So i'm in the process of refreshing an ea71 that desert subaru sold to me. It sat for a couple years so i got a fel-pro head and conversion set, full reseal. I'm in the process of laping the valves.

 

So here's my question. There were no valve stem seals on the exhaust valves. My head set came with 8 stem seals. Would it hurt anything to put them on the exhaust valves? It seems like there will be enough room for the valve to work. But i would hate to get it reassembled to find out the rocker is pushing the keepers into that seal. Wouldent want to waste a head gasket.

 

Also open to other tips on this job.

 

As always thanks for advice!

I have torn down a couple sets of EA81 heads recently including the EA81T heads I am working on now and none of them had seals on the exhaust valves. Perhaps they aren't needed? The intake guides are grooved near the top to retain the seals and the exhaust guides are not. I'm sure it's quite similar on the EA71. I'll look it up in the factory parts manual and see what is listed.

guess i'll leave them off then. Probably no benefit to having them. I was thinking it was a problem fixer or something.. anyway intake stem seals only.. Thanks for the info!

I think you will find that the valve guides on the exhaust valves are a little longer than on the intake.

 

Also they do not have grooves cut into them like the intake guides.

 

In short I do not believe they are designed to take valve seals. Certainly I have never seen them on exhaust guides. Nor is there mention of it in any of the manuals.

 

Never a bad thing to have a few spares.

 

Cheers.

Whats interesting is that at some point the part number for the exhaust valve guides now supper-cedes to the intake valve guides...

 

I'm not sure if thats a mistake on Subaru's part, or if you actually can use intake valve guides for the exhaust valves.

yea really no telling why there are 8. the conversion set came with 2 water pump gaskets for the different water pump set ups.

 

Thanks for the advice and info!

Whats interesting is that at some point the part number for the exhaust valve guides now supper-cedes to the intake valve guides...

 

I'm not sure if thats a mistake on Subaru's part, or if you actually can use intake valve guides for the exhaust valves.

 

Hummm. Here's what I have on an EA-82...personally, I've never worked on a head that didn't have both valve seals. :-\ The intake and exhaust seals on the right came in a Felpro head set. They are Viton, and the rubber is black ish.

The one on the left intake valve is Beck/Arnley. "Rubber"? part is brownish. I don't know what it's made of. Eight in the kit, put them on intake and exhaust.

 

Selection is wide open on valve guides.

 

I have this collection for a 1989 SPFI 1.8. I'm going to use the Viton Fel Pro on this motor. That is the weight of the valves written there. I'll need to wrap this up soon.

 

hth...Pondering valve guides and seals.

 

Doug

Edited June 3, 201114 yr by Quidam

Here are the EA62 heads I have:

 

 

The EA61, EA63 and EA71 heads I've had apart have all had the same setup in terms of valve guides. (although the dual port EA62 and EA61's are reverse of course)