Stripping C20XE

[Rory's Dad]

Evenin' all      

Well, after all the Christmas festivities, I managed to get a couple of hours down in the cellar stripping my spare engine.  The head still has the valve stem seals in place with the spring seats underneath.  The seats are loose and will rotate but I can't see how to get them out easily.  I have a shiny new set of stem seals and wonder if the best way forward is just try and yank the old ones out with a pair of pliers.

My question is what's holding them in - are they clipped in somehow??  My Haynes manual is no help.      

Thanks for your help in advance.

Rory's Dad

[Crash test dummy]

You can't remove the spring platforms without removing the stem seals. The old seals tend to go rock hard and are very difficult to remove. I made a pair of plier thingies specifically for the job but sometimes even these are not man enough.

When I get to that stage I take a sharpened screwdriver and a hammer and I split the outside band of the seal (have a close look at a new one to see what I mean) and then they will pull off easily with long nose pliers.

[perksy]

They're only pushed into place

Once everything is out of the way the valve stem oil seals should twist out with a pair of long nosed pliers

( Have a pair that have a slightly crooked end and have always used those )

If they've been on for awhile they may a bit reluctant to let go

[Rory's Dad]

Thanks chaps - I'll use some brawn instead of brain tomorrow      

Rory's Dad

[Rory's Dad]

I've now found this which also has pictures.

Rory's Dad

[Rory's Dad]

Got them all out using these.  None would be suitable for reuse!!

I'm thinking that the the guides are knackered - the valves have a small amount of sideways movement.  More seriously the bearings for the exhaust cam do not look good although the cam itself is fine.

Never mind this is an educational exercise!

Rory's Dad

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I really would recommend against inappropriate use of circlip pliers, slip with them and they're evil, in this instance you risk gouging a nice trench out of the (relatively) soft aluminium tappet bores, you've been fortunate you didn't slip. (last time I had a slippage with circlip pliers, yes, using them inappropriately, though at least on a circlip, I ended up spending an evening in the queue at the local casualty. The plier slipped, and the point when right through the base of my thumb till it found some bone to stop it)

I know we've all taken short cuts, but may be not such a good one to recommend?

Proper tool isn't that much dearer, and makes it much easier! Clicky

[stone119]

You can get the proper tool to remove them

[Rory's Dad]

You can get the proper tool to remove them

No need now      

I didn't use the pliers to clamp them - just got them underneath and pulled with a circular motion which eased them off.  Thanks for your concern Gadget  

I was expecting just to find just the spring platforms underneath but there was a stepped washer too.  That'll stiffen the springs I guess...

Rory's Dad

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Yeah, I think later XE's did have a sort of top hat shaped spring seat. IIRC that's what made them incompatible with twin race springs.

Unless of course they already are aftermarket seats with a raised section for locating an inner spring.  

Wasn't having a go before by the way, it's just that breads like these are often used as "how to's..." by others, months or even years down the line. Best not teaching bad habits  

[Rory's Dad]

Agreed    

Rory's Dad