I was looking up spark plug tube seals and came up with two different part numbers. 13276-31U1A and 13276-31U21. Different prices also. Both are tube seals, and both will supposedly work. Anybody have an idea to which one is correct?

 

They are part of the Fel-Pro valve cover gasket set.
If I remember correctly.

 

Correct, they are part of the Fel-Pro set. I was just curious to why the OEM set has two part numbers and two different prices for tube seals?

 

Sometimes manufacturers have updated parts with a different rubber type. For example the early 2000s Toyota Corola has a intake manifold gasket which likes to leak air when it gets old. They still sell the iffy gasket for a lowish price , and the proper updated gasket at a higher price..

I suppose the low price one works for a quick flip or for a car one wants to sell soon. Some people want to pay as little as possible, others pay more up front so they never need to do the project over.
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They tube seals are included with the valve cover gaskets

Get Mahle VS50290
It may be under the name Mahle or Victor Reinz, but they are the same reboxed OE gaskets and seals

FWIW, the tube seals included with the Mahle/Victor set look like the 31U21. The main advantage is that it's easier to tell which way to install it.

Here is the 31U21:



Amazon has good pictures of the You will see with the 31U1A that both sides look similar. With the other seal, one side is completely flat

Also see this earlier thread from a few years ago. The way I had it was wrong, which should've been obvious by the shape of the seals, but all the other how-to's I could find at the time looked like (the wrong way), which may be due to the seals included with other valve cover gaskets, or perhaps the different part numbers you bring up. I used the Mahle valve cover gasket set, which was called Victor Reinz at the time

 

AutoZone carries both the Fel-Pro set and the Mahle set. I don’t need it yet but I might pick one up just to have it near by. Thanks guys.

 

The two part numbers matter because one of them is for the front valve cover and the other is for rear valve cover.

 

Really? The front valve cover uses different tube seals from the rear valve cover?

 

All 6 of them were the same in the package I got when I did it

 

Yup there supposed to be different. Here are the images taken by part number and it states Quantity of 3 for each part number.

 

On Infinitipartsdeal, it states quantity of 6 for each part number, giving you 12 tube seals. And if they were truly different from front to rear, they both would not turn (yellow) highlighted when you click on one of them. I believe JvG is right when he said it’s an updated part with the old one still being available for sale.

 

I believe I used the Fel-Pro kit when I did my valve covers. The kit came with all I needed.

I didn't over think things.

I've learned to trust Fel-Pro.