Tricks for removing valve guide seals??

[2002Targa]

These seals are shot, totally rotted on most of them. This is one of the better ones. Is there a trick to getting them off? or just pry them up with a bigass screwdriver??

Also, are these old seals or the new type??

TK

[JohnN]

(nt)

[2002Targa]

Vice grips did it, thanks...

[AlanM]

These are the old type seals, the new type uses a teflon product for the seal, the old like yours are neoprene.

[hpsenicka]

Is there any trick or procedure that would allow the valve seals to be removed and replaced without removing the head from the engine?

[2002Targa]

I read a post in the archives that said you could, but after just taking my head apart, I just cannot see how it could be done. If you could find a way to compress the spring, as soon as you took it off, the valve would slide down into the head.

[scottt]

Legend has it that you could remove the sparkplug of one cylinder, turn it to the bottom of the stroke and feed a bunch of thin nylon cord into the chamber. Then turn the engine ( by hand ) till the piston is at TDC, this theoretically would keep the valves in place while you use a special valve spring compressor to compress the springs and remove them. I can't see the point, It only takes 1 - 2 hours to pull the head. I think you'd waste at least that much time trying to push a rope uphill.

Oh, those are the old style seals, the newer ones are smaller in diameter ( OD )

[Mike Self]

valves are closed with the piston close to TDC, then use an adapter made from an old spark plug to feed compressed air into the cylinder. The compressed air will hold the valve in place while you remove the spring and change the seal...

I have a factory tool at home for my Renault that screws into the spark plug hole and has a little finger that is positioned against the valve to hold it in place. Don't think it would work on the '02 due to valve vs spark plug positioning...

mike