Vinton Valve seals

[Rock]

I am getting ready to replace my valve seals on my gs1000 and have been seeing the Viton seals for sale on ebay. They are about double the price of stock but still not enough to worry over price if they are that much better as advertised.

Has anyone here used them and if so are they a better seal? I don't mind spending a few extra bucks if it's worth it. Thanks, Jim

[Kbecker3]

my work does alot with bearings for large ships, and we use viton rubber in some of the bearings where a company will be pumping harsh chemicals through their pumps. it is supposed to hold up much better than your standard rubber. but i know if you get it up over 600? degrees it can be dangerous, it can release some type of gas, sure you can find out about this if you do a search. not sure what type of temp. your valves see. normaly after we mold the bearing (they are in a brass shell) we will grind the ends to get the excess rubber off, but on viton rubber we are not alowed to grind the ends because of the heat.

any how i do know viton is supposed to hold up much better to gas and oil. i just replaced my valve seals, i got them from z1, 1.30 a piece or so. i figured the factory ones lasted this long...

just my $0.02

[SPARKSS]

I am getting ready to replace my valve seals on my gs1000 and have been seeing the Viton seals for sale on ebay. They are about double the price of stock but still not enough to worry over price if they are that much better as advertised.

Has anyone here used them and if so are they a better seal? I don't mind spending a few extra bucks if it's worth it. Thanks, Jim

Hi Jim. I concur with Kbecker's assessment and will add that Viton seals have been pretty commonplace for 20 years or so. The only problems I''ve seen recurringly with valve seal jobs is usually a lack of addressing valve stem to guide wear - putting in new seals to cure a sloppy stem-to-guide problem may only last a short while and often heard is something like "Those XYZ, O-RING, POSISEALS, VITON etc etc....were NO GOOD".

Reading the WHIMIS sheet for VITON will scare the begezus out of you so just be confident that, unless you burn it AND get it on your skin in the melted/burning state, that you'll have no probs.

[Kbecker3]

sorry, didn't see that last question... "will it get a better seal?" nope... same seal. just the rubber holds up better to chemicals, where as normaly gas and oil will degrade rubber.

i would also check make sure everything is seating properly.

[Rock]

I have not checked the guides yet but I would "assume" they will be good as there is only 12,000 easy miles on this bike. I would guess just the seals are bad as they are originals and 30 years old now.:-D Not to mention the bike sat in a garage and not started for nearly ten years at least. I'm thinking they are probably dried up.

Maybe I'll just go with the stock ones at half the price. Thanks guys.