Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Vauxhalloofer on 27 January 2014, 23:44:45

Title: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Vauxhalloofer on 27 January 2014, 23:44:45
Hi All in the process of sorting out cylinder head and have loads of oil in the inlet manifold, someone i know said that it could be bottom end pistons pushing up oil, then someone else said its probably valve stem seals.It smokes only at startup not during high revs but has been using loads of oil.With the head out is there a way of testing valve stem seals say filling them up with oil and testing pistons say with fluid.The bores look clean what should i look for.Taking them out not so practical lol.Many Thanks
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: omega3000 on 28 January 2014, 10:50:38
Id put money on stem seals  ;)
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Webby the Bear on 28 January 2014, 11:51:18
Tip head upside down. Fill each chamber with oil. Mine held oil overnight.... if yours don't you have a leak thats stem seals.

You can also remove a couple of valves and look at how much lateral movement you have with one popped halfway back in to the guide.... excessive lateral movement... guides should be replaced also.
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 28 January 2014, 12:11:56
Tip head upside down. Fill each chamber with oil. Mine held oil overnight.... if yours don't you have a leak thats stem seals.

Come on then Webby....explain how that one works  :y
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: henryd on 28 January 2014, 12:16:27
Tip head upside down. Fill each chamber with oil. Mine held oil overnight.... if yours don't you have a leak thats stem seals.

Come on then Webby....explain how that one works  :y

Lol ;D
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Webby the Bear on 28 January 2014, 15:00:08
Lol, here we go  ::)

If your stem seals have gone that means they're able to leak oil in tut combustion chamber... agreed?

By turning heads upside down and leaving the combustion chambers filled with oil, if the oil escapes over a period of time then they're nackered surely?

Did this at school on tutors advice.

One awaits post putting me straight  :)
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Webby the Bear on 28 January 2014, 15:01:12
ps...fit old spark plugs so it don't leak through there
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Webby the Bear on 28 January 2014, 15:03:05
sorry I made boo boo. leaking valves I meant  ::) :-[
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 28 January 2014, 15:29:39
So a few issues.

1) If the stem seals are leaking then it allows oil into the inlet or exhaust track, not the combustion chamber

2) The test you describe checks how well the valves are sealed against the seats......except it doesn't!. Because you are using a thick liquid such as oil it wont search out the leaks, you need something thin and searching e.g. brake fluid or similar(not water though as it has a 'skin') :y

Stem seal diagnosis is very much about observation of the exhaust during certain conditions. Mainly looking for short periods of blue smoke following either periods of rest (engine not running)during starting/initial running or during extended periods with the thottle closed (e.g. following idling or periods of coasting) where the inlet vaccum is high and oil can be pulled through the guide.

Only other way to determine it is via direct examination of the seals (at which point you might as well replace them anyway).  :y

So in this case, given the symptoms described, I would be looking at stem seal replacement
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Webby the Bear on 28 January 2014, 15:32:38
Yeah, sorry meant valve sealing test. Been a long day already. I'll note what you say about the fluid.

Re the leaking seals...if the oil gets in the inlet then it'll end up being combusted, no? Hence the blue smoke?
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: aaronjb on 28 January 2014, 15:41:51
Yeah, sorry meant valve sealing test. Been a long day already. I'll note what you say about the fluid.

Re the leaking seals...if the oil gets in the inlet then it'll end up being combusted, no? Hence the blue smoke?

Yes - but you can have a perfectly sealing valve in the valve seat (your test) that smokes when cold because of knackered stem seals..

The stem seals let oil leak down the valve stem which then pools on the back of the valve and intake (or exhaust) runner - in the case of an intake valve this won't actually burn until the valve opens as normal.  So it's not the oil leaking past the stem seal into the chamber via the valve, it's oil leaking past the stem seal onto the valve which then gets sucked into the chamber (or onto the CAT in the case of an exhaust valve .. but IIRC it's usually intake seals that will leak due to vacuum in the intake runners as Mark mentioned).

If that makes sense?
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: henryd on 28 January 2014, 15:43:11
Yeah, sorry meant valve sealing test. Been a long day already. I'll note what you say about the fluid.

Re the leaking seals...if the oil gets in the inlet then it'll end up being combusted, no? Hence the blue smoke?

Yes ,generally a puff of blue smoke on start up and increased oil consumption :y
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: omega3000 on 28 January 2014, 18:22:11
Take inlet off , thick with oil ? Then money on valve stems  :y
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: martin42 on 28 January 2014, 20:03:20
Or the seals are not fitted correctly and are moving up and down on the valve stem,like emd's was .
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Vauxhalloofer on 28 January 2014, 22:09:18
hi people, so went about cleaning up the head, took out valves the stem seals were so shot they were almost falling off!.Looks by the burn patterns and heavy oil it was worst on the exhaust size, seats look clean.Any tips for getting collets back in and also what needs oil on rebuilding it.Thanks
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: martin42 on 28 January 2014, 22:19:55
Patience,grease,screwdriver and a steady hand,smear some oil on valve stems and seals.
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: aaronjb on 29 January 2014, 09:58:20
Patience,grease,screwdriver and a steady hand,smear some oil on valve stems and seals.

And a really clean workshop so you can find the ones you drop.. (or maybe it's just me who does things like that!  :-[)
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Nick W on 29 January 2014, 10:18:04
From the last two posts:

A small, lightly magnetised screwdriver to hold and position the collet. A small dab of grease on the   collect grooves will stick it to the valve. It's very fiddly, advanced swearing helps. Remember to fit the valve seals first!

Putting a clean layer of newspaper, thin cardboard, brown-paper etc on the workbench(chest freezer in my case) is very helpful. Changing it as soon as it gets dirty is the real key to not losing little parts.
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Andy B on 29 January 2014, 11:08:20
....

And a really clean workshop so you can find the ones you drop.. (or maybe it's just me who does things like that!  :-[)

When I dismantled the the ignition barrel, the pin that is used as a stop fired out in slow motion & landed in a pile of 'stuff' in a corner of my garage!!  :o :o :o :o :o I looked, could find it! Thought about making another but then thought I'd have a last look! And there it was ...................... No idea how you can find a 1/8" x 1/2" pin in the tip I call a garage ...... but I did!  :y :y :y :y
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: omega3000 on 29 January 2014, 18:12:04
Patience,grease,screwdriver and a steady hand,smear some oil on valve stems and seals.

And a really clean workshop so you can find the ones you drop.. (or maybe it's just me who does things like that!  :-[)

Nope  ;D
Title: Re: Any way of testing pistons for leaks.
Post by: Vauxhalloofer on 29 January 2014, 20:03:36
Hi all, struggled nearly lost one collet but got them all back in with new valve stems.Got new water pump and vauxhall cam belt kit on its way.Almost there.Any idea what the torque value of the housing temp sender etc on back of cylinder is.Thanks