Damon's valve seals

[Dwight Varnes <xmxbreed@domain.elided>]

Well, it's pretty hard to botch up valve seals. If one pops off (which I
really don't think is feasible) you'd get quite a bit more oil smoke
than with just worn ones. 

A number of theories, all waiting to be shot down by you all:  All cars
suffer from sitting about, even if they are kept in heated garages in
plastic cocoons. It's an enigma; the attempt to preserve something that
was meant to be used up. Anyway, rubber seals will get hard from lack of
use and/or old age. You didn't say how long ago you did the work, but it
may be longer than you think. I was cursing my cracked brake hoses until
I figured out just how long it's been since they were replaced. Possibly
the seals were already aged when they came out of the package. Maybe the
material they are made out of isn't as good as the originals. Maybe your
vavle guides have now worn. Lots of maybes.

Have to remember that complete, non-existent traces of oil smoke weren't
necessarily the way things were back when that engine was designed
either. Look at most English cars, or Alfas. Oil consumption is
expected. So, maybe it's annoying, but IMHO that's all it is. Since it
goes away after startup it's nothing serious. 

The "interesting" subtle knocking I hear from the lower portion of my
spider's engine is far more worrisome, as I fear the 115,000+ miles may
finally be rearing it's ugly head in my rod bearings. That, and those
7500 rpm shifts at Freak Out two years ago :)   Almost hoping the thing
would blow so I'd be forced to deal with it (spare crank and block in
stock, mind you).

Dwight Varnes
1970 124 Spider, an eclectic assemblage of parts from several cars that
somehow looks good and drives reasonably well.