175 PSI on all cylinders !!!

[slodave]

Hi!

Great news on my engine! The engine currently has 224,535 miles and never has had any top end work. My dad owned the car before me and was meticulous with receipts, but would let oil leaks, leak, never bothered with valve guides and other things that should have been done.

I took the engine and tranny out end of summer to replace the clutch and replace gaskets/o-rings and fix oil leaks. All went well and I reduced the minor leaks to about three drops. Mid December I took the car out to Willow Springs for a track day and after the first session, noticed lots of oil leaking. I also manged to dirty up the cars behind me with my oil.

I came home from that day a bit depressed, as I thought I would need the engine taken out and rebuilt. The car still pulls strong and is a blast to drive on the various Pelican runs. Still, I new I needed to get the car to TRE and see what to do about the engine. I figured I would have them do a compression and leak down tests.

TRE finished the compression test and let me know that all cylinders and at 175 PSI. Yes!!! We decided not to do the leak down, as it did not seem needed. It seems that after 200,000 miles, I still do not need to have the valve guides or any other internal work done!!!

Anyway, I still have oil leaks to fix before I can bring it onto a track again, but I am glad I do not have to spend the money to rebuild the top end.





Dave

[Dan in Pasadena]

Awesome..and inspiring! Please let us know whatthe oil leaks turn out to be.

I have 126,000 miles on an un-touched 2.7. Though not a record I am sure is a worthy accomplishment for California 2.7's from the Thermal reactor and 5 blade fan days. Mine were taken out early in its life.

I too have some oil leaks despite the fact that I have already changed the oil pressure switch, oil T-stat O ring, breather gasket, etc. It has absolutely no leakage from the return tubes but the one thing I probably SHOULD have done that I didn't do was replace the oil cooler seals. I hope that is all it is and not warped cam towers that one person told me it might be. What else could it be? Stay tuned!

[azasadny]

Excellent!! Nice Targa!

[Jack Olsen]

I speak from personal experience when I say that thing pulls pretty good -- an Energizer Bunny of Carreras.

[slodave]

Dan: The leaks I know about, are:
lower valve cover gaskets(just replaced)
timing chain cover gaskets
possible small leaks from top valve cover gaskets
oil return tubes (they are the collapsible type and old)

I may put some dye in the oil and see what else I can come up within the next few weekends.

Art and Jack, thanks for the compliments. And Jack, I'll see you at the track - well, maybe in a couple of months...

Since this engine won't quit, maybe it's time for a SW chip. I had been holding off due to the high mileage, but...

Dave

[DByers]

Thats great news Dave! Now you will have all that money for track days!

[450knotOffice]

Great news Dave!

[Hugh R]

My very, very limited experience tells me that those oil leaks are nothing. Mine was a leaker when I bought it and I did the valve adjust, with new gaskets, the cam oil lines and the tensioner tubes and the oil return tubes and now its completely dry, in terms of leaks. Less than a day of work. BTW, if you do the oil return tube replacement, use silicone grease on the o-rings, not oil as Wayne suggests. The tubes should expand and contract with two fingers with the grease, oil just wipes off and you can hardly move them. I had to remove the drivers side Heat Exchanger, YMMV. Wayne's other suggestions of using hose clamps, etc are good, you just have to grunt them in.

[SP2]

Dave,

That is awesome news! Maybe your dad knew what he was doing. Those oil leaks don't seem like a big deal. Next time you do those covers, sand them down. I have heard it before, but John Walker here locally told me to put 50 grit sand paper on a piece of glass to make the valve covers and chain covers flat. At first I thought that would be a PIA, but I did it and it is really easy. I think what it does is mostly remove old gasket and glue from the covers. John also suggested I use K&W copper gasket spray on the gaskets. I am resealing my long block too, so I tried the copper spray and it is a little sticky and works great.

What color is your car. I dig it.

[slodave]

Hugh, Thanks for the advice about the silicon grease. I had read about that before, but forgot what to use. I hope I can leave the exchanger on. I really do not want to cause other problems

James, it is Arena Red. My dad also drove the car very softly, from point a to point b. He gave the car to me at 190,000 miles, the engine had probably just been broken in I do not want to do this again for a while, so I have been talking to various people on how to keep the gaskets from leaking. I, too, was advised to use a similar product for the gaskets. As for the mirror/sand paper, I will be making sure all covers are not warped before going back on.

Dave

BTW, I wonder if I can hit 500,000 miles

[ckissick]

Yeah, I suppose that's good news for your pocketbook. But the pessimist in me is sad for you. Now you won't get to experience the thrill of the statement, "As long as I'm in there...."

[slodave]

Originally posted by ckissick
Yeah, I suppose that's good news for your pocketbook. But the pessimist in me is sad for you. Now you won't get to experience the thrill of the statement, "As long as I'm in there...."

True, part of me is disappointed and my dreams for the engine have been shelved foe now. In the long run it is good, I am without a job at the moment and my pocketbook is quite empty at the moment

Dave