When you fasten the torque plate down, do you use a normal head gasket between it and the block? Curious minds want to know.
You must use both the type of gasket and bolts or studs that you will actually be using when you foots to the floor.
Quick update. Rained out in the field today. Using a Rigid ca-25 Borescope today. The camera is 17mm so doesn't fit down the hole. Some of the thick carbon flaked off the top of the piston apparently. I can see the mirror like reflection on cylinder wall of #7 at bdc. No shiny ring visible around the outside edge of pistons that I can see so far.
Get an Endoscope like I previously mentioned for $20.00. IF you ordered it when I mentioned it you would have it by Thurs./Fri. then you'll know for sure. Tom T.
I suppose 7 quarts in 1500mi would do that to the top of the pistons. I don't see any ring around any pistons indicating blowby like Jim W. mentioned. I realize I'm speculating.
I totally understand the lack of desire to pull the head or the engine… so summarize everything you’ve learned here on the board, and have found out for yourself, and keep going, taking it one step at a time. I would do the next easiest thing and pull the intake and check the intake port seal. Depending on what you find will dictate the next step(s). Pull the distributor at the same time and have it set up with a proper curve to take care of the detonation issue too. Hang in there - you’ll get it!
We finished harvest so I will have time soon to get back at it. Drove the wildcat this morning but it will go in storage soon before salt hits the road. Then the garage will have plenty of room for engine work. Thanks for asking
Update for patient viewers: New valve seals hopefully may have fixed most of the oil usage. I had the valve covers off so I compressed the springs and removed the dampeners from inside the stage 1 valve springs and installed the blue viton seals as TA Performance recommended. I also confirmed acceptable valve stem to guide clearance with a dial indicator gauge. I figured it was worth a shot before teardown. Yesterday I warmed it up and used a bit of seafoam down the carb. I took it 30mi down a few roads and changed the oil to rotella t4 10w30 and topped off the tank with racing fuel. My bride and I then took it for a spirited ride over 100mi with plenty of WOT and engine breaking on a variety of roads and speeds. We parked it back in her spot in the garage and fully expected it to be down almost a pint of oil. BUT the dipstick is almost the same! The inspection camera shows the carbon is coming off the pistons. The plugs also don't look oily and black like they were. I'm cautiously optomist! It's snowing here now so I might not be able to get a bunch more miles on for a while. Definitely going to rebuild carb this winter but still not quite ready to pull the heads this month.
It sounds like your good now, but I would like to know why those Umbrella seals got so chewed up though?
Me too! I'm guessing the dampener tang on the end did it while rotating the seal? Machinist definitely should not have used this type of seal with the dampener!
Thanks yes very good. Seemed to get better even on the home stretch. Seemed to able to exceed the speed limit even more quickly. Carburetion needs to be addressed of course.
That's great... Sounds like you got it under control. I don't blame you for being cautiously optimistic.
So I rebuilt carb and adjusted vacuum advance range and drove it through its paces. MUCH better! Oil only down a little bit in 150mi.
I pulled out the ur5 plugs. I think they might be too hot now. Very uniform so far. I'll put the ur4 plugs in instead. I'm happy to see NO oil on the threads or black color like it had with those bad valve seals!
