How does under my valve cover look? [PHOTOS]

[Hyde244]

Yay! Another under-valve cover photo thread!

I was checking fluid levels today, and thought I'd take a peak under the oil cap, and share these photos. One question I do have is the apparent scoring on the camshaft - is that supposed to be there or due to neglect? I did buy this Focus used at 30,000 miles, so obviously the previous owner could have not treated the care with TLC. However, this engine runs perfectly at 67,000 miles with zero oil consumption and has seen regular MC 5k OCIs under my ownership.

Otherwise, how does it look?

 

[JHZR2]

I wouldnt have any complaints.

 

[Donald]

As has been pointed out a look down the oil fill is not representative. The rest of the valve area could be better or worse. I prefer to comment. But that still leaves 44,370 other BITOG members to comment.

 

[dave123]

Fill hole looks good don't know what it looks like under the valve cover.

 

[Noobie]

Looks perfectly fine. I've seen engines that have been babied and have much worse scoring in the camshafts.

 

[ottotheclown]

Yes I agree 100% but if this looked like sludge city I wouild say you had a problem. I feel you are ok and if things are going well why worry??Fill holes are kinda make believe and are at times real really proof that the oil and the oci are as they say spot on!!However if you ask around with people who tear down engines they will tell you"hey if it don't look good there you in big trouble it always should look good"

Originally Posted By: Donald
As has been pointed out a look down the oil fill is not representative. The rest of the valve area could be better or worse. I prefer to comment. But that still leaves 44,370 other BITOG members to comment.

 

[electrolover]

I disagree completely with the fill hole doesn't matter story. You can pretty much bet the farm your engine is pretty clean!
If we compiled all the things people say doesn't matter than the end result is nothing matters, life is just a dream and we are just an imagination of ourselves.

Anyway back to reality, I don't care for the wear on the cam lobe. What oil have you been running? Maybe you should look into something with a little more moly

 

[Stanley Rockafeller]

Originally Posted By: electrolover
If we compiled all the things people say doesn't matter than the end result is nothing matters, life is just a dream and we are just an imagination of ourselves.


This is gonna be my new signature!!

aahhh, maybe not, sig is too long

def worth quoting tho

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: electrolover


Anyway back to reality, I don't care for the wear on the cam lobe. What oil have you been running? Maybe you should look into something with a little more moly


This is cam-over-bucket, not roller. What you are seeing is NORMAL. I don't see anything at all concerning about that cam lobe, in fact I think it looks excellent.

 

[LeakySeals]

All the Focus peep shows look good. Its a good engine.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: Donald
As has been pointed out a look down the oil fill is not representative. The rest of the valve area could be better or worse. I prefer to comment. But that still leaves 44,370 other BITOG members to comment.


...and I'm gonna ask the same question again as I asked the poster that posted this baloney in the previous thread.
How many engines have you seen that looked clean through the fill hole or under the valve cover that we're sludges or very dirty everywhere else?
I never got the answer befor and I'm not holding my breath now.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Looking at those photos the wear mark on the cam *looks* discolored by heat. I'd not like that *IF* it is a problem.

Other than that normal. But agree fill holes are a small part of what is actually going on. I've seen sludged fill holes and the rest was okay and clean fill holes where as the other end was terrible.

Bill

 

[KCJeep]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: Donald
As has been pointed out a look down the oil fill is not representative. The rest of the valve area could be better or worse. I prefer to comment. But that still leaves 44,370 other BITOG members to comment.


...and I'm gonna ask the same question again as I asked the poster that posted this baloney in the previous thread.
How many engines have you seen that looked clean through the fill hole or under the valve cover that we're sludges or very dirty everywhere else?
I never got the answer befor and I'm not holding my breath now.


Good point.

I do think the opposite also applies... if it looks filthy through the fill hole it is highly likely it is as bad or worse elsewhere. JMO.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: KCJeep

I do think the opposite also applies... if it looks filthy through the fill hole it is highly likely it is as bad or worse elsewhere. JMO.


My thinking too. If it looked lousy through the fill hole a safe bet would be its bad elsewhere. Looking clean through the fill hole might not be a fair representation of the entire engine, but its sure off to a better start than looking down the fill hole and seeing sludge and varnish.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: KCJeep


Good point.

I do think the opposite also applies... if it looks filthy through the fill hole it is highly likely it is as bad or worse elsewhere. JMO.


The only scenario where the internals looked bad through the fill hole, but the drivetrain was clean, that I've personally seen, was when there was a baffle and the gunk was just accumulating there due to temperature differences.

I can think of two scenarios where the top can look clean, but be dirty everywhere else. One is with coolant in the oil and the other when the top was manually cleaned, but everything else was not touched. But I have not seen it personally.

 

[ottotheclown]

To answer that: I was looking for a used cat. over near the old Shea Stadium in NYC, the guy who seemed to own the place, I asked about fill holes due my reading so much of it here, he laughed and said that area should always look good and has little to do with whole engine. I kinda felt left out through the internet again being at times a bad source of info..Using it as proof is wishful thinking I guess.

and I asked quote=KrisZ]
Originally Posted By: Donald
As has been pointed out a look down the oil fill is not representative. The rest of the valve area could be better or worse. I prefer to comment. But that still leaves 44,370 other BITOG members to comment.


...and I'm gonna ask the same question again as I asked the poster that posted this baloney in the previous thread.
How many engines have you seen that looked clean through the fill hole or under the valve cover that we're sludges or very dirty everywhere else?
I never got the answer befor and I'm not holding my breath now. [/quote]

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: ottotheclown
To answer that: I was looking for a used cat. over near the old Shea Stadium in NYC, the guy who seemed to own the place, I asked about fill holes due my reading so much of it here, he laughed and said that area should always look good and has little to do with whole engine. I kinda felt left out through the internet again being at times a bad source of info..Using it as proof is wishful thinking I guess.

and I asked
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: Donald
As has been pointed out a look down the oil fill is not representative. The rest of the valve area could be better or worse. I prefer to comment. But that still leaves 44,370 other BITOG members to comment.


...and I'm gonna ask the same question again as I asked the poster that posted this baloney in the previous thread.
How many engines have you seen that looked clean through the fill hole or under the valve cover that we're sludges or very dirty everywhere else?
I never got the answer befor and I'm not holding my breath now.


Would this viewed through the fill hole make you confident in the cleanliness of the rest of the engine:

No?

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: ottotheclown
...and I'm gonna ask the same question again as I asked the poster that posted this baloney in the previous thread.
How many engines have you seen that looked clean through the fill hole or under the valve cover that we're sludges or very dirty everywhere else?

Would this viewed through the fill hole make you confident in the cleanliness of the rest of the engine:

No?

Do you have picture of the fill hole of this engine ?

 

[mechtech2]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: electrolover


Anyway back to reality, I don't care for the wear on the cam lobe. What oil have you been running? Maybe you should look into something with a little more moly


This is cam-over-bucket, not roller. What you are seeing is NORMAL. I don't see anything at all concerning about that cam lobe, in fact I think it looks excellent.


Overkill is right on.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR

Do you have picture of the fill hole of this engine ?


Unfortunately that particular engine has a baffle (which was disgusting) under the filler cap, which prevents you from seeing this horror.

The black piece of plastic in the top of the picture? That's what you see through the oil cap.

If that wasn't there, well, you know what you'd see.