TOPIC:

Bad valve guide seals can make it run rich.
Steve

But would oil consumption be considered running "rich". My thoughts on rich would be just too much fuel compared to air ratio. Oil getting past the valve guide seal could be it but i just replaced all valve seals with Viton seals a few hundred miles ago. Wither its the seals or oil rings i wouldn't personally consider that to be called a "rich" condition...but thats just my train of thought

cafebrat wrote: But would oil consumption be considered running "rich". My thoughts on rich would be just too much fuel compared to air ratio. Oil getting past the valve guide seal could be it but i just replaced all valve seals with Viton seals a few hundred miles ago. Wither its the seals or oil rings i wouldn't personally consider that to be called a "rich" condition...but thats just my train of thought

I could be wrong here but, if you are also getting oil into the combustion chamber then you'd be adding to the fuel in the chamber, more fuel in the chamber to be burnt would indicate a richer condition , would it not...?

Yes, I had to go one step down on the pilots and use longer reach plugs. BP8ES instead of B8ES. Did you replace the rings?
Steve

So i got the cylinder head and cylinders off today and im down to the pistons. Before i took everything apart i ran a compression test just to rule out the cylinders being out of spec. I got:
#1-183psi and holds pressure until released
#2-170psi and holds
#3-170psi and holds
#4-170psi and holds
Not sure why #1 was more but its within the 10% difference between cylinders and they all held good compression.

Pulling the cylinder head off, cylinders #1 & #4 looked slightly oily. Ive attached pictures of each with the corresponding number to which cylinder it is.
Ive also attached pictures of each piston showing the top of #1 and #4 looking wet and oily with a slight pool of oil in the divit for the exhaust valves.

All 4 cylinders oil and compression rings were installed correctly, and no oil ring spacers were overlapped or showed any signs of issues whatsoever.
I suppose this would indicate valve seals (??) but they were all installed with brand new Viton valve seals when the top end was done just a few months ago.
I lapped the valves to the head and adjusted valve clearance at that time as well.

im really stumped. Does anyone know from the pictures what it looks like to them of what i should be looking for as my problem. Id really prefer to not have to remove all the valves again to check the valve seals that im sure were all installed correctly just a few months ago.

...im lost on what to do from here besides just install new rings and reassemble and wish and pray for a different outcome.

Tops of pistons ( dont pay attention to the reflection off the top of the pistons on the cylinder wall from the flash. Each cylinder is clean and has a visible cross hatch left from honing before last top end reassembly)

My concern here is that cylinders #1 & #4 have little to no carbon on top, almost as if the cylinders aren't combusting, (but both are and have strong spark) although i suspect its because they have a light coat of oil on top of them and the carbon isnt sticking.

I don't see any cross hatch. Did you measure the clearances of the pistons or the valve guides?
Steve

There is a clear cross hatch in each cylinder, you just cant see it in the pictures. I didnt measure the piston or valve guides

And wouldnt good compression that holds in all cylinders eliminate both of those?

You can have excellent compression even if the valve guides are bad. This is because when the valves are closed compression is held by the valves inside the combustion chamber and not dependent on valve guide condition. Ed

Now that you have it apart again you need to do this. Use a feeler gauge to measure the clearances top, middle and bottom with the piston upside down. It will give you a rough idea on how the bores are. Rock the valves in the guides to see if there is excessive play. It's all in your manual.
Steve

Looked again at the pics. The intakes looks like the seals are leaking and the piston/bores look sloppy to me. Pics of the pistons and bores?
Steve