Last fall I put a new set of heads on my car, sbe, because I had a couple bad valve tips when changing springs. I pulled the cam and checked it, oil was clean, no metal anywhere, pistons looked good, hone looked good. Put it all back together with some tfs heads from brian tooley and had rpm motorsports tune it. I drove it maybe 100mi and put about 10 1/4mile passes on it. It was puffing some blue smoke after the finish line, but didn't really dig into it other than emptying the catch can. Haven't driven it since. Started a few times, but not driven.

Fast forward to today, i was gonna go racing and started it up and it had some blue smoke out the exhaust. So I pulled the valve covers to check the valve seals and do a leakdown test. And I found alot of metal dust in the passenger side head. Very fine, but alot of it. The driver side had none. I haven't drained the oil yet and am debating whether to just pull the motor. I didnt see anything out of the ordinary, pushrods, springs and rockers all looked good, no rub marks. Valve cover had no rub marks either.

Any idea what the cause could be? Why would it only be on the pass side of the motor? Should I just start pulling the motor? Thanks

Ryan

 

I, personally, would pull the motor. At the very least, change the oil, check what comes out of the pan.

I have never heard anything bad about Brian Tooley's work, but is it possible the head wasn't properly cleaned after it was machined or worked on? Do the metal particles appear to be machining shavings?
Either way, pull the motor. Hope for the best, but expect the worst...

 

There are no big pieces at all. It is all very fine aluminum dust. The only other thing that I can think of is that I put powercoated valve covers on, maybe they had it in the pvc baffling? We sprayed them with compressed air to make sure they were clean, but idk what it could be. Motor runs great, good oil pressure, only 30k on it.

 

I would make sure you don't have a rocker rubbing somewhere against the head. Other thing it could be is a valve spring eating into the head seat.

 

I was thinking it could be the springs eating their seats, as well.

 

I didn't pull any springs yet, but I would think the shavings would be bigger for that. It is literally powder. Not even anything as big as a grain of salt.

 

The springs arent cutting into the head. Just rubbing so it would be powder.

 

ill check the seats. Seems like a ton of metal for just rubbing though. Especially for a new set of heads with only maybe 150 miles on them. It doesnt really look like bearing material either though. I got all the rockers and pushrods out now. I cant see where anything was rubbing.

 

Metal shavings look like what is left after using a die grinder on a chunk of aluminum.

 

Check the seats. It doesn't matter if its a new build or not. I've seen brand engines chew themselves up while breaking in the cam for 10 minutes.

 

they are next on my checklist. Is there a reason why that would happen or just **** luck? Does it make any difference if that is the problem, or should I still be looking at pulling the motor? Thanks

 

IF its the springs and shims getting into the head then you have to pull the head and get it to a machine shop.

 

Did you also check the pushrod tips and the rocker cups?

 

Wait. Was the powdercoat silver in color?

Were the heads machined by Mr. Tooley, or just assembled/sold?

The fact that it is isolated to one side worries me. It doesn't make sense unless it's something like a spring eating its seat, or single rocker hitting a silver powdercoated valve cover.

Bearing material would be visible anywhere oil reaches.

 

the powdercoat was black. I was more thinking the there could have been material left from sandblasting, not sure what was used.

The rockers and pushrods all look good. I want to do a leakdown test before I pull it down anymore, so maybe tomorrow.

I can't say for sure on the heads. I believe Tooley gets them from TEA and then installs his springs and maybe hand ports them some, but I cant say for sure.

I am at a loss at this point, I spent the extra money for new lifters, guides, heads, oil pump, pulled the cam to check it, etc. and still ended up with a major problem. Really pisses me off, especially if its because a supplier didn't clean their parts.

 

I think either way it is a total teardown and rebuild. Just wasn't expecting it, thought I was done building this car. Also building a 99 drag car right now, so too many parts laying around, lol

 

These things happen. And I am sure that if it's due to anything Tooley did, he will set you straight.

Sorry for the inconvenience, but it will be worth it in the end.

 

I appreciate it. But since all the parts were bought and installed and tuned last year. , I know I am on my own with the repair. Stupid thing is I could have just put $20 in valves in it plus the gaskets and been fine, lol. I am interested now to find where the problem started.

There were some odd occurences before this that may have caused problems, but I really can't say if it was a factor or just coincidence. It blew the crank seal out while being tuned. Then at the track it was laboring in 4th gear like it was misfiring. Had an extra 3mph to the 1/8th but no more mph at the 1/4. Had alot of blue smoke when letting off after the finish line. Was only tuned to 11.8 afr from 5k on up. Then the blue smoke today at idle and #7 misfiring pretty bad. Plugs look like garbage, super rich and no way #7 was firing. I really expected to find the problem on the driver side. Anyway alot of issues, all of which Im not happy about. Maybe the motor just crapped out, maybe it was a combination of things, idk. One thing is for sure, noone will take any responsibility for it except me. Seen it enough to know that.

 

Number 7 maybe getting oiled down by the PCV system. If it pushing oil into the intake it tends to go to back cylinders.

 

Also cut open the oil filter and see whats in it.