My New, New 347

[Dono]

Oil consumption is a bit over a quart every 200 miles. Lots of blue smoke at times.

Yea, Iv'e never pulled a spring with compressed air holding up the valves.
Using the leak down tester to keep pressure in the cylinder is supposed to work. I'm going to find out.

The builder is more than willing to work with me on anything. He has ordered high end Manley seals for me. Thing is, for him to work on the motor, it needs to be out of the truck and brought to him. He was prepared to clear his schedule to start working on it, but I really didn't want to pull the motor if I didn't have to.
As I worked to find the issue, I was talking to him and sending him pictures.

The valve seals that are commonly used are a steel press fit on to the head, and a viton (rubber, whatever) seal against the valve. These manley valves have a rubber seal where they push on to the head, and at the valve also. He says they are just a better seal. He said he has only ever had issues with the seals he uses one other time.

The motor tilts to the back, and with the high volume oil pump there is quite a bit more oil in the heads at times. With the engine tilt, the back valve seals get flooded and the oil control isn't there at the seals. That's why #4 (The back one) looks so bad. Probably #8 (The other back plug) will look really bad also. Dimas expects that all valve seals are doing the same thing, we just can't see it on the plugs because they are not being flooded with oil. Recommendation is to do all seals.#4 and #8, but I have it all apart anyway. I was also getting a random misfire check engine code. This is obviously that issue also.

 

[Dono]

I stuck a little ebay bore-scope down the lower intake ports to see if I could see signs of oil. I was pulling the bore-scope out and the line was all oily on a few ports. If you look at the picture, you can see what looks like oil on the valve. It kinda looks like oil droplets on the valve. I can't tell for sure, but I do know there's oil in those holes when there shouldn't be. I'm not looking forward to this at all. Even finding a spring compressor that will fit in to the confined space I have at the back of the motor is difficult. I'm going to start by trying a cheep one: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0002STSGC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1
And failing that, I'm going to go with the grand poobah of spring compressors: LSM Racing Valve Spring Removal Tools SC-800
This one looks awesome, and should be extremely easy to use. But, look at the price tag on it.

 

[boominXplorer]

I think that is just pcv juices that your seeing there. Usually a torn seal will leave the whole port oily or puddle on closed valve. Could be dripping of the exhaust valve though

 

[vroomzoomboom]

I think that is just pcv juices that your seeing there. Usually a torn seal will leave the whole port oily or puddle on closed valve. Could be dripping of the exhaust valve though

One thing you need to keep in mind however don hasn’t ran the truck in almost a week as well

 

[Dono]

Yea, this is all best guess. The oil is going somewhere. I don't think a seal is torn, I just don't think they are sealing. I have to start somewhere, and if this doesn't stop the oil usage, I'm going to have to try something else.

 

[Dono]

I finally had some great success with a tool after all else failed. With the lack of clearance, and the dual valve springs I really thought I was going to be pulling the motor.
Passenger side is done, the drivers side is proving to be painful. I think it's got a lot to do with the fact that my hands hurt from doing the other side, and I'm a lefty, so it threw me off. I quit tonight after hunting for a keeper for about a half hour. Back to using a plastic bag in the area I'm working in tomorrow.
Tim's going to come help tomorrow.
Hopefully with tomorrow being a new day things will go smoothly (I'm sure some help will go a long way).

Did I mention I'm really missing that nerve I cut in my thumb? One side is completely numb and it turns out a nerve runs up both sides of your thumbs. Who knew?

 

[4pointslow]

Great picture! That tool looks pretty good.
Hope tomorrow goes smoothly for you!
See anything weird with the old seals coming off?

 

[Dono]

The old seals are the white, hard, teflon ones. They are on there super tight. On line reports go both ways on them saying they tend to leak, to the other extreme where they do not provide enough oil to the valve guides. Hopefully the new flexible viton ones work better.
I wont even know where to look if the motor still burns a bunch of oil after this. I shouldn't even be thinking about that though.

 

[gmanpaint]

I miss the days of a few bolts to remove a valve cover, to work on them.

Glad Tim is lending a hand. Working the bugs out is part of it, and that spring tool looks handy!

 

[Dono]

Yeah, without that tool the motor would be coming out. I'm in love with that tool. We could market that tool.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

I'm in love with that tool. We could market that tool.

oh you know whats coming next!

was on the phone with don when he said, and i QUOTE!!!!!!
don - "yea, after massaging joes tool, it worked great!"
me - (dead silence for a few seconds) "yeaaaaaaaaa, i'm NOT even going there BAWAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!!!
joe is the guy that lent me that valve spring tool to give to don.
oh, btw, i told him what you had said. i think he dropped the phone laughing as well. i still chuckle about that one. can't mention the other thing don said. it a family site after all *snicker snicker

 

[Exploring XLT]

I do.... and missing one is no fun. You should see the scar on my right hand, pulling the 7.5 litre out of our motor home, my hand slipped and I cut it, cut two tendons and several nerves, got to wear a cast for 16 weeks.

 

[Dono]

I had never really thought about missing a digit before, but after this experience I did. That would be terrible. It's a reminder to all to be careful. Im hoping that the nerve grows over eventually and I get a bit of feeling back. Anyway, back to the garage for me. Tim's coming over and I'm hoping to make progress before he shows up.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Tim's coming over and I'm hoping to make progress before he shows up.

I’m here now, and it’s going something like this

 

[Dono]

Nice! Nice and sneaky that is!!

I would have really struggled without Tim. We both really struggled instead. Thanks so much for the help Tim, your ideas really helped ease the pain for both of us. Even the simple things, like moving the compressor out of the garage so it would quit going thru our heads like a nail.

Seals are all done, rockers are set, and valve covers on. Plugs, upper intake, and wires.. No cursing, just straight forward assembly. I should be back in business tomorrow night.

 

[4pointslow]

Its looking good!
Good idea to move the compressor, they are so noisy.
Hope your thumb heals, digit injuries are the worst!

 

[vroomzoomboom]

no problem. looks like you were a busy boy after i left. as for the compressor, that would have drove me 3 shades of insanity if we had to listen to one more cycle from that spawn of satan

 

[Dono]

So far so good, about 200 miles on the motor now, and the dip stick is still at the full level.
Weather's been crappy, so I haven't moved the tuning along other than cold start adjustments.

Sure is a rough idle, and the police seem to be everywhere.
So far, there have been two guys that my idle has made them take off from the red light like they were racing me. Both have been pulled over, one by a ghost car. Too aggressive of driving might not end well. I was talking to a policeman the other night, and he said they are out looking for aggressive driving (Spring campaign), and even if you leave a light to fast, you could get a ticket called 'contest of speed'. He loved my truck, but did warn me that the next guy might be looking to hand out tickets, and to be careful. He said the idle alone draws attention to me.

I'm super relieved that the oil burning seems to be fixed.

 

[4pointslow]

Glad to hear it is not consuming oil anymore. Drive carefully!

 

[gmanpaint]

The Revenue officers are like Honey Badgers....... they don't give a F*** about serving and protecting, they just want your gold.

Your only going to be able to granny that rig for so long, before your foot snaps, and mashes that go fast peddle! lol

Ditto on the oil issue fix!