78 oil smoke

[78 vetter]

Have 78 Pace Car,32K Miles, Mainly stock 350. Puffs smoke at start up. Believe need of valve seals. Please Recommend seals that I don't need to pull heads.

[aquaholic]

you dont need to pull the heads to install valve guide seals and i would also just stick with the stock seals from your local chevy dealer. i've never had a problem with them. also while your there i would grab a few of those cone shaped valve keepers. chances are your going to lose a couple while your replacing the seals. just make sure you pressurize each cylinder with air while your changing them so the valves dont drop down inside the cylinders.

[c4c5specialist]

HI there,
And the updated parts, be it a GM or aftermarket can use umbrella seals. These are more reliable than the standard orings.

Allthebest, c4c5

[ChuckG]

Paul,

Why do you recommend stock seals when the original stock seals only lasted 32k (mine made 45k)? Are the other replacements that bad? Say it ain't so!

[c4c5specialist]

HI there,
Because when the factory orings dry out and crack, they allow oil down the valve stem and into the engine.

Even GM knew there was a better way and came out with a revised umbrella seal which is much better in design.

Aftermarket or GM, they both are umbrellas and can be used without the issues of the oring breakage.

Allthebest, c4c5

[ChuckG]

Makes sense. Newest valve job is about 20k miles old. Hope I have the revised o-rings.

Any way to prevent such dry outs?

[c4c5specialist]

Hi there,
Please remember, an oring is just that, a ring of rubber that sits under the valve stem keepers and above the retainer, so its sandwiched inside.

The umbrella seals I speak of are a revision and are equipped in many different seal kits and are placed on the valve stem BELOW the retainer, so as the oil from the pushrods goes down the valve stem, hits the seal and acts as an umbrella and runs over the guide instead of being pulled down the valve stem and burned.

The picture of what they are is below. Photos are courtesy, valveseals.com

Allthebest, c4c5