i took my valve covers off yesterday and found all of my exhaust valve seals have lifted off the bottom of the valve stem and are now just floating around the top of the valve stem. i am guessing this is where my oil burning problem is. my question is, what would make the seals raise up like that??

 

they werent completely seated

 

i was thinking maybe some exhaust gas was getting past the valves and maybe blew it off its seat. but im pretty sure my valves are seated right and they've got the comp cams dual springs holden em up.

 

I'd guess the same as thunderstruck, the seals were not completely seated. A good way to get them seated is using a deep socket that fits right over the seal (I forget what size I used) and tap them down with a hammer until the feel of the impact changes. You'll notice it, it feels more "solid" once they fully seat, like hitting a solid piece of metal with a hammer.

 

They need to be close to an 1/8th of an inch from the seats. I had the same problem and had to go through all of the seals again.

 

Could be not seated, the sound will change as you install them when they seat. There is also a measurement in the service manual that can be used to ensure they are fully seated.

One other issue I ran into several years ago with a Nissan. I bought aftermarket valve seals and no matter what I did they would come off of the guide and ride up and down with the valve. I finally bought some from Nissan and right away I could tell they fit tighter on the guide and they never came off until the day my daughter totaled the car.