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[tommycon]

hello all,
i will be getting my heads skimmed on my 3L V6 soon,
 I`m just wanting to hear views on valve stem seals and would they change them while the heads are off the car? The engine wasnt burning any oil and i`m in the view of if it isnt broke don`t fix it?

[tunnie]

The early 2.6 suffered from stem seal failures, but all other V6's never had any issues with them.

I'd say don't bother and leave the originals in 

[Jimbob]

Id go the other way....if the heads were off, I would do a full refurb.

That said, are you sure your heads need skimming?  Rare on V6, and can cause issues iirc.

[Nick W]

Id go the other way....if the heads were off, I would do a full refurb.

Me too, especially as all head gasket sets I've seen include  them.

[tunnie]

Id go the other way....if the heads were off, I would do a full refurb.

Me too, especially as all head gasket sets I've seen include  them.

Yeah but the ones in the kits are guaranteed to be cheap nasty ones

[Andy B]

If the heads are off, then, for the sake of £1-odd each, replace them. As above, I'd question the need to automatically skim the heads though.

[cem_devecioglu]

personally I would go for a full refurb..  and head skimming is risky on a v6 , if the heads are warped there are other solutions..

[tommycon]

i`m going to get them skimmed because the head gaskets have failed,well i`m convinced they have, the engine was stood for over 6 years , it turned over hand (wrench) but when i got the work on it this year it was seized, i managed to unseize it, the oil filter was full of water and so was the sump, changed the oil 3 times after i got it to fire up but i`m getting much too much sludge in the header tank,i put a brand new vauxhall oil cooler in it so i know thats not at fault, the engine sounds great and its a smooth ride but when the MOT station was trying to do the emissions test the car kept overheating. i`ve flushed the system half dozen times.
i`m taking the heads off this week and getting the local engine shop to pressure test them and just assumed they would need skimming as well.
as for the stem seals now would be the time to replace them , in two minds tho.
thanks for all the replies so far

[Jimbob]

hmmm, may or may not be knackered....

Id be looking at the rad 1st mind, that will be knackered and could sort the problem.

I wouldnt skim unless you have to, even then I'd be tempted for 2nd hand heads rather than skim.  shouldnt need doing.

[tommycon]

hmmm, may or may not be knackered....

Id be looking at the rad 1st mind, that will be knackered and could sort the problem.

I wouldnt skim unless you have to, even then I'd be tempted for 2nd hand heads rather than skim.  shouldnt need doing.

rad is fine, its overheating because of the sludge, the fans kick in fine, before it took it for MOT i had it ticking over for nearly a hour and it was ok, 5 mile drive over was ok it just when he had it reving for the test the prob came, i`m hoping when i take the heads the shop will advise me on the skimming

[RobG]

hmmm, may or may not be knackered....

Id be looking at the rad 1st mind, that will be knackered and could sort the problem.

I wouldnt skim unless you have to, even then I'd be tempted for 2nd hand heads rather than skim.  shouldnt need doing.

rad is fine, its overheating because of the sludge, the fans kick in fine, before it took it for MOT i had it ticking over for nearly a hour and it was ok, 5 mile drive over was ok it just when he had it reving for the test the prob came, i`m hoping when i take the heads the shop will advise me on the skimming

If "sludge" is in the header tank/coolant bottle the engine hasn`t been flushed enough. HG failure shouldn`t cause sludge there

[albitz]

You will be surprised how many times the cooling system willl need to be flushed after major oil cooler failure.

[tommycon]

the engine and rad were flushed loads, i took the rad off twice and flushed it, i`ve ran the engine with hosepipe in header bottle flowing for half hour, i used dish washer tablets to try and clear the sludge out of the hoses,i`ve no signs of water in the oil,
theres nothing i`d like more than it not to be the heads or gaskets.
can someone advise me anymore tests i can do before i take the heads off?
great replies again

[RobG]

If you`re still getting sludge in the coolant bottle it`s either more flushing or the replacement oil cooler is failing, and just because the rad has been subject to some flushings doesn`t necessarily mean it hasn`t still got a blockage

[tommycon]

If you`re still getting sludge in the coolant bottle it`s either more flushing or the replacement oil cooler is failing, and just because the rad has been subject to some flushings doesn`t necessarily mean it hasn`t still got a blockage

i`ll give it some more flushing, the oil cooler was brand new part from vauxhall and i was lead to believe they are now stainless steel to stop the corrosion, my reason behind the head gasket failure is the fact the engine seized because it was stood for so long and the water that had collected internaly.
would a compression test piont me in the right dirrection?