V8Astro Captain

iTrader: (1)

I pulled the plugs yesterday to check up on things. I have about ~1000 or so miles on the engine after the cam swap. The first plug I pulled (#7) was covered in flaky white deposits. The insulator was covered on one side. So I suspected it was additives from the water remover I put in the tank a couple days before.

The other plugs weren't as bad, but when I got to #4 it was worse AND it had oil on the threads. So I figured it was my valve stem seals after looking at some pictures of funky plugs and the problems that caused it.

Since I just switched the cam, do you think that it ruined the valve stem seals? The entire engine only has about 15K miles on it. The seals probably wore to the low lift cam, then the new cam opened the valves another .100" and the stuff on the stem ripped up the seal...???...maybe?

Is it time to change the seals? Think it'll stop leaking (...yeah right...)?

IROCBlueZ28

Is there anyway you can do a compression test and a leak down test? That could give you some sort of idea?

V8Astro Captain

iTrader: (1)

I don't think a leak down test would tell me if the valve stem seals are bad...would it?

Ukraine Train

oil should generally turn the plugs black and shiny. did the plug look at all like this one? this one is damaged by preignition. i'm not sure what it means if the plug is white, maybe it's getting too hot.

and unless your valve stems were rusty or what not they shouldn't have torn up the seals enough to start leaking, although i guess anything is possilbe. also consider that in order for umbrella seals to leak they have to get ripped up with one pass of the stem when you first cranked the engine with the new cam because they ride on the stem and dont move on it.

Ukraine Train

forgot the pic

V8Astro Captain

iTrader: (1)

Wow...mine look alot better than that!

All the plugs seemed to have the usual coloration/slight deposits that I've always seen from the additives in gas. Except for #7 and #4...darn it I should've taken a picture. #7 and #4 had alot more build-up than the others...and #4 had a little oil on the threads. Not black and shiny tho...Maybe it is the additives from the water remover I put in last tank full.

I could easily scrape the deposits off with an O-ring pick.

I'm gonna pull the plugs when I put the headers in, so I'll look at them again.

V8Astro Captain

iTrader: (1)

Is there anything that should've been done to the seals before I ran the engine after the cam swap?

How do you setup valve stem seals...or do you? I just thought you pushed them on and off you go.

V8Astro Captain

iTrader: (1)

ttt

Ukraine Train

far as i know, there's no special procedure to prep seals. i put new ones on when i redid my engine and i just pushed them on. i'm not burning any oil now.

Riley's35089rs+

White usually means you are running too lean.....better check it out..

99Hawk120

If the oil was only on the threads, I wouldn't worry about it. I've seen that happen from an external leak.