Bad Piston Rings?

[arbita1]

I removed my right side heat exchanger today and noticed exhaust valves 4 and 5 were covered in oil. What could be the cause? Getting by the rings?

[timmy2]

Getting by the rings, getting by the valve guides, broken head stud(s), are all possibilities.
Mileage on your engine? History?

[arbita1]

Originally Posted by timmy2

Getting by the rings, getting by the valve guides, broken head stud(s), are all possibilities.
Mileage on your engine? History?

205,000 miles nand never split.

[Bob Kontak]

If it is running ok and not billowing smoke out the back, run it to 300k and then do the heads.

My heads were completely rebuilt in 1987 by Engine Builder's Supply (coordinated by). I had a broken stud on cylinder five I think, maybe six. When I got the heads back there were valve seals in the shipping box. I called and asked what are these things and they said the exhaust valves do not need the seals. On a few exhaust pulls over the last 13 years, I see that there is seepage from the stems on two or three cylinders. Not as oily black as yours, but I only have 30k on the rebuild across all these years.

Give us some reasons/symptoms to tell you to drop the engine. Otherwise, count your blessings and drive on, bro.

[arbita1]

Its not smoking at all. Maybe it's a little down on power, but not too bad.

The engine is actually out and stripped down to the long block. But I can't do any sort of rebuild right now. I don't have the time or funds. So it's going to have to wait a few years.