[DeTomaso] oil-burning question

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/6/08 5:11:52 PM, chrisvkimball at msn.com writes:

> Any ideas as to why I saw the blue stuff upon startup, and from only the 
> driver's side pipes?
> 
> 
Consider: the only two ways oil can get into the combustion chambers is to 
either bypass the rings from below or leak past the valve guide seals at the 
top. A cracked ring can act this way and a leak-down test will show the bad ring. 

Since stock and 'overhaul' valve guide seals are not really seals but 
oil-deflectors, oil that pools in a rocker cover has more opportunity to seep past 
ineffective seals. It may also be that the skimpy stock oil drainbacks in the 
head on the side where startup smoke is seen, are plugged or partially blocked 
causing the pooling to be deeper and last longer. The seals. made of neoprene 
rubber, also harden and turn brittle after a decade or so soaking in hot oil. 
Such seals then crack and the pieces fall into the oil pan to cause more 
trouble. Both drainback-blockages and disintegrating seals are quite common on 
Cleveland engines. Both drains in the head can be cheaply cleared without removing 
the heads from the engine, by the way- if it turns out this was the cause. 
First start the engine and let it run for only a minute or two. Then pull the 
spark plugs on the smoking side to determine which cylinder is causing the 
problem. Oil in a chamber will leave oily black debris on a plug, if you catch 
it before engine heat burns the evidence away. Once located, you can 
concentrate efforts on that chamber. Pulling the driver's side rocker cover after 
running for a minute will quickly show if oil is not draining back properly- excess 
oil will   come out in a cascade all over everythjing! A disintegrated seal is 
difficult to see on an assembled head but often, bits of a bad seal are still 
up in the rocker chamber. Good luck- J Deryke


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