Rebuild gremlins.

[VSSS_5L]

I have an awful story about how a broken valve spring turned into a full rebuild, but I wont bother going into detail about it. Main point is I got my engine rebuild by a mobile mechanic company that you really dont go to for rebuilds. After much heated discussion I got a reasonable price in the end but my problem is thus.

A few weeks after driving it dropped to 7 cyclinders, checked it out and one of the spark plugs were fouled, checked further and the whole drivers side bank were covered in black crap from oil burning on them.

I got my regular mechanic to have a look and he deduced that when the heads were shaved, because they've been shaved before possibly several times when the valley cover went back on with the gasket and stuff the angle of the valley cover was too far out of synch with the angle of the tops of the shaved heads, and the oil was getting through to the cylinders through there.

He recommended that the valley cover come off and be machined to match the heads.

Anyone had this problem before, and more importantly if it turns out not to be what my mechanic thinks it could be how many other ways are there for oil to be getting into the cylinders on one side? To be honest I think getting the valley cover machined is like a best case scenario cos everything else I can think of is much deeper in the engine.

[VSSS_5L]

2 years 18000k's and a whole lot of dust from sitting abandoned in the backyard later...and this car is in pieces and i'm still not certain where the problem lies. 2 valve guides were replaced in heads that were otherwise in good condition. I'm getting the heads back on friday and if i can source some new head bolts putting them in on the weekend.

Concerned that i still dont really know if im fixing the problem.

[SWE11L]

You must love the car! After 2 years your prob not hurting anymore from the cost of the first rebuild, why not just get a new reco and put it in?

How'd you do 18000k's if it's been sitting in your yard?

[VSSS_5L]

Mainly because as far as i know the bottom end should all be fine. I drove it for 18thousand k's then i stopped driving it coz it started popping or backfiring from under the hood. Up until then it ran fine, could have done with a tune, my only beef with it was the oil usage... And the heat through the driveline come to think of it. I dont remember it ever getting that hot before the rebuild...But yeah after driving for a bit you could burn your hand if you stuck ur finger inside the gearknob boot. Could have something to do with the gearbox/clutch or something though.

Sucks that if you speak to 10 different people about your problem, you'll get 10 different answers. Mechanic told me the v between the heads and inlet manifolds is probably off and i should get the inlet manifolds shaved, the guy that did my heads said not to bother with it f'd if i know.

As it stands im gonna get the heads back torque them up and then sit the inlet manifold on the heads with/without the gasket and just check it out see if it looks to be on the right angle. If it looks out i'll get the manifolds shaved. If i put it all back together and it still uses a buttload of oil I'll pull the engine out and rebuilt it. Seems 355 stroker kits aren't too expensive.

[Pub247]

manifold can be an issue you should measure 1st so you know how much has been machined off.
Was theyre anything wrong with stem seals?

Did they k line all the guides or just replace the 2 where i assume the valve spring broke

[VSSS_5L]

actually when i sat the inlet manifold on the heads it was faultless...Definately no run out issue there at all.

And yeah, when the motor went together the head didn't get enough attention... i think most of the stem seals were all over the place. Its all good now though.