I have a 92 Buick LeSabre that apparently had developed leaky valve-guides. If it is allowed to sit for a week, then when you start it, you have to endure about 5 minutes of blue smoke from the exhaust. Being a cheapskate, I’d like to know if there’s anything I can do short of replacing the guides (like an oil additive) that will mitigate this problem.
No, there is nothing you can do except replace the seals. This is not that expensive.
Additives do not solve mechanical problems. It’s not the valve guides that leak, it’s the valve guide seals. Either replace the seals or live with the smoke.
So the heads don’t have to come off to replace the seals? Next door I’ve got two teenage boys who are shade-tree mechanics. Is this something they could reasonably do?
The heads do not need to come off to replace the valve stem seals.
Here are two methods you can try. Both are done with the valves closed.
1: If you have an air compressor, screw the compressor air hose into the spark plug hole. This will hold the valves up (closed), allowing you to compress the valve springs and replace the seals.
2: Hand feed an ample amount of soft rope into the spark plug hole, then manually turn the engine so the piston comes up and pushes the rope against the valves, which holds them closed while you remove the springs and replace the seals.