[Ragtop Man]

Something's not kosher, here.

Once the heads were off, did you turn the motor with a breaker to verify the #8 piston is going up and down? There is definitely some schmutz in there, but not enough to get to no compression.

Then, did you pull the lifters on the #8 position? They are pretty easy to test, you should feel the spring as you pump them with the pushrod. Lifters don't live forever. A stuck lifter will come back with an overnight soak in rislone and pumping for a few minutes in some clean motor oil.

What about the rocker studs? Any cracks or breaks in the rocker, any galling apparent in the pushrod ball? Friend of mine put a pushrod through a cheapo stamped rocker arm.

Did you test the cam lift on the #8 lobes with a checker and dial indicator? It won't be like a fresh -067, but you should be within a RCH of random adjacent cylinders.

IMHO, the play is to get the heads freshened while they are off, clean the deck spotless, but be hyper-careful not to get any shizz in the valley, swap out the timing set and put the heads back on to retest, with the lifters double checked, springs checked, etc.

Just my $.02 and worth every cent,

BOB

[smakcruiser]

Yes. When you turn it over at the crank #8 goes up and down like all the other pistons.

I haven't pulled the lifters yet... I'll do that tomorrow.

Rocker studs looked ok. Didn't check the lobes...

[geeteeohguy]

Try turning it over so that #8 piston is at TDC. Then pour some solvent into the cylinder and see if it drains down past the piston and into the engine. Watch carefully, and then do this with a good cylinder. You may have a broken ring or broken ring lands. It'll only take a minute.

[smakcruiser]

Originally Posted by geeteeohguy

Try turning it over so that #8 piston is at TDC. Then pour some solvent into the cylinder and see if it drains down past the piston and into the engine. Watch carefully, and then do this with a good cylinder. You may have a broken ring or broken ring lands. It'll only take a minute.

I did this... The piston holds the solvent, but it very slowly drains into the engine. #6 didn't drain anything at all.

Lifters seem ok.

[smakcruiser]

Anyone have any ideas on where I should go next???

[kwt63cat]

You said u didn't have any compression on #8 cylinder. To have no compression at all, there has to be a pretty serious problem. One thing you can do is go to the Jalopnik (h.a.m.b.) forum site and ask for some local help. I'm sure someone in your area would be more than glad to help you figure it out. Two would be to put it part way back together and then check the compression again and determine precisely where it is leaking off to (intake port, exhaust port, or crankcase).
With out being there its hard for all of us to help you further. Good luck and keep us informed.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by kwt63cat

put it part way back together and then check the compression again and determine precisely where it is leaking off to (intake port, exhaust port, or crankcase).

Not sure if there's a better answer but that's probably what I would do at this point. Heybuck's suggestion in post #40 would be an alternative if you have a way to fabricate the plate.

[63gpman]

Only thing that I would add is that if you are planning to keep those heads no matter what you end up with for bottom end issues (if any) I would check around and have a basic valve job completed on them prior to putting them back on. Doing so should eliminate any top end questions. The cost around here for that is right around $225, not sure about your area.

[Greg Reid]

I just paid $300+ to have my 389 heads done in Atlanta. They had to replace all 8 exhaust valves though.

[Heybuck]

If you have tried filling the chamber on the head with solvent and you are confident the valves are not allowing signifigant amounts of solvent to trickle past, it therefore means the valve area is not the problem.

So why not then just bolt the head back on, use the existing head gasket with plenty of gasket sealer (you can scrape it off again later). No valve guides required. No exhaust required. Just the head. When its down tight you can pressurise the cylinder with compressed air through the spark plug and check again if you are getting compession loss through the bore. Use a brace to rotate the crank so you can test the bore at various stages through the piston stroke.

If all THAT again shows you have no problem, I think I'd just button the whole thing back together and see where you are then

Just my

[smakcruiser]

One piece of information that I would like to add... my father was troubleshooting this and he failed to tell me, but he said that he noticed white smoke coming out of the oil breather. I dont know if that means anything or not.

[Greg Reid]

Well, just thinking out loud here but I guess if one of the valves was sticking open while the rings were doing their job, those fumes would be pushed right up into the valve cover and out of the oil breather.
On the other hand, blow by past the rings or valves, either one I guess would push the fumes up there...so, I'd say that's a symptom rather than a cause.

[Willshire]

I broke the top ring on number 6 and the blow by threw my dipstick onto the side of the car and shot oil everywhere.

[kwt63cat]

Smakcruiser,
What did you find out?? White smoke is associated with coolant, steam. Blue smoke usually oil. And black indicates rich fuel mixture. Please let us know. Thanks.