website is a complete fuck up from the get go.

[mikewarme]

Zak I have built 10 4d55's they are not different

[muzak]

I looked at the Ranger Valves and they're different that's what made me say that. I trust you but there is a slight difference between the 2.6L Valve guides, perhaps negligible, .005". That's the closest specs I could find.

[mikewarme]

Mitsubishi parts books show same number for 2.3 and 2.6

[muzak]

I think what it is is that some of the seals can stretch and some are rigid. The Fel Pro gasket set I just ordered from rockauto.com can fit both the Ranger and the Mitsu engine. But according to NAPA the Ranger valves are bigger than the Mitsu. So clearly with the premium seals they can stretch to fit, all the more reason to go that way though. With NAPA it was the dollar generics for a set of intake and exhaust that looked like crap and who knows if they actually make them .005" different. Or I could have gone with the OEM quality but that was 1 rigid seal all the same size. Fel pro was the way to go and rockauto did beat the price by a bundle.

I did order the ebay kit and the real tool from Mitsu, will compare the 2 before sending any back, but if the rotunda tool is larger it should work.

[muzak]

Seals: the Fel Pro set does have a larger ID than the OEM seals. They may only be for a bored larger size valve, so it seems anyway. The Ford seal installer does fit the OEM seals just fine but not the Fel Pro set. Thanks to NAPA this is all very confusing, they only have the Fel Pro set listed for Ford 2.3 liter TD, with larger valves listed as well. But again I think that's an aftermarket larger valve and seal set.

Now onto the job: it's too risky for me with the head on. Even with a good compressor there's too much risk of breaking a seat and dropping the valve into the abyss. Taking the head off at this point is out of the question as well. So my mechanic says it's a 4 hr. min job, does that sound right to anyone?

[wrngwae]

why couldnt you just rotate the crank by hand while you do a cyl????? hell they all but touch while it is running??????? and whatever your shop rate is there x4,,,,,,,,,,sounds kinda high to me but it is your truck. you shouldnt even need air in the cyl....just my $0.02



just thinking too if you pull the cam,,,,,and find tdc on cyl 1 than cyl 1 and 4 will be all the way up do those cyl,,,,,than go 180 and do 2+3......less than an hour to do. pull valve cover remove the 12mm cam tower bolts,,,remove cam, get a 19mm ratchet rotate crank to tdc and give her hell....