Valve stem seals

  1. My model of MX-5 is: mk3 NC
  2. I’m based near: _Derby
  3. I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: _valve stem seals

Has anyone done this in situ ?
Also is the 1.8 engine the same as the Ford Duratec ?
Thanks
Terry

Hi Terry,

I had the Cylinder Head off my Mk1 in July and did a full refurb of it and purchased the updated Valve Stem Oil Seals that Autolink do, that perform better than the standard seals that are usually in the cylinder head gasket set and Autolink fit to their racing/competition MX5’s.

https://autolink.co.uk/

Do we know why the poster needs new valve seals? If his car is burning oil, and it’s a 1.8 which is the favourite for this problem then valve stem oil seals may not be the cause and not solve the problem.

Is the correct answer.

2nd that, far more likely to be oil scraper rings.
Has anyone actually cured oil burning with valve stem seals; this is a genuine question.

Yes on a very old and little used Chevy V8 small block. They seem to have a habit of hardening then falling to pieces. They were really just o rings on the valve stems with a minimal retainer and the exhaust valves in particular got very warm. Replacing was a quick job as provided you could keep the valves shut using air pressure through the spark plug hole or a piece of rope then with a simple tool it was possible to compress the valve springs remove retainers and replace the seals. I have seen an engine done in a couple of hours.

As also with the original Minis in my 1960s-70s utterly-skint motoring days.
Sometimes the new O-rings only lasted a couple of weeks after a head rebuild!

A bit of suitably shaped wood in the plug-hole supported by the piston to stop the valve in question from dropping, dead easy.
It saved having to buy a new head gasket kit with probably pre-perished O-rings again.

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