BladeX10

Well.. In the whole 2 months ive owned this car.. I finally got it in the road for the first time.. I gotta say.. For a 220k mile car.. This thing has a tonnn of power.. I wasn't expecting the tires to squeal on take off like it did. I thought it would have been sluggish and tired knowing it has 220k miles but i guess i was wrong.

I had to put it down again for a few days since im changing the valve cover gaskets for the 5th time and fixing an exhuast leak.

I'm almost postive this engine has never been popped open before.. But i got this weird oil burning issue.. Yes.. It has that nice poof of smoke on start up but goes away for a good minute or 2.. Then once the engine starts to get hot.. It will start puffing out more smoke.. More so out of 1 side of the exhuast even though i only got 1 3" pipe leading to the dual exhuast.. If i turn off the engine and start it again 2 mins later.. it does the same thing. its fine for a good minute or 2.. Also.. As soon as the engine starts to smoke.. the exhuast smoke.. lol almost at the same exact time.. Thats why im trying to fix these valve covers once and for all.

Like i said earlier.. Im pretty sure this engine has never been taken apart.. So i was thinking the valve seals are probably so worn that its just letting oil go right through? I know people are going to say its the rings but doesnt worn rings cause the exhaust to smoke instantly?

Im glad i got to drive this car for the first time lol. I was about to trade it for a ford escort but im glad i didnt.

I'd like to say thanks to all those who have helped me with my problems.. I came to this site with as much knowledge as a rock and ive learned so much about these third gens and the 5.0's..

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

Valve Guides. Not the seals. The seals are when your car gives a puff at startup, and were probably due for replacement 100k miles ago. Your valve guides are shot, and no number of changing valve cover gaskets will fix it.

You could pop off the heads and get them machined to accept valve guide inserts, or you could buy a decent set of heads. GMPP sells the L98 Vette Aluminum heads that are ported and ready to bolt on for only $600. Or you can pick up some rebuilds for cheaper than rebuilding them at a shop.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

There's about a 90% chance that the valve guides are just fine. The valve stem seals harden and crack, allowing oil down the stem. This lubricates the guides. They'll run like that for a long, long time.

Does the smoke return after a couple of minutes of idling, or running down the road? If idling, see Paragraph #1 above - the high vacuum of idle pulls more oil down the stems.

BladeX10

Like if i start it for the first time in a day or so.. It gives out that poof of smoke which i know is the seals.. Itll idle fine for a good minute or so with no smoke at all.. Then as the engine starts to warm.. You could see the smoke start coming out little by little until there is a light cloud and itll just stay like that.. By the time 2-3 mins comes around the engine and exhuast are both smoking.

I had someone drive the car while i observe.. I didnt see any smoke while he was driving it.. No smoke while shifting or nothing. Does that sound familiar at all?

I was poking around at what thought where the valve seals and they where as hard as a rock.. No idea if i was actually messing with the seals or not..

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

You have to remove the springs to play with the seals. If you did that, there's an O-ring and an umbrella seal on the intake, and just an O-ring on the exhaust. They should have used positive seals in the first place. >.<

BladeX10

I might have to try and replace the seals then.. Im just worried about it being hard and having something going wrong. lol. When i first removed the valve covers.. The gaskets looked like black graham crackers and broke like pretzels so im assume nothing has been touched in years..

Is it as hard as it looks to replace the seals?

blackandgoldl69

not hard at all to change valve seal's i did it and im sixteen and still learning about cars all you need is a valve spring compressor and one of the air hoses that screws into your spark plug hole to pressurize the cylinder while you remove the valve spring

BladeX10

How many PSI would i need to get the stems to stay up? I would use the string trick but i wanna do it right

BladeX10

Im going to Kragens in a few and need a list of what exactly to buy to replace the seals.. Need to know what kind of seals to get and what tools to get. LMK

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

Your choice of Valve Cover gaskets (Get re-usable!)
Fel Pro SS 72527 x 2

You'll also need a compressor for the air, and I don't think CSK has the tool to put an air line on the spark plug holes. You can make one at Home Depot. Air chuck>Pipe Thread in the spark plug threading. You can rent the spring compressor (I recall some people having issues getting the back cylinders with a hand held. I think they said to use the stud mount spring compressor....)

Also, it'll suck on cylinders 7&8. Getting to the spark plug is hard, doing it with all of the hoses and crap....

After you get your spring off, put an O-ring or a rubber band or something on one of your valves so that it won't slide into the guide, and turn off the air. If you can wiggle the valve very much in the guide, you need machining. :/

Unfortunately, this is where I am.

BladeX10

Went to Kragen and got a spring compressor and a set of seals.. I got the umbrella type ones. both sets have o rings.. were does the o ring go?.

Imma be doing it the ghetto feeding string in the spark plug hole way.. I was looking at the air compressors and equipment and its way to much money just for a 1 time use.

Imma get started tomorrow.. hope i dont mess anything up. lol. Any last min tips?

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

The O-rings go in the second groove from the top of the valve. The top groove is where the keepers hold the valve in place on the spring retainer. I was told to put the O-ring on just before reinstalling the keepers. *shrug* I don't think it'd matter much either way, but that's the way I was taught at school.

BladeX10

Alright.. Sounds simple.. Ill probably post some more questions when i start getting the springs off and stuff.. I wanna get it right the first time. lol.

So i started pulling some of the brand new spark plugs that i just put in and have maybe 5-10 mins of running time on them and the threads are covered in oil.. So i know its got a problem.. Im almost positive every one of the seals is probably rotted away now

wulfgar the pen

you were going to trade your car for an escourt.
i have never had more car trouble in my life than my girlfriends 93 escourt
transmission lost 2nd gear in less than a year....wtf ford wtf

fix or repair daily...never more true

BladeX10

This was a newer escort but it had high miles so im sure it would have took a crap and died on me real soon.

I figured out my smoke problem.. The person that did the seals before me never put seals on the intake.. just a crumbled up o ring.