The Triumph 2000/2500/2.5 Register Forum

Does the MK1 2000 have valve stem oil seals? If not could they be fitted? Reason for question is a smokey exhaust after leaving engine ticking over for a while.
Mike

No seals, they rely on a good fit between the valve and the guide.

Worn valve guides will show up as blue smoke from the exhaust on overrun.......... not when its standing ticking over.

Have you done a wet/dry compression test?.... this will tell you everything you need to know about the state of your engine, ie valve and rings.

Sorry to disagree but from researching various Triumph forums today the general consensus is that the worn valve stems/guides mean that when the engine has been on overrun or idling it can suck in oil which is quickly burnt when the engine is revved up again. The cure is to remove the head and fit new valve stems but a temporary cure is to fit oil seals (available from Witor) to the inlet valves and it can be done without removing the head. So as I intend to fit a 2.5PI engine I will try just fitting the oil seals.
Mike

Hello Mike

The problem with fitting those stem oil seals is that the end up at the top of the stem and so you are still left with oil on the valves. Best bet is to have the valve redone.

Lee

I spoke to Mr Witor about putting seals on to try and solve my worn valve guides on the yellow estate.

He did not recommend it at all.

In his experience, they just don't work.

Bite the bullet, do it properly.

The seals I was thinking of using were the ones from piper cams which are a combined spring seat and stem seal so the springs hold them in place. But as I've only had the car on the road for a month and only covered 123 miles I think I will keep driving it and see what happens. I only noticed the smoke on Saturday after the engine had been idling for about an hour whilst I was adjusting the carbs using a Gunson exhaust gas analyser. Driving home and back to work this morning I didn't notice any smoking.
Mike

Oil down the inlet guides is normally seen as a puff of blue smoke when you change gear. I wouldn't have thought they would cause smoke at tickover after a lengthy time.

Take the rocker cover off and see if you can move a valve - give it a good shove across the head, still with the spring on. If the guides are really bad then you'll be able to move it. Also if they are that bad, then the valve will have difficulty in sealing properly and you'll lose compression.

As Alan said, a dry/wet compression test will tell you a lot.

Cheers,
Mike.

It hasn't done i t (smoke) since and I haven't noticed any smoke in the rear view mirror when driving so for the time being I'm going to ignore it. I don't want to do any work on this engine as later this year I will be fitting a rebuilt 2.5PI engine
Mike