Valve stem seals

The umbrella seals have the skirt going downward, however, you need to look more closely at the heads and see if 302 in in the valve cover area of the head raised in the casting. If you see 289 instead of 302 then you can use the umbrella seals, if your old seals are umbrella seals then you can use the umbrella seals. If the heads have been set up for a stationary seal such as the newer than 70's 302, then those will have to be the seals you get. Please post a pic of the seal you removed from the valve or remove the spring and rocker from the next valve and post a pic of it, so I can be sure. Good luck.

The second picture is of the seals o bought and the first one was of the valve with out the spring on it. I do not see any actual seal on the head it self which is why i am confused on how they go together. It is a 66 289 head and that is what is stamped on the head itself. If you need more pictures i can and will post them. Thanks.

The valve guide looks different than a stock valve guide and boss, it is something I do not recognize, like it is a different type of seal than the umbrella or the vitron seals the newer ones use. Please hold off doing anything until some the others look at the pics and see if they recognize why it is different looking. I have see the old umbrella seals disintegrate, but usually there are pieces in the heads and the oil pan. On a stock head the valve guide and boss is smooth and flows to the valve spring seat, so as not to damage the umbrella seals as they move up and down with the valves. Your picture looks like there is a valve guide seal on the boss sticking up. Look at the cut-aways of the valve guide and boss, and maybe you will see what I am talking about. http://www.mre-books.com/ford/engines/cylinder_heads.html My 2 cts. Good Luck.

Thanks for your input, i thought something was up.. Hopefully someone will recognize what i might have and help me out.. I hope to have this sorted out before my carb rebuild kit and distributer stuff arrive.. But if not then it will just go longer without running, which does not bother me as it has not ran for 20 or so years. Thanks though rex.

someone had some high dollar seals on there. umbrella seals will really work with all engines, though i do not hold them in high esteem. if you have a summit catalog, they sell some really good ones for only like 14 bucks. made of viton or something. cant remember the name but they work really well from what i can tell.

6stang02 said:

How do i replace the valve stem seals on this '66 289 head? I am so lost right now. Did i buy the wrong kind of seal or am i just looking in all the wrong places?

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Hi,
Looks like a PO has had the head apart. Those Posi seals are much better than the umbrella seals. I lost a motor to one or more of those umbrellas coming apart and jamming the oil pump.
Return the Umbrellas. But, I have to ask, has it been determined the intake dudes were leaking?
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/kpm-82-82181/overview/

Good Luck with your project....

I have no clue if anything was leaking, the car was in a wreck, t-boned and is missing the front battery apron, and it has been sitting since the late 70s. I bought a Fel-Pro master gasket set off of rockauto and i tore down the motor. Just leaving the block attached to the trans. It has new internals so i was not worried too much about it which is why i am just painting the motor and dealing with whatever goes wrong with it later. Do those posi seals ever seem to fail or are those seals "everlasting" but thanks for all the information. Also, last question, is there any one who would sell similar seals which are metal like the ones on the heads now or should i just reuse these seals?

6stang02 said:

I have no clue if anything was leaking, the car was in a wreck, t-boned and is missing the front battery apron, and it has been sitting since the late 70s. I bought a Fel-Pro master gasket set off of rockauto and i tore down the motor. Just leaving the block attached to the trans. It has new internals so i was not worried too much about it which is why i am just painting the motor and dealing with whatever goes wrong with it later. Do those posi seals ever seem to fail or are those seals "everlasting" but thanks for all the information. Also, last question, is there any one who would sell similar seals which are metal like the ones on the heads now or should i just reuse these seals?

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OK. I won't say they are everlasting, but, not knowing
any history, I'd replace them. You'll need specs before calling/checking with supply houses, though.
BTW, I think you you should just pull the heads and have them checked over. Yes, it'll cost more now, but, It's much easier, at this point, with the engine pulled. You'll have a much better staring point and you'll save the cost of an intake set now ($75).
Good luck....

Well the heads are off the motor and the motor is still sitting in the car.. Or what's left of the car that is.. But from what i have seen is that this motor is in a pristine condition, 50,000 original miles on the odometer so i am quite pleased with the engine. Other than just the actual body, this car is pretty manageable id say.

6stang02 said:

Well the heads are off the motor and the motor is still sitting in the car.. Or what's left of the car that is.. But from what i have seen is that this motor is in a pristine condition, 50,000 original miles on the odometer so i am quite pleased with the engine. Other than just the actual body, this car is pretty manageable id say.

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Hmmm...If the cylinders look good, then, I might be prone to re-re-installing the heads, changing the lubricants and seeing what happens. Aren't you speculating on the condition of these heads to include theses seals?