VALVE STEM SEALS – FAILURE SYMPTOMS UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS

Sep 16
17:18

2021

Nancy Whitman

Nancy Whitman

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Either as an individual or as a group, having a car in good condition is one of the ways to improve your mobility. With a vehicle, you can be in multiple places every day and attend to different needs.

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Either as an individual or as a group,VALVE STEM SEALS – FAILURE SYMPTOMS UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS Articles having a car in good condition is one of the ways to improve your mobility. With a vehicle, you can be in multiple places every day and attend to different needs. Having a car of your own can be a bit easy. Still, the biggest challenge of having an automobile lies in maintaining and keeping it in good condition. Since vehicles have different parts, it will be necessary for you to understand each of the make-ups to know how to respond in case any part develops faults. 

One area you should be mindful of in your vehicle is the valve system seal. These seals play a crucial role in controlling lubrication as the valve stem moves up and down the guide. In this write-up, you will be learning tips on what valve stem seals represent and immediately identifying faults at an early stage under different conditions. Below are some of the precautions you should take as regards your vehicle valve stem seals.

Types of valve stem seals

Valve stem seals come in two different types, namely defector seal, which is also known as umbrella seals, and positive seals. The defector seals work hand-in-hand with the valve stem, ensuring the lubricant that gets into the valve guide does not exceed the needed amount. Positive seals, on the other hand, help in controlling oil consumption and hydrocarbon emissions. With this feature properly in place, only a slip of oil passes through to lubricate the valve guide.

Valve system failure under different conditions:

You will notice some changes when the valve guide begins to wear due to age or excessive oil presence in the oil valve guide. Below is a list of unique symptoms you should be on the lookout for on valve system failure.

 

  • Excessive smoke

 

When the valve seal condition has become damaged, the blue-white exhaust colors will take a different look after acceleration and engine start-up. At the same time, the smoke generated by the exhaust tends to disappear after the engine has worked for a while or under a hot weather condition.

 

 

  • Excessive oil consumption

 

Under normal circumstances, if the vehicle engine, rings, and valve guides are in good condition, there is little to no loss of oil. But the reverse is the case if the valves become bad. At this point, vehicle oil consumption becomes excessive. 

 

  • Lack of acceleration power

When you notice your vehicle acceleration power seems to be dropping, that might be a clear indicator of a bad valve seal. However, this submission is not conclusive. You can carry out a compression test to validate whether the fault is from your valve seal or other parts. If the compression level is high, it indicates a valve problem. But if otherwise, it will mean a ring problem.

Conclusion 

Valve systems play a crucial role in maintaining a vehicle lubrication level as well as oil consumption level. To keep your vehicle in good condition, you must not overlook any slight fault at the inception stage, particularly in the valve stem system. Thankfully, this article has discussed some essential information you should know to help you manage your valve stem system and vehicle lubrication processes better.