Replacing Valve Stem Seals, Honda or Aftermarket?

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I need to replace my valve stem seals in my Honda CRV, I already bought some aftermarket Viton units.. but now I read somewhere that the intake and exhaust valve stems are slightly different size and that's why Honda have INTAKE seals and EXHAUST seals. The seals that I purchased are blue Viton, 16 in a bag all the same.

Does anyone hear have good knowledge on K24 engines that can say whether these seals will 'seal' as well as Genuine Honda?

Thanks.
 
What is the cost difference? My default for something like this is always OEM parts, unless there's a compelling reason to not go that route.

How many miles are on this engine?
 
Being a retired service tech I would talk to a good engine machine shop . Sometimes aftermarket part may be upgraded over oem Sometimes not.
 
After market all the way when it comes to valve seals in [censored] engines.
We rebuilt a Mitsubishi 3.5 v6 because it left a smoke screen wherever we went! They start smoking very early on because the valve stem seals they use dry up easily and if we used OEM ones we would be back to square one by now, so we used a well known after market brand which i don't know the name of. After 5 years and 150,000km since the overhaul it doesn't use a drop of oil or smoke a single bit
 
I'd be very surprised if they are "slightly different size" and aftermarket vendors just choose to use one size fits all. The usual case is they are made to withstand different temperature and one size fits all means they are all exhaust temperature grade.

What is the OEM material made out of? Viton should be a very good material for valve stem seals.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
What is the cost difference? My default for something like this is always OEM parts, unless there's a compelling reason to not go that route.

How many miles are on this engine?


The cost difference is the same... $15 to $30 for the same aftermarket seals, or Honda units for $30, and only the exhaust seals are made from Viton.

I have 190,000 km now, and 171,000 km when i bought it in March of this year, a 2003 Honda CRV. So I think it's more the age than the mileage for seals like this. It's when I started using synthetic oil when they started leaking... they must have been slightly plugged up with debris around the valve stem, I don't know, but now they are not sealing.

I have found I think all the tools I need to do the job, valve seal remover tool, valve keeper tool, and a torque wrench, all on Amazon.ca for less than $150.
 
Originally Posted By: 19jacobob93
After market all the way when it comes to valve seals in [censored] engines.
We rebuilt a Mitsubishi 3.5 v6 because it left a smoke screen wherever we went! They start smoking very early on because the valve stem seals they use dry up easily and if we used OEM ones we would be back to square one by now, so we used a well known after market brand which i don't know the name of. After 5 years and 150,000km since the overhaul it doesn't use a drop of oil or smoke a single bit


You telling me this, makes me feel good about doing this. I want a good result afterwards. I am sometimes getting like a rapping or knocking noise when more short trips are done as the oil consumption goes up and I think it's fouling the plugs, and building up oil ash inside...
 
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
I'd be very surprised if they are "slightly different size" and aftermarket vendors just choose to use one size fits all. The usual case is they are made to withstand different temperature and one size fits all means they are all exhaust temperature grade.

What is the OEM material made out of? Viton should be a very good material for valve stem seals.


These aftermarkets are 'supposed' to have a tighter fit with them having stronger springs on the neck of the seal.

Running a bypass filter setup should prevent this from ever happening again.
 
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Given that changing the valve seals is such a time-consuming and difficult job, I'm guessing you didn't opt for aftermarket parts just to save $10 bucks of the total cost of repair.

Since the OEM parts are different, there is probably a reason, the reason most likely being to provide appropriate oil metering, as the oil suction on intake and exhaust valve guides is different.

For the peace of mind and correct oil metering, I would go with the OEM parts, especially given that the aftermarket part seems to have the incorrect oil metering on either the intake or exhaust, perhaps both.

https://estore.honda.com/honda/parts/vie...E++1010&dl=
 
Originally Posted By: zpinch
Berniedd, exactly what brand were these seals and where did you get them?


It's been years since then, and I don't recall the exact brand, but they were not any of the big name aftermarket jobbers. Go with Honda, you can't go wrong there. They are not that expensive either.
 
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Originally Posted By: zpinch
I read somewhere that the intake and exhaust valve stems are slightly different size and that's why Honda have INTAKE seals and EXHAUST seals. The seals that I purchased are blue Viton, 16 in a bag all the same.



Originally Posted By: zpinch

The cost difference is the same... $15 to $30 for the same aftermarket seals, or Honda units for $30, and only the exhaust seals are made from Viton.



I think you answered your self as to why the OE parts have two different numbers- I'd also be surprised that the valve stems are two different diameters.

Either way you can't go wrong- as long as you don't go with NON name brand aftermarket stuff. Perfect circle or Fel-Pro for example.
 
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