81 plugs/intake gaskets/....update..????
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,323
Likes: 142
From: Green Valley Arizona
81 plugs/intake gaskets/....update..????
Think I have found the problem....see bottom of this thread for picture................................
Have the intake off of my 81. See other post about the 81 spark plugs.
Using 1/2 qt of oil in 70 miles, see spark plug pictures. Now with the intake off, I was expecting to see an oil path around each intake port of the gasket....but everything looks just fine...no oil path. However I did find that i did not put in any cross-over restrictions..both sides were open port...not sure if this is correct or not.
But where do I go from here?
Am I looking at pulling the heads and taking all the pistons out, checking rings? If I have the rings upside down, what other problems would I have???
What else could be using so much oil?
Back of each intake valve looks alot like the spark plugs....lots of black carbon build-up in the 1500 miles or so on this engine.
It's 7:56am....is it too early to start drinking?
Thanks for all the suggestions...
LannyL81
Have the intake off of my 81. See other post about the 81 spark plugs.
Using 1/2 qt of oil in 70 miles, see spark plug pictures. Now with the intake off, I was expecting to see an oil path around each intake port of the gasket....but everything looks just fine...no oil path. However I did find that i did not put in any cross-over restrictions..both sides were open port...not sure if this is correct or not.
But where do I go from here?
Am I looking at pulling the heads and taking all the pistons out, checking rings? If I have the rings upside down, what other problems would I have???
What else could be using so much oil?
Back of each intake valve looks alot like the spark plugs....lots of black carbon build-up in the 1500 miles or so on this engine.
It's 7:56am....is it too early to start drinking?
Thanks for all the suggestions...
LannyL81
Last edited by LannyL81; Nov 23, 2006 at 09:18 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,323
Likes: 142
From: Green Valley Arizona
Houston...I think we have a problem......
Check out the picture.....I think I have found the problem.
Have to blame the engine rebuilder on this one (me)...but in my defense I had asked a co-worker who has worked on cars his entire life...about which way the pistons go in as I was not sure...I believe he told me incorrectly.
So 8 bent valves...8 nicked pistons
Looks like I will be getting 8 new valves, 8 new pistons and another set of rings....and have a whole lot of fun ahead.
I am thinking I am going to drop the pan and take off the rod caps and push the pistons out, then new ones in...all with the engine in the car. I know I have to drop the steering linkage to drop the pan...is there anything else I should know?????
Thank for the help guys,
LannyL81
Have to blame the engine rebuilder on this one (me)...but in my defense I had asked a co-worker who has worked on cars his entire life...about which way the pistons go in as I was not sure...I believe he told me incorrectly.
So 8 bent valves...8 nicked pistons
Looks like I will be getting 8 new valves, 8 new pistons and another set of rings....and have a whole lot of fun ahead.
I am thinking I am going to drop the pan and take off the rod caps and push the pistons out, then new ones in...all with the engine in the car. I know I have to drop the steering linkage to drop the pan...is there anything else I should know?????
Thank for the help guys,
LannyL81
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,696
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
Dang!
If it makes you feel any better, I didn't see what the problem was until I read your caption.
I think that you're going to have to check the valve guides as well. The fact that you were using so much oil leads me to believe that besides bending the valves, you may have damaged the guides as well.
If it makes you feel any better, I didn't see what the problem was until I read your caption.
I think that you're going to have to check the valve guides as well. The fact that you were using so much oil leads me to believe that besides bending the valves, you may have damaged the guides as well.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,323
Likes: 142
From: Green Valley Arizona
Originally Posted by CA-Legal-Vette
Dang!
If it makes you feel any better, I didn't see what the problem was until I read your caption.
I think that you're going to have to check the valve guides as well. The fact that you were using so much oil leads me to believe that besides bending the valves, you may have damaged the guides as well.
If it makes you feel any better, I didn't see what the problem was until I read your caption.
I think that you're going to have to check the valve guides as well. The fact that you were using so much oil leads me to believe that besides bending the valves, you may have damaged the guides as well.
Oh yeah....going to have to have these heads completely checked out. Hopefully the heads can be salvaged (new valves and bronze guides) otherwise I'll be getting another set of heads.....AAARRRGGHHHH
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Before you get crazy and start dropping rod caps, PLEASE make sure they are marked. Not only which cylinder, but which sides of the caps go together. I'd replace the rod bearings too while I was in there.
I didn't see the usual notch on the front side of the pistons either. Maybe some don't have them. Make sure that your machine shop gets the pistons on the right way, as I recall, a 350 has a small offset in the pin location.
Maybe a good idea to have the shop check the rods too- make sure they're not tweaked from the valves hitting the pistons.
Sorry for your problems, but at least you've found what the problem is.
I didn't see the usual notch on the front side of the pistons either. Maybe some don't have them. Make sure that your machine shop gets the pistons on the right way, as I recall, a 350 has a small offset in the pin location.
Maybe a good idea to have the shop check the rods too- make sure they're not tweaked from the valves hitting the pistons.
Sorry for your problems, but at least you've found what the problem is.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,323
Likes: 142
From: Green Valley Arizona
Thanks for the reminder...yes...rod caps are already marked when I took them off the first time for the rebuild.
About these pistons...yeah..no notch, arrow, nothing to indicate which way they were supposed to go...which is why I was not sure and asked...got the wrong info...but I should have been more careful. But I was focused more about the valve train and getting a pushrod length checker to determine if I needed shorter pushrods or not...which I did.
Hey anyone think that I should do a "Bubba job" and just rotate the piston in the bore and be done????.....
Later,
LannyL81
About these pistons...yeah..no notch, arrow, nothing to indicate which way they were supposed to go...which is why I was not sure and asked...got the wrong info...but I should have been more careful. But I was focused more about the valve train and getting a pushrod length checker to determine if I needed shorter pushrods or not...which I did.
Hey anyone think that I should do a "Bubba job" and just rotate the piston in the bore and be done????.....
Later,
LannyL81
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
Originally Posted by LannyL81
Hey anyone think that I should do a "Bubba job" and just rotate the piston in the bore and be done?LannyL81
Rods have a front & back too! Each rod has one side of big end that's chamfered ... that chamfer fits against the crank throw ... the UNchamfered sides face each other. You'd better check your lower too as it may be damaged.
*edit* I dunno if you pressed or floated the pins ... but pistons MAY be on rods backwards.
Last edited by jackson; Nov 24, 2006 at 11:20 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Just curious, how much cam do you have. Years ago, I had a .455 lift cam with lots of duration in a 350 Camaro and never ever even thought about pushrods. I used to kill 455 Trans-Ams on a regular basis.
Make sure the machine shop knows what is wrong this time so they don't just go do a one-for-one swap and put you right back in the trick bag.
Make sure the machine shop knows what is wrong this time so they don't just go do a one-for-one swap and put you right back in the trick bag.
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,323
Likes: 142
From: Green Valley Arizona
I was only joking about just turning the piston in its bore and being done...
However I will be sure to check to make sure the rod caps are in correctly. If there is any damage to the crank...engine will be relaced with a crate motor.
Cam is a Comp Cams 268H: gross valve lift is .454 for both intake and exhaust. Then add in the 1.6 ratio rockers instead of 1.52 and its a bit more. Duration is 268 or course.
However I will be sure to check to make sure the rod caps are in correctly. If there is any damage to the crank...engine will be relaced with a crate motor.
Cam is a Comp Cams 268H: gross valve lift is .454 for both intake and exhaust. Then add in the 1.6 ratio rockers instead of 1.52 and its a bit more. Duration is 268 or course.
