Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: VXL V6 on 15 March 2013, 23:28:59

Title: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: VXL V6 on 15 March 2013, 23:28:59
Am I right in thinking this was only a problem on early 2.6's?

Y - 01?

Late 02 - 53's shouldn't have the issue?
Title: Re: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 16 March 2013, 02:03:28
As far as I know it was only 2001 models affected... but I'm only basing this on forum research, rather than hard facts..
Title: Re: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: scottambrose on 16 March 2013, 10:49:02
i have an 01 2.6 what should i be worried about?
Title: Re: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: polilara on 16 March 2013, 15:39:09
Me too, I have Y26SE 2001, guess we are talking about those rubber seals in valve stem ??? No problem in my engine after 180 000 km, only problem actually is back crank seal.
Title: Re: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: allen25 on 16 March 2013, 17:58:30
I had this issue on my X plate 2.6 V6, registered Feb 2001. It consumed serious amounts of oil at about 35,000 miles from memory, I was topping up every week. I eventually reached agreement with Vx that things were not as they should be and it was repaired under warranty. I have not suffered the same issue since and I still own the car (now with 107,000 on the clock). I have the 'repair sheet' in my files if anyone needs to know what components were replaced in the repair.
Title: Re: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: scottambrose on 18 March 2013, 10:01:34
mine uses a bit of oil. ive fixed the cam covers so its not that. and i cant see any leaks. is it an expensive job?
Title: Re: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: Andy B on 18 March 2013, 11:01:03
mine uses a bit of oil. ....... and i cant see any leaks. is it an expensive job?

Failed valve stem seals shows up as a puff of blue/grey exhaust on the very first start up of the day ..... oil from the valve/cam gear has run down passed the stem seals into the bores over night & then gets burnt off. The valve seals themselves will be cheap enough to buy (last lot I bought were for my Senator 12/13 yrs ago at about £1- each from the dealers), but the heads need to come off, so you'll need gaskets, head bolts etc etc. Worn/hardened valve stem seals are IMHO something you learn to live with until such time as the heads NEED to come off eg failed head gasket(s) and then do them as you're rebuilding it all.  :y
Title: Re: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: scottambrose on 18 March 2013, 12:10:29
well mines not bad, just a very small puff on first start up. ill live with it :y
Title: Re: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: Darth Loo-knee on 19 March 2013, 21:32:11
I have the same problem with mine Andy..which is also a 2001 2.6... I have all the parts to sort mine just no time  :'(
Title: Re: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: Andy H on 19 March 2013, 22:48:09
mine uses a bit of oil. ....... and i cant see any leaks. is it an expensive job?

Failed valve stem seals shows up as a puff of blue/grey exhaust on the very first start up of the day ..... oil from the valve/cam gear has run down passed the stem seals into the bores over night & then gets burnt off. The valve seals themselves will be cheap enough to buy (last lot I bought were for my Senator 12/13 yrs ago at about £1- each from the dealers), but the heads need to come off, so you'll need gaskets, head bolts etc etc. Worn/hardened valve stem seals are IMHO something you learn to live with until such time as the heads NEED to come off eg failed head gasket(s) and then do them as you're rebuilding it all.  :y
I changed the valve stem seals on a series Land Rover by screwing an adapter into the spark plug hole and using compressed air to hold the valves in place while I compressed and removed the springs to get at the stem seals.

I made up a tool to hook under the rocker shaft to compress the valve springs. I imagine it should be possible to make something similar to hook under the camshaft of the V6  :-\. (but I also imagine that the dinky little valves in the V6 will be much less tolerant of abuse than the Land Rover valves ::))
Title: Re: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: noel on 19 March 2013, 22:55:40
Am I right in thinking this was only a problem on early 2.6's?

Y - 01?

Late 02 - 53's shouldn't have the issue?

i have an 02 and do have this problem,but as andy b has already stated im leaving well alone till heads have to come off ;)
Title: Re: 2.6 Stem seal problem
Post by: Andy B on 19 March 2013, 23:09:51
.....
I made up a tool to hook under the rocker shaft to compress the valve springs. I imagine it should be possible to make something similar to hook under the camshaft of the V6  :-\. (but I also imagine that the dinky little valves in the V6 will be much less tolerant of abuse than the Land Rover valves ::))

I mad a tool to compress the valve springs on Ford Cologne V6 after my Dad had replaced the heads on his car & still had a row of nice shiny new valve oil seals left over. It worked well & saved the obvious hassle & expense of new head gaskets etc etc. I just used a length of cord stuffed down the spark plug hole pushed up by the piston to stop the valve from dropping down the bore.  ;) ;) ;) Simple!  :y