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Autopapyrus · Lada Vesta 1.6 16V VAZ-21129 (2018)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/lada/vesta/valve-stem-seal-replacement/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Lada Vesta 1.6 16V VAZ-21129 (2018): Valve Stem Seal Replacement

Valve stem seals are replaced when oil consumption is high and there is blue smoke after warm-up or after idling. The goal of this job is to replace the seals without removing the cylinder head. To do this, you remove the timing belt and camshafts, and keep the valves from dropping with compressed air or a cord. The job requires care and cleanliness. If you have no experience, it is better to leave it to a repair shop.

Difficulty: Hard Time: 5-8 hours Steps: 17

Parts

5
№PartAlternatives
01 Valve stem seal set for 16 valves (8 intake, 8 exhaust), engineintake and exhaust seals may differ Elring, Victor Reinz, Goetze
02 Valve cover gasket
03 Timing belt kit with rollersrecommended to replace at the same time
04 Engine oil
05 Coolantas needed

Tools

11
  • socket and wrench set
  • torque wrench
  • valve spring compressor (lever type or clamp type)
  • valve stem seal removal tool or long-nose pliers
  • air compressor with a spark plug hole adapter (or nylon cord)
  • magnet or tweezers
  • camshaft pulley holding tool
  • gasket sealant
  • oil drain pan
  • clean rags
  • labeled container for keepers and retainers

Step by step

17 steps
  1. Park the car on a level surface, let the engine cool down, and disconnect the negative battery terminal. Remove the decorative engine cover and the air duct with the air filter, and disconnect the hoses if needed.
  2. Remove the ignition coils and unscrew the spark plugs. To keep debris out of the cylinders, blow out the spark plug wells first. Disconnect the connectors and hoses that interfere with removing the valve cover. If necessary, remove the fuel rail with the injectors (relieve the fuel pressure beforehand and keep ignition sources away).
  3. Remove the timing belt protective cover, set the No. 1 cylinder piston to TDC using the marks, and lock the crankshaft. Take a photo of the mark positions on the camshaft and crankshaft pulleys.
  4. Loosen the tensioner roller and remove the timing belt. Remove the camshaft pulleys while holding the camshafts with the holding tool. It is recommended to replace the belt with a new one along with the rollers, since it will already be removed.
  5. Remove the valve cover. Clean the cylinder head mating surface of oil and sealant residue.
  6. Loosen and remove the camshaft bearing cap bolts (the retaining caps) evenly, in several passes, working from the edges to the center, and note the position of each cap. Remove the camshafts and lay them out in the order of installation. Remove the hydraulic lifters and followers one at a time and store them in their original positions, without mixing them up or turning them upside down, or air will get into them.
  7. Work on one cylinder at a time. Unscrew the spark plug and set that cylinder's piston to the position where the valves are closed (near TDC). Feed compressed air into the spark plug hole through the adapter so that the valves are held in the up position. If you have no air, feed a nylon cord into the cylinder instead and bring the piston up to the top by hand, pinning the cord against the valves.
  8. Place the valve spring compressor on the spring retainer and compress the spring far enough to free the keepers. Take out the keepers with a magnet or tweezers, then remove the retainer and the spring. Make sure the keepers do not fall into an oil passage or into the head.
  9. Remove the old valve stem seal with the removal tool or long-nose pliers. Inspect the valve stem: it must show no scoring, wear or carbon deposits. Wipe it with a clean rag.
  10. Lubricate the valve stem and the working lip of the new seal with engine oil. Slide the seal onto the valve guide and seat it firmly with a drift or a special socket, applying even pressure without tilting it. Damage to the lip will cause oil consumption to return quickly.
  11. Reinstall the spring and retainer, compress the spring with the compressor, and install the keepers. Release the spring and tap the drift lightly with a hammer to make sure the keepers are properly seated in the groove.
  12. Repeat steps 7-11 for the remaining cylinders and valves. Do not mix up intake and exhaust seals if they differ.
  13. Lubricate the camshaft journals and lobes, and put the hydraulic lifters and followers back in their original positions. Install the camshafts and the bearing cap, applying a thin layer of sealant in the required places as specified by the manufacturer. Tighten the bolts in several passes from the center to the edges, to the manufacturer's specification (about 10-15 N·m (7-11 lb-ft) for the bearing cap bolts; check the exact value against the specification).
  14. Install the camshaft pulleys and tighten the retaining bolts. For the pulley bolt, use roughly 80-100 N·m (59-74 lb-ft) as a guide (confirm against the specification). Align the marks, install the timing belt, tension the roller, and check the marks after two crankshaft revolutions.
  15. Install a new valve cover gasket, apply sealant to the corners of the joints, fit the cover and tighten the bolts in a crisscross pattern (about 6-9 N·m (4-7 lb-ft), confirm against the specification). Install the spark plugs (about 25-30 N·m (18-22 lb-ft)), the coils, the fuel rail, the hoses, and the timing belt protective covers.
  16. Connect the battery and, if needed, crank the engine with the starter without starting it to build oil pressure. Start the engine, listen to how the hydraulic lifters sound, and check for oil leaks and fault codes. For a short time the hydraulic lifters may be noisy until they pump up.
  17. After 100-200 km, check the oil level and make sure there are no leaks. If oil consumption and smoke persist, look for the cause in the piston rings and the condition of the cylinder-piston group.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • On this engine, a broken or skipped timing belt bends the valves, so check the marks and the assembly order especially carefully
  • Do not drop keepers into the oil passages, and do not get the camshaft positions wrong relative to the TDC marks
  • Check the exact torque values for the bearing cap, pulleys and valve cover against the manufacturer's specification
  • If you have no experience working on a cylinder head, go to a repair shop