Under valve cover pics 79 pontiac

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Some neglect and sludge in this one



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Originally Posted by anderson
Some serious neglect and sludge in this one



.

Then you don't know what *serious* sludge is.



"Serious sludge" is when you have to almost destroy the valve cover getting it off because it's packed so completely full, that there's room for the rockers to move - AND THATS IT!!

"Serious sludge" is when you pull the intake manifold off - - and you can't see the lifters and the pushrods in the valley!!!

This is - quite honestly - considered "very minor sludge"

Oh , is that a 301?
That's about the worst engine anyone ever made, after the early 80's Cadillac 4.8 or whatever that worthless boat anchor was called.
 
Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by anderson
Some serious neglect and sludge in this one



.

Then you don't know what *serious* sludge is.



"Serious sludge" is when you have to almost destroy the valve cover getting it off because it's packed so completely full, that there's room for the rockers to move - AND THATS IT!!

"Serious sludge" is when you pull the intake manifold off - - and you can't see the lifters and the pushrods in the valley!!!

This is - quite honestly - considered "very minor sludge"

Oh , is that a 301?
That's about the worst engine anyone ever made, after the early 80's Cadillac 4.8 or whatever that worthless boat anchor was called.


That is a 301 , its not great by any means but it runs pretty good for missing a few cam lobes and years without a air filter
smirk.gif
 
Originally Posted by anderson
Some neglect and sludge in this one


No way! For the era and engine that would be considered clean by 70's and 80's standards. I've seen engines where you almost could not see the valve springs.
 
Originally Posted by StevieC
True sludge is when you take the valve cover off to find a wheel bearing grease factory.
lol.gif



Very true , my Lincoln was like that. Sadly I don't have photos
 
Originally Posted by spasm3
Originally Posted by anderson
Some neglect and sludge in this one


No way! For the era and engine that would be considered clean by 70's and 80's standards. I've seen engines where you almost could not see the valve springs.


+1 Agree! That isn't bad at all for that era engine.
 
My 76 Olds 350 was spotless inside when I pulled it from the junkyard. It was under the hood of an 81 Monte Carlo that was 3 or 4 different colors and the bumper was falling off. However the trunk was full of used oil filters. So I assume the previous owner knew to do oil changes.

Btw between myself and my best friend who's an old car collector we have about 15+ cars from the 70s and 80s that do not have any major sludge. So don't try to say that old engines just sludged up like that. We had one 1983 307 olds parts car that was sludged up to the bottom of the intake manifold but the previous owner didn't do oil changes.
 
I have a buddy on the 80s that has a new T-bird. He change oils and meticulously took care of his baby. I was young but recall vividly him taking the valve covers off and pulling the pushrods. There was a small oil passage in them the brought oil to the top of the lifters. He would show me the grime that cog built up in there. The before and after oil flow was impressive. I can only imagine it was the oil qualify of that day (Castrol, QS, Penzoil, etc) that caused the pushrods ot plug up so quickly.

Oil is much better now than it was back them.
 
Serious sludge is when your (my) '77 F-150 302 had so much sludge under the valve covers that they would fill up, suck oil past the valve seals, and start to overflow oil out the breather! I replaced that one with a 351W out of a '73 Galaxie 500.
 
Originally Posted by spasm3
Originally Posted by anderson
Some neglect and sludge in this one


No way! For the era and engine that would be considered clean by 70's and 80's standards. I've seen engines where you almost could not see the valve springs.



Yup, pretty clean by my book too, for the era ...
 
Lack of oil changes plus never changing the PCV valve was probably the biggest contributor to sludging. Oil quality maybe second to that. Not sure how having a carb would cause it, unless a carb problem causing fuel dilution already wore out the rings causing blowby which then contributes to sludge but that is a long term problem.

I have 2 daily drivers and both of them have a carb. I think many people that lived through the era of carbs only remember the bad. Most carbs do need a rebuild every 10-20 years in my experience and if you don't do it then you're going to have problems.
 
Originally Posted by caprice_2nv
Lack of oil changes plus never changing the PCV valve was probably the biggest contributor to sludging. Oil quality maybe second to that. Not sure how having a carb would cause it, unless a carb problem causing fuel dilution already wore out the rings causing blowby which then contributes to sludge but that is a long term problem.

I have 2 daily drivers and both of them have a carb. I think many people that lived through the era of carbs only remember the bad. Most carbs do need a rebuild every 10-20 years in my experience and if you don't do it then you're going to have problems.

Carbs are nice they don't leave you stranded.
 
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