Good Compression But One Plug Oil Fouled

[posulli88]

Thank you everyone for your help and opinions. This forum is such a good resource. I will pull the heads and get a valve job.

I guess the last question I have is since I will have the intake manifold pulled would you suggest going to the lighter Edelbrock performer manifold and a 4 barrel carb or stick with the stock set up?

[72jeeperjoe]

You won't notice too much of a power difference but it is nice to have a newer four barrel. I assume you have a two barrel set up now? For stock engines I would rather use a factory iron intake but Eldebrock does make good intakes. I suggest against buying used if you can, I have had bad luck with having warped second hand intakes.

[posulli88]

I do. I have the stock Motorcraft 2100 that I recently rebuilt.

[72jeeperjoe]

I will say one thing, there is very few things better than getting a shiny new I take and carb in the mail! I won't hurt anything that's for sure, plus if you do other upgrades such and exhaust etc in the future it helps.

[440sixpack]

There is no way to tell what's left in a 40 year old engine that has an unknown history.

If you don't plan on getting farther away from home than you want to walk back go the easy route.

[posulli88]

Got the heads out Cylinder 8 (problem cylinder) valves are caked with carbon/oil.

Thinking about just buying reman heads from atk. Anyone have experience with those or should I just get a valve job? Shops in my area have quoted me at $500-$900 ($900 sounds high, but that was a worst case number...) depending on how much work needs to be done. I can get a reman set for $250. But if I am better off keeping my existing heads and doing a valve job I will do that.

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/spartan-atk-engines-cylinder-head-remanufactured-2a14/99980943-P?searchTerm=cylinder+heads#fragment-2

[ZackN920]

That seems obscenely high for a valve job.

Just curious but, why are you that worried about this? You had good compression, and I think? you said that it was running good. I would have just left it alone, if it isn't pushing out blue smoke when you drive it. I'm a cheap ass though, and all about saving my money...

[posulli88]

I had good compression but was getting oil in cylinder 8 fouling the spark plug. Which lead me to a leaking valve seal and potentially valve guide. I was getting a little smoke on start up. Having pulled the heads it looks like that was the case. Cylinder 8's valves are covered in carbon and oil. I would say it was running ok not great. But think I was potentially running on 7 cylinders. I also thought $900 was very high he said that would be for: hot tanking, magnaflux, light decking, valve guides, hardened valve seats, 3 angle valve job, then Cnc install of spring heights and valve heights, and seals. I guess that was for the works.

Has anyone used ATK reman heads? If so were they decent?

[440sixpack]

A good head rebuild can cost a grand. but if you're lucky they won't need everything. I'd run away from reman heads you get what you pay for.

[rang-a-stang]

A good head rebuild can cost a grand. but if you're lucky they won't need everything. I'd run away from reman heads you get what you pay for.

Concur. Not that I have tons of experience with Reman'ed heads but I have almost always had better luck having parts rebuilt, than trying to just swap in reman'ed.

[posulli88]

Alright thanks everyone. I will get the heads rebuilt. Sounds like the smarter way to do it.

[FSJunkie]

At 130,000 miles, I promise you the guides are loose. The valve stem oil deflectors, valve seats, and valve faces are probably all toast too.

A good machine shop should install steel guides, hardened exhaust seat inserts, cut the intake and exhaust seats, reface or replace all valves, test or replace the valve springs, and install new valve stem oil deflectors. Parts alone will run about $300.

Some shops may try to cut corners by reaming the guides rather than replacing them or by recutting your original exhaust seats rather than replacing them with new hardened seats. Reaming the guides isn't too bad, but not replacing the original exhaust seats is. You will be pulling the head back off in 15,000 miles if they do that. Ask me, I've been there and done that. The original seats have a very thin hardness layer and recutting them just once blows through the hardness layer so now they wear rapidly and fail.

I bet you'll find at least one broken piston crown when you pull the heads off. That's what happens to AMC engines when people say "stupid retarded smog spec ignition timing hurr derr durr..." and crank the hell out of their ignition timing thinking their a f*#king genius, or they just never checked the mechanical advance and it's been over-advancing itself for the last 20 years. It breaks the pistons. You can bet some shade tree jackwagon has done that to your engine by now. The engine will keep running alright if you leave the broken pistons in there, but if you're like me you won't leave something like that inside your engine if you've got it that far apart.

[posulli88]

Some of my rocker arms have some slight corrosion on the sides. Should I replace all the rocker arm assemblies? If I replace the rocker arm assemblies do I need to replace pushrods?

Guy who quoted $900 was factoring in replacing valve seats with hardened seats, replacing guides, replacing valves where needed, checking springs, and replacing seals...

[440sixpack]

You should already have hard seats. but they may be shot.

I wouldn't replace the rockers unless they toast. a little surface rust won't hurt anything. clean them up a little and forget it.

Your pushrods should be fine . check your preload when you're done but it's doubtful you'll need to address the preload with only a head rebuild. I would replace the liters since you're in there.

[babywag]

and crank the hell out of their ignition timing thinking their a f*#king genius, or they just never checked the mechanical advance and it's been over-advancing itself for the last 20 years. It breaks the pistons. You can bet some shade tree jackwagon has done that to your engine by now.

You forget to take your nap today?
Lighten up Francis...