Pushrod tubes leaking ??

[Haans]

Morn all,.....yip testosterone levels seem to have subsided !,

Now!....I have seen a gent at George car show selling aluminum pushrod tubes ,..nicely machined and all,......with springs& washers AND little O-rings for sealing. He claimed to have used it since way back with 100% success rate. Now not saying he is me,..... Also said they are intending to market it in the. US of A !
I misplaced the card I got from him,....he's from George
The question ?????
Has anybody out there used these tubes before ?
If at R140 a piece it is the "thing" then it is the thing !!!
!

Talk to me, Haans

[retrovan]

Think there was a thread here somewhere of the same idea.

Still not heard anyone using them, sorry.

Herman

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

HI HAANS.

I AM NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THE ONES YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT LOOK LIKE, OR HOW EXACTLY THEY WORK; BUT I DO KNOW THAT SPRINGLOADED TUBES HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR QUITE SOME TIME ALREADY. AS FAR AS I AM AWARE, THEY ARE AVAILABLE IN BOTH PLASTIC AND ALUMINIUM. YOU'LL FIND YOU CAN GET THEM FROM YOUR REGULAR OVERSEAS SUPPLIERS LIKE CIP1, VW HERITAGE ETC....
FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, THEY'RE GREAT FOR AN EMERGENCY REPAIR BUT NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO USE AS YOUR LONG TERM SETUP. (JUST READING REVIEWS ON THE NET) I PERSONALLY HAVE NEVER TRIED THEM AND DON'T KNOW ANYONE THAT HAS.

PROBABLY USELESS INFO AND NOT EXACTLY ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION... (I WASN'T AT THE GEORGE SHOW, SO DON'T KNOW THE GUY) BUT HOPEFULLY YOU'LL DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE MAKING YOUR DESCISION.

MARK

[Tony Z]

The best pushrod tubes to use are the stock units.
Eventually the seals leak and this is when people fit the expanding units so that they dont have to remove the heads to fix the leak.
I've imported quite a few sets of silicon pushrod tube seals which are supposed to be better than anything else on the market and they are what I use out of preference. My experience with them so far is that they are fantastic, but my cars dont drive as much as I'd like them to and the few people who are prepaired to pay the price probably dont do high milage either.
People simply dont want to spend that kind of money because you get a full set in a normal gasket set already... same with the OEM crank seals I have, again, you get one in the kit, so why spend the extra on a different one.

The really good expandable tubes like this from Jaycee and CSP probably cost about R500 each and use 3 O-rings in each. Reason? Its the wrong application for an O-ring. The O-rings are used to keep the setup small as space is an issue, but you really need a scraper seal or at worst a shaft seal. An O-ring does not expand or flex as things move or get hot, so eventually they will also leak. But at least you can take it out and fit a new one without taking the heads off

[sean]

Hi Haans

Why are you considering these? Do you need to replace yours as they are leaking or are you rebuilding the motor?

Its really best to just use the original tubes. Don't buy the new standard pirate ones either. You can purchase a Victor Reinz gasket set for the 2.1 WBX and use the seals from this kit with your original tubes. The Victor Reinz seals are the same as the white ones used originally on the motor. They never go hard or dry out. It may seem wast full to buy a kit just for this, but in the long run, you wont have to take your heads off again.

Ive got one motor that has a set of the adjustable plastic tubes, its unknown and ive only had this motor in use for about 3 years and 11 000km, so I cant comment on the quality. Will have to wait about 30 years to see if they are any good.

[Riaan.N]

Is it advisable to put some kind of sealer on the pushrod tube seals before installing the tubes?

[Tony Z]

from my experience, NO
One engine I built for myself I tested this using what I knew vs what I was advised.
On one side I used plain oil on the seals, on the other side I used sealant like I was told to do by all and sundry who has been doing it forever.
Only one side leaked, that was the side with the sealant.
I've never used sealant on the pushrod tubes again and so far I've had a pretty damn good hit rate with those seals

[Haans]

Ok,.....Haans's engine is on the stand for more than a year or 2 ,....know that a tube on exhaust valve of no 1cylinder is .."sweating",.....has original tubes that has been electro plated,.....with red seals. I think I have some "white" seals somewhere ??

I have the answer,....original tubes with white seals if I have,.....then streched to lengthen,.....by using a hacksaw blade run between groves for "streching",.......smooth side down !!!
The "glue" for the seals,.....it seems plain oil is the best!

Do I have it right ?

Haans

[sean]

Yes, no glue

[Tony Z]

yes, oil only
new tubes usually dont need any stretching

[Dawie]

Also inspect the sealing surfaces where the seals press against. (Heads and case). Look for scratches or casting flash. If not smooth, then polish.

[fourier]

Hi Haans

Why are you considering these? Do you need to replace yours as they are leaking or are you rebuilding the motor?

Its really best to just use the original tubes. Don't buy the new standard pirate ones either. You can purchase a Victor Reinz gasket set for the 2.1 WBX and use the seals from this kit with your original tubes. The Victor Reinz seals are the same as the white ones used originally on the motor. They never go hard or dry out. It may seem wast full to buy a kit just for this, but in the long run, you wont have to take your heads off again.

Ive got one motor that has a set of the adjustable plastic tubes, its unknown and ive only had this motor in use for about 3 years and 11 000km, so I cant comment on the quality. Will have to wait about 30 years to see if they are any good.

Complete Victor Reinz gasket sets are available for the Type 1 engine. They include the correct white push rod tube seals, and high quality gasket material. These sets are the best quality I have seen. Sadly they are no longer available locally (probably due to cost). I import these sets for own use.

My experience with spring loaded push rod tubes... They will leak. Some designs have internal springs, which also interfere with the push rods. Use them if you don't mind oil leaks. Best bet would be stock tubes with white seals.

[Riaan.N]

Victor Reinz versus Elring, which one is better or is this potato pataatoo?

I see Volkspares has a VR set for a 1200 on their website, maybe worthwhile to phone them and compare to what an import would cost.

[Haans]

Thanks to all inputs,....will stick to originals,..check seats and only use oil !!!
With white seals,....if I can find them

Haans

[splitfan]

Goldwagen sell the 2.1 white Elring push rod seals at R8 each the spring loaded push rod tube is a no go from me too , I have found they always leak the springs dont like the heat from the cylinders and "collaps"