Re: Plume of Smoke (was: [T3] Various Questions)

["joshua brooks" <joshua_bro@msn.com>]

   I recently took apart a type 3 engine with valve stem seals on the heads. 
It was a high milage engine and the valves were shot but the seals were 
still supple and seemed to be in good condition. I asked my local vw parts 
house about valve stem seals and they said they hadn't been offered in years 
because they weren't needed with modern valve guides. Later I thought to 
myself,"What if the valve guides wear to the point that they leak some oil 
but still do their job?". I think valve stem seals would be a good idea just 
in case engine conditions make them beneficial. I would guess there are some 
valve stem seals in production that would fit the type 3 engine.
   Bye the way I used to work in a Porsche shop and don't recall the 
aircooled models having valve stem seals though I never got to take a really 
old engine apart either. It also wasn't considered normal for them to smoke. 
They would'nt have been alowed on the streets in the 90's if it was. Many 
porsche parts that lasted longer and performed better than comparable VW 
parts were also exponentially more expensive. This may be another factor.
   On another note I've owned a few buses with type 4 engines and none of 
them ever smoked out the tailpipe. 

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