Valve guide seal Material/ type ?

SS/GN

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2005
I have a set of heads that have been machined for 530 guide and looking for a recommendation on seal material. Seems to be more choices than ever.
Thanks in advance
 
Earl
Do they make a rubber seal for the machined down guide?? I see the rubber for the stock intake guide and of course none for the exh.
 
Earl
Do they make a rubber seal for the machined down guide?? I see the rubber for the stock intake guide and of course none for the exh.

Yep. When you machine the exhaust guides down they get machined for a seal.


After that, it'll take two sets to do an engine instead of one.
 
if you think about it, orig was just rubber, now days viton, teflon, PTE rubber, synthetic, and metal/ teflon,

so many choices, but, most are running their cars alot harder than we used to, so heat is a factor,
along with HD oil pumps (more oil up top)
I use a teflon/metal, but thats just personal choice,
BUT....... what ever you choose .. IT MUST CLEAR THE VALVE RETAINER, AT FULL OPEN,
most need to have the guides cut, both OD, and shorter.
 
I have a couple sets of heads, the most recent have the PTFE and the other set was the Viton metal style. I think I am going to go with the PTFE on the older heads just to keep them the same and have a spare set on the shelf. I looked at the Howards also but it looks like they are being discontinued. BTW the guides were all machined down and now fit the .530 seal. Thanks for the input guys.
 
Viton or teflon gets my vote. With todays gas having ethanol and/or our cars having E85 or methanol inj the oil picks up these by products and take some time and see for yourselves the chemical compayibility charts of Ethanol, Methanol, etc to Buna/Rubber vs Viton or Teflon. Why risk the seals swelling/failing due to that.
 
Ethanol has been in the fuel since the 70's. Long before every one of cars were built.
 
Top