Hi All,
Just doing a quick check-in and update on the valve stem seals. The viton seals Alex's Parts came in middle around Thursday. They look quite similar to the Fel-pro blue positive stop seals but had a smaller inner diameter
(approximately 0.314" vs 0.334). All the new seals can be seen below for comparison.
I first tackled the seals on cylinder #2. I used some scotch tape on the valve stems to protect the seals. Its a bit tricky to make that work because of the oil on seals. But I quickly discovered that, due to the tight inner diameter of the viton seals, the scotch tape was getting stick inside the seal and almost impossible to remove by hand. A gently pull with pliers did the trick.
After I installed the exhaust seal, I tried to install the intake seal but it was the diameter seemed to small for the guide boss. So I moved on to cylinder #4 to see if I would have the same problem and I did. The scotch tape would get stuck inside the seal and it wouldn't seat all the way. So I decided to take a gamble and try the blue Fel-pro seal and, surprisingly, it was even worse. Having already used a seal from the Fel-pro box, I went ahead used the included installation sleeve and it worked like magic. The seals fit flawlessly. I'm gonna have to contact Alex's Parts and recommend they include the installation sleeve with the set.
So, only two cylinders got done. Will get the rest finished this coming weekend.