Gary Sharpe engine fiasco

Seems odd that there is no consistency with the issue. Goes 50-60 cold starts with no issue but can also smoke for 30 seconds fogging the entire street?

Since the rings, guides/valve seals or pretty much nothing will temporarily fix itself, is it possibly related to oil level/pcv?

(burns off until level is low enough for proper ventilation).

If not, I would be leaning more towards a problem with the heads as that would be more typical a cold start smoking that goes away type issue.

Rings won't typically cause smoking on cold start and then seal up.

I very highly doubt it's because of oil drainback to the pan. Would all 9 quarts even put the level up into the cylinders? Not sure but I don't think so.

 

Like james i am thinking maybe oil level as well. My 99 hardly burns any oil, not nearly as much as wsm states. I generally dont add oil before I change it. I change 1 per year miles vary 3 to 5k so far per year.

 

Sorry Bob no suggestions its above my pay grade. I figured you have been around long enough to run it there.

You need a Dave or Brian

 

Symptoms sound very much like that those exhaust valve seals leak oil through when sits overnight it and burns in the next startup, in a best case scenario. It could be many things, but reading he changed valve guides depending how u remove the old ones u can score the guide bore pretty good and leave leak paths if u dont adress them, or when u install those guides u have to machine them to true size after they are pressed in (even when sintered). Many things u can mess up, but then again very basic stuff in engine rebuilding world.

U could remove headers and look if those exhaust valve stems are wet or to see any trails where that oil is getting there

 

Smoke on startup is usually valve guides/seals.
Rings don't cause startup smoke.

 

Possibly oil level combined with poor scavenging performance? Too much oil accounts for the on/off nature of the issue (did it start after a top-up?). Poor scavenging performance when the oil is cold, i.e. thicker and harder to pump, accounts for this being a cold start issue.

As said above, all conjecture without numbers.

 

Slightly OT: I love the pentagonal reliefs in the 355 pistons.

 

I wonder if it coming down between the valve guide and the head, due to it getting scored when the guides were pressed in. It would drip onto the piston crown overnight and burn off on start. The guide would then expand and seal itself when hot- hence the low oil consumption. It certainly not rings or you would have a pressured crankcase- does this engine have a crankcase breather to the suction side of the ait filter ? To reduce crankcase pressure ?

 

None of this makes sense. As I said from the start and other have stated as well, start up smoke it typically guides. The leak down numbers aren't that bad and probably due to the carbon build up on the exhaust valves. LD numbers are useless without listening and finding where the leakage is. Pistons look about as would be expected for 25k miles. Car ran good, plugs didn't foul. LD not too bad. None of this would lead one to suspect rings.

How was it determined that valve seals were bad? You can not tell by looking at them unless they are broken.

 

Missed that. So it didn't always smoke?

I'll just say that before you spend money replacing liners and rings and whatever else, have the short block lead down tested.

 

...and why I literally pushed my car onto a trailer when it was at his shop to get it away from him. Lots of other stories about him. He is a crook.

Gary Sharpe = EngineFxr on this forum.

I'll refrain from sharing who the other "supporters" of him were, but one of them should know better but didn't.

Sorry to hear about your issues...not surprised...but sorry for you.

 

If the valve seals are similar to those on bike engines, they should be flexable in that you can squeeze it without it breaking, they have a tiny garter spring inside and if you run it down the valve stem you will feel the resistance of the spring pushing on the rubber, you need this resistance to create the sealing. A knackered one will be a poor fit and generally the rubber has gone hard and brittle.
When driving if the valve guides are worn you should get a puff of smoke when you lift off from higher revs, but if you have a crankcase breather connected to the air filter you may not get this.

 

I know. I check every month. Him and one other guy who shall remain nameless. They were very popular here...but very bad people. They owe me some serious cash.

 

Just to clear things up, I meant "how could you tell they were good".

 

As others have repeatedly said this is indicative of bad valve guides and/or seals. The seals may be borderline with temperature causing inconsistent start-up smoke. If whoever is working on it now tells you both are good, I suspect you'll have more misfortune. Reevaluate your current guy before proceeding further.

Why not just send the engine off to Dave Helms or Brian Crall and have piece of mind?

 

They clip over the top of the valve guide where it protrudes from the head, should be a good fit otherwise it will be going up and down with the valve stem.
The valve stem will be a running fit in the seal. Looking at the diagram you can see the lower spring carrier and the valve guide seals. Some engines only have seals on the inlet valves but this has them on both.
This is how i have fitted them to bike engines but principle the same.

 

Yes, I know how they work. I've been around a long time. Likely before you were born.

 

Yup sounds like some digging is needed. Something cracked uo for sure.

Cant tell over the net

Sorry to here, You'll find it

Cyl leakdown and super inspection is in order before looking at the heads

 

God u must be old as i been retired for years.

 

He's so old he remembers when dirt was clean LOL

Wait thats me

 

I've been retired for 20 years this coming march.

 

So, that makes you 85?

Most don't retire at 50

 

He's so old, Jesus signed his high school yearbook.