quote:Originally posted by Art Stephens:
My engine builder removed the valves from the heads and found that about half of the guides were bad. I guess that explains the oil consumption issue. The reason the guides went bad, I don't know? Here is my best guess. After the 30 minute engine break in, I changed the oil. After the first 100 miles, I changed the oil again. The next oil change was 2800 miles later. I had added about 4 quarts during that 2800 mile period. When I drained the oil after 2800 miles, I only got 4 or 5 quarts in the drain pan. What the f___! I have a 10 quart pan! Obviously I was going thru a lot of oil! Like 8 or 10 quarts in 2800 miles. I should have been paying closer attention, damn it. It just didn't occur to me that it could be using that much oil, it was a new engine after all. I would have figured 2500 miles on a quart, not 250. At 5500 miles I discovered I had an intake gasket leak. Ah, so that is where the oil is going. I replaced the intake gaskets but the engine was still using oil, now what? After learning that the guides were trashed, I came to the conclusion that running it low on oil may have been the reason, lack of lubrication on the guides? The funny thing is, half of the guides looked good. So could low oil level have caused this problem on only some of the guides? That is the best guess I've got. Anyone out there got any other ideas? I'm having new bronze guides installed and while the heads are off, I'm having them milled .020 and having the exhaust ports pocket ported. I hope this solves my oil consumption and low HP issues. And just maybe she will go like a bat out of hell! I'll be able to find out for sure with the Christmas present I got for myself. A G-tech meter! Damn this should be fun, I can't wait!
Art
Art, guides don't go bad that fast. Remember that the one who smelt it delt it.
Your builder is screwing you.
He never did the guides to begin with, or he knerled them instead or replacing them.
I'd get a new builder.
1)These things should have had brand new manganese-bronze guides, they look like the ones that Edelbrock uses in thier heads, completely replacing the original cast in iron guides which have to be completely machined out.
If they don't, then you got screwed.
2) Install roller rocker arms to keep the wear round and not hour-glassed. The guides will last forever.