Used seals for valve stems

[CrownChikk]

Here is a picture of a new valve stem seal (right) next to an old one (left) for those who have never seen them before. On the previous one, the hole is substantially larger. It amazes me that the symptoms weren't worse when I saw them. Engine has over 183,000 miles.

[CrownChikk]

[MamaKiddo]

Holy cow, I couldn't believe the unexpected symptoms weren't worse.

It never crossed my mind to compare the old with the new when I was working nonstop.


With 183k, I'm assuming these were either originally installed or replaced earlier?

[RosaStyle]

That's to be expected; you'll usually see greater wear on their exhaust side.

[Anabroo]

While working on engines of all kinds, I've noticed that cars that adhere to the manufacturer-recommended oil changes for too long tend to have value stem seal problems. I've seen engines with over 200k miles on the clock that had oil changes every 6,000 miles and the cylinder heads, cams, and springs still looked brand new. If the seals appear scorched, as in the picture, I'd be surprised if the rest of the head running gear looked the same.