bad valve seals or piston rings?

[feedmemustangs]

I have a 2.4l 4g64 spyder 2g. It hesitates and backfires a lot. There is no smoke coming out the exhaust. All of my spark plugs are drenched in oil. Without doing a compression test is there a way to find out if its just my valves or the rings?

Also, I'm going to be purchasing a rebuilt head and was wondering if anyone knows if I can use the (99-04)galant 4g64 head on mine.

 

[Dewayne Waldron]

It could just be the seals for your spark plug chambers. Mine done used to do that. Your probably spitting and sputtering because the plugs keep getting saturated.

 

[FLASH1970]

Yes, there is a way. Take off your valve cover and replace your spark plug seals and valve seals. Start it up and see if it still back fires. A compression test wouldn't tell you where the oil is coming from anyway.

 

[haswesley]

I disagree with Flash1970. Changing your valve seals isn't as easy as taking your valve cover off. You will have to pull the head off, cams off and change each valve seal one by one. I've done it a few times and it takes a while. Since its your spark plugs that are covered in oil, it sounds like valve seals, not piston rings. Do you have excessive blow by (air building under the valve cover)? If so, its your rings.

 

[KaLo_o]

yeah i agree, and you dont need to buy a new valve cover gasket to just check, just throw some RTV on all 4 rings and put them back on...wait about 1 hour to dry and fire it up. dont forget to clean all your spark plug before and the inside of your wires. and make sure everything is dry

 

[feedmemustangs]

Someone told me that replacing the seals is something a machine shop has to do. What it just be easier for me to buy a rebuilt head?

 

[delta448]

No. The reason is that you'll spend a lot more to buy a complete head or have someone else do the job for you and you still won't know the seals are good or the job was done right.

Valvespring compressors

 

[feedmemustangs]

Well if I pull the head, How much will it cost to do it myself? are there any special tools I would need to replace the seals? What all do I need to buy besides seals, gaskets, and getting the head decked?

 

[costas14]

uh they are saying to change the valve cover seals on the spark plug areas first not the actual valve seals.

 

[feedmemustangs]

Hopefully it is just that. What are the actual chances of all 4 of them being bad though? Or would one bad one drench oil on all 4 spark plugs.

 

[frankenstein406]

spark plugs can arc with the oil in there. causing the miss ect. mine 4g63 had all bad but a felpro gasket was cheap.

 

[FLASH1970]

I disagree with Flash1970. Changing your valve seals isn't as easy as taking your valve cover off. You will have to pull the head off, cams off and change each valve seal one by one. I've done it a few times and it takes a while. Since its your spark plugs that are covered in oil, it sounds like valve seals, not piston rings. Do you have excessive blow by (air building under the valve cover)? If so, its your rings.

I should have gone into a little more detail. I have done valve seals without taking the cams out or taking the head off and the engine was in the car. This was with dual Supertech springs too. Ugh. You do have to take the valve cover off and take the rocker arms off. You might have to loosen up your cam caps a little to get some play between the cams and rocker arms to get those out. I don't think I had to though. You also need to get a valve spring compressor setup to take the springs off. I just took out the spark plugs, brought the pistons to just before TDC and put rope down the hole until I couldn't shove any more in. Then I brought the piston to TDC and put a wrench on the crankshaft bolt by the crankshaft pulley to keep the crank from spinning. The rope is put in there to keep the valve in place. Then I compressed the valve springs and took those out. Once they were out I replaced the valve seals.

 

[Colt4G63 also]

Flash is right. I've replaced valve seals without pulling the head dozens of times. Stuff is always easier when you know what you're doing.

 

[the_mork]

I'm bringing this thread back for a question. When removing your valve springs did you need to pull the timing belt? It probably doesn't matter that much for me because I need to replace my water pump anyways but I was just curious.

 

[dsmbooster]

A quick leak down test will check out those piston rings. Its easy to do and you can use the tool to help hold the valves in place to change your valve seals, if needed?

 

[jazzfoxx123]

No need to buy an valve spring compressor i use a big c-clamp put cloth on the bottom for the vavles. Then i got a 3/4 socket and cut an edge off it with a die grinder that way you can take off the vavle keepers and tighten the c clamp just enough to be able to grab the vavle keepers with a pair of pliers and loosen it slowly.