Today im going check out where the oil on my #3 plug is coming from.... I decided im just going to take off the intake manifold to get a good look at the back sides of the valves, to determine if my valve guides, seals and or the intake gasket is problem.

So this will eliminate the intake leak and give me a Birdseye view and description of the problem. I'm thinking on buying a new intake manifold anyway, so what do you guys think about running an (Air Gap intake) and get rid of the performer (its pretty ugly)...

Thank Skip....

get rid of the performer


The "Performer" ain't really a performance intake at all, matter of fact, it's just an aluminum version of a stock type intake manifold!.....I ran one of the Weiand "Stealth" intake manifolds on a 454 Chevelle I once had.....It's an aluminum high rise, dual plane with excellent power from off idle to around 6K!:yes::thumbsup:

Hey Ron i took off the intake and i don't know what to look for... I'm going to post a couple of pics.

Most of the valves that are closed looks like they have oil on them (like a little ring of oil) on the intake valves.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/skeeter55/intakepics007.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/skeeter55/intakepics001.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/skeeter55/intakepics009.jpg

Most of the valves that are closed looks like they have oil on them (like a little ring of oil) on the intake valves.



Sorry to hear that man!.....I would think that a little oil would be normal, to lubricate the valve guides and valve stems.....Perhaps maybe it's time to get down and dirty and fix it!

I'm gonna make a couple of calls... But either when i pulled the intake oil was able to run down into the intake ports, or bad guide, seals, and rings... **** i checked this morning it has 165 compression on that #3 cylinder.

That intake manifold gasket looks pretty dry to me, if the gasket wasn't sealing, it would be all oily wet around the ports of the head and the intake manifold!

But if i had a bad intake gasket wouldn't it do the same.

What a minute.... I just stuck a screwdriver in the intake ports to see if it was oil and it was gas... At first when i looked in the intake ports with a flash light, while the valves are closed it had a green color look to it... Thats what made me think it was oil, because my oil has a green color to it (but its not oil). I think it still might be a guide.

OK updated news.... I still think it may be a valve seal, because i took a better look and i can see the #3 intake valve at the guide is wet with oil. But its the only one and its not allot.

I think it still might be a guide.


I think you hit the nail right on that big fat head of yours!:yes:.....What kind of valve seals do those heads have, teflon or the rubber umbrella type?

I don't know yet.

If you can think of anything else let me know Ron... Ill be right back, im going to get a new intake gasket and put it all back together and wait until my buddy brings hes tools over to check the seals.

Skip,

I thought on another thread you had a oil leak on your rear main seal also. Then you wanted to replace / rebuild the motor at some time in the near future.

If it was me I would just replace all the seals on that head and reinstall your new intake. Once you have the valve spring off you can move the valve stem back and forth and see how much movement it has side to side and compare it to your other valves. Then at a later date you can rebuild the motor. It should last till you rebuild the motor.

Skip,

I thought on another thread you had a oil leak on your rear main seal also. Then you wanted to replace / rebuild the motor at some time in the near future.

If it was me I would just replace all the seals on that head and reinstall your new intake. Once you have the valve spring off you can move the valve stem back and forth and see how much movement it has side to side and compare it to your other valves. Then at a later date you can rebuild the motor. It should last till you rebuild the motor.Your right on about me wanting to pull the motor and rebuild it.... But im gonna put it all back together and my buddy is on his way over to help me on installing new seals on the #3 intake and exhaust.... give that a shot.

The OE style stem seal is lodged between the bottom of the spring retainer and groove in the top of the valve stem. Hence, the use of the OE spring covers to aid in oil sealing.

Any other aftermarket seal would be on top of the guide or an umbrella on top of the guide. Cadillac umbrellas were common seals used and no spring cover would be used on either type.

To get a better picture inside the port, shine a light inside the port lighting it up, then take the picture with no flash.

Look at ther floor of the port for oil evidence if gasket was leaking.
The backside of the valve head would be wet with oil if the guide seal leaked.

Way too much RTV used to seal the water crossover. Shouldn't have to use any to seal them.

I wouldn't put the intake back on until you figure out if it's a seal or guide. Pulling the head for guide isn't that much more work.

Heres what i did, installed a new intake gasket, cleaned the carb out, and installed two new polymer seals (LIKE THE OLD SEALS POLYMER) on the #3 intake and exhaust. The old seal on the intake felt like it was easier to pull up and off (maybe it had a looser fit around the valve stem) and the old seal on the exhaust looked great (it was more of a snug fit around the valve stem)... The car runs nice and crispy again, i think it was both intake leak and the intake valve seal.

I'm going out driving 1 hour from home for a photo shoot for a local High School that has the Orange color for the Senior Class.

Guys thank you i was reading this post and working on the car trying to hurry up before the kids came home.. Ill give an update tomorrow when i get back.

Thanks again

Skip

That intake manifold gasket looks pretty dry to me, if the gasket wasn't sealing, it would be all oily wet around the ports of the head and the intake manifold!The intake gasket was pretty wet at the bottom of the gasket, also the the little cover on the intake which is for a choke its caped off but it was leaking out some black carbon or oil... It runs at idle and off idle nice and crispy again. But i wont be happy until the motor comes out and get rebuilt.

Was the inside of the port walls all saturated with oil?.....If so, then it could have been a bad intake gasket!

Was the inside of the port walls all saturated with oil?.....If so, then it could have been a bad intake gasket!Only #3 intake had a film of oil in the head port, The oil never made it in the intake port.... Ill put some miles on it tomorow... You Badbird, I'm tiered as hell.

So i drove about 3 hours and the car ran nicely. I came home and pulled the #3 plug and it looks a little better, but still not as clean as the others (no oil but more like dark brown conaminates).... So the progress is that the intake leak is fixed but now I'm thinking a valve guide, but I'm not worried about it anymore. No smoke, no fouling, no problem. Because it can wait until i pull the motor, the main thing is the motor is nice and crisp.... Thank you guys very much, you guys are right on the money...

you guys are right on the money...


We already know that!:yes::thumbsup:

We already know that!:yes::thumbsup:But i mean literally:yes::yes::yes:.

But i mean literally:yes::yes::yes:.


So do I!:yes::D:hurray::thumbsup:

OK thats it, I'm going to vote you President. Just PM me with all your info, because you are bad to the bone.