Valve Stem Seal Replacement

[Greg C]

Hello Everyone!

I purchased my 1990 FJ1200 last October. I didn't get to do much riding before late April/May (Ohio winter is long). I had noticed that it smoked a bit at start up, but it didn't seem too bad. During a Memorial Day trip (we did 1200 or so miles) it started smoke quite a bit more at start up. My brother joked that we were Smokey and the Bandits (he and my father were riding Suzuki Bandits). The last four hundred miles of the trip were ridden in one day and at pretty high speeds (80-90mph consistently) and the FJ used more oil that I would have liked.

Long story short, the valve stem seals need replaced. I've ordered some from RPM (along with a valve cover gasket and the valve cover bolt grommets). My brother and I are going to change the seals without removing the head. He's done it on larger engines and is pretty confident we can do it on the FJ (I have a manual). I was wondering before we started on it if there is a thread that discusses this topic and if anyone has done the same? Any tips, warnings, etc?

Greg

[RPM - Robert]

Here ya go.

http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=11718.0

[movenon]

It can be done.  I have done it both ways.  BUT I recommend you think about removing the head.  Not that hard and you can check your valve seats clean up and light lap etc. .   Might take you one extra day of time and a head gasket and one o ring from memory.  IMO a lot easier to adjust the valves on the bench.  I am assuming you have a TQ wrench and service manual on hand.   Good choice on the RPM seals.

[oldktmdude]

   If it consumed a lot of oil, it's not just the valve seals. The rings are the other area that consumes oil. Compression numbers mean nothing when oil is being burned, it's the oil rings at fault. The FJ motors that I have pulled apart, as well as other FJ owners pulling their own apart, all have either or both, worn oil rings
or oil rings that have lost tension.
I hope your's can be fixed by just replacing valve seals but I very much doubt it.
   Good luck,regards, Pete.   

[ZOA NOM]

Smoke at startup is not likely rings. Valve seals for sure.

[ribbert]

Smoke at startup is not likely rings.

The stated oil consumption is however. Valve stem seals would not account for the oil it is using.

[CutterBill]

What Noel says...

Excessive oil consumption at freeway speeds is usually caused by worn oil control rings.  I'm sure the valve stem seals also need to be replaced, but they may not fix the problem.
Bill

[ZOA NOM]

Smoke at startup is not likely rings.

The stated oil consumption is however. Valve stem seals would not account for the oil it is using.

Agreed. I should have read the entire post.

[FJ Flyer]

Thought this was going to be a wheel/tire thread.....

[ZOA NOM]

Thought this was going to be a wheel/tire thread.....

Haha, good catch. Technically, the valves DO have stems...

[Greg C]

Thanks Everyone.  :Face palm: I guess the title of the post was a bit misleading. ; )

To clarify: it smokes terribly at start up. I mean a lot. It'll fill the garage to zero visibility levels. It used about a half quart of oil in 1300ish miles with 8 or so major morning smoke outs and quite a few other start ups (without huge smoke outs). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the valve seals slow it down, but considering my luck and the money pit this thing has become I wouldn't doubt I'll end up having the motor out of it before it's done.

[balky1]

Thanks Everyone.  :Face palm: I guess the title of the post was a bit misleading. ; )

To clarify: it smokes terribly at start up. I mean a lot. It'll fill the garage to zero visibility levels. It used about a half quart of oil in 1300ish miles with 8 or so major morning smoke outs and quite a few other start ups (without huge smoke outs). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the valve seals slow it down, but considering my luck and the money pit this thing has become I wouldn't doubt I'll end up having the motor out of it before it's done.

Don't get discouraged. It might seem as a money pit now, but if you do it right and fix it all you can have more than 100k happy kilometers.

[jscgdunn]

Try putting the bike on the centre stand instead of the side stand.  On the side stand that oil that is in the head at shut off pools to the left side and then leaks into cylinder 1.  Might fix the smoke outs.

[PaulG]

Don't get discouraged. It might seem as a money pit now, but if you do it right and fix it all you can have more than 100k happy kilometers.

If not more.    My '92 has never been opened up (as far as I know), outside of valve shim adjustment & new clutch, and I've owned it for 11yrs now. About 230,000km (~140k mi) and I go through 1L oil in approx 3-4,000km.(~2k mi).  For me that's still ok consumption for that much mileage.

Like Balky said, don't get discouraged.  What you're experiencing is probably abuse/negligence by PO's and not any inherent defect in the FJ.  Take the time to get it sorted right, and you may never have to open it again for a very long time.

Be warned though, once you open her up you may start thinking, "Hmmmm... a big bore kit would be a convenient mod about now..."   

[Greg C]

Don't get discouraged. It might seem as a money pit now, but if you do it right and fix it all you can have more than 100k happy kilometers.

If not more.    My '92 has never been opened up (as far as I know), outside of valve shim adjustment & new clutch, and I've owned it for 11yrs now. About 230,000km (~140k mi) and I go through 1L oil in approx 3-4,000km.(~2k mi).  For me that's still ok consumption for that much mileage.

Like Balky said, don't get discouraged.  What you're experiencing is probably abuse/negligence by PO's and not any inherent defect in the FJ.  Take the time to get it sorted right, and you may never have to open it again for a very long time.

Be warned though, once you open her up you may start thinking, "Hmmmm... a big bore kit would be a convenient mod about now..."   

"Be warned though, once you open her up you may start thinking, "Hmmmm... a big bore kit would be a convenient mod about now..."

That's what I'm worried about. ; )