Sticky valve guide

C26Pinelake

C26Pinelake

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My mechanic says I have a sticky valve guide and low compression in one cylinder. They are 80-80-80 and 60. Does one cause the other. Is it something to be concerned about ? He says it still runs fine !
How can I correct the sticky guide without tearing it down. He said when he poured a little oil down the one cylinder the compression came up but he thinks that will be very temporary. Help me please !
 
another thing to try is, change your oil. But when you put in your new oil, pour a quart or 2 down the distributor hole in the head. this should help free it up a little. but wait a day or two before you start it.
 
If the compression comes up in the cylinder after he squirted oil in, it usually means the rings are worn or(?) from my experience. The valves wouldn't be affected. Yours experience may differ.
 
C26Pinelake said:
My mechanic says I have a sticky valve guide and low compression in one cylinder. They are 80-80-80 and 60. Does one cause the other. Is it something to be concerned about ? He says it still runs fine !
How can I correct the sticky guide without tearing it down. He said when he poured a little oil down the one cylinder the compression came up but he thinks that will be very temporary. Help me please !
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Sounds more like shot rings or a scuffed cyl, based on the oil during compression check. Your mechanic (or you!) should be able to get the cyl in question to TDC and run compressed air to the plug hole. If you hear it hissing out the exhaust it is an exhaust valve, of you hear hiss out the carb with the throttle wide open, it is an intake valve, if you hear it hiss through the oil filler it is the cylinder wall or rings.

If it's not valves and your compression is 80-80-80- 60 as you say, I wouldn't sweat it unless that cyl started oil fouling the plug a lot, or you get blue smoke and blowby out the filler. Even so, a can of STP or some other "stops oil burning" additive may get you several thousand more miles before you need to fix it.
 
There is a product called Restore that is sold at WalMart that works good. It has worked good for me in worn engines to leved out compression. If the problem is a slow sticky valve I would add Marvel mystery oil to the fuel and the crankcase.
 
C26Pinelake said:
My mechanic says I have a sticky valve guide and low compression in one cylinder. They are 80-80-80 and 60. Does one cause the other. Is it something to be concerned about ? He says it still runs fine !
How can I correct the sticky guide without tearing it down. He said when he poured a little oil down the one cylinder the compression came up but he thinks that will be very temporary. Help me please !
Click to expand...


The key words here are "He says it still runs fine."

Now having said that, how far did the compression come up?

If it came up considerably the valve may not be sticking at all and it makes me wonder why the mechanic thinks the valve is sticking.

What made you go to the mechanic to start with? Did the engine start running poorly? Has it been sitting up and not run for awhile?

I'd like to see that 4th cylinder much closer to the rest but did you know that modern day Ford engine manuals state that the compression is considered o.k. if the lowest reading cylinder is within 75% of the highest. So 75% of 80 is 60.


Larry B.
 
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I would do the compressed air checks like Mike suggested, then if it still looks like it could be a sticking valve, I'd add a can of Sea-Foam to the oil, and add another can to the gas tank about half full. Drive it and see if that doesn't free up the valve.
 
Some of our members in the SCMAFC (Stampede City Model A Ford Club) are using regular outboard motor oil in their fuel with good success. Quantity 4oz to a tank full of fuel.
 
Logan said:
another thing to try is, change your oil. But when you put in your new oil, pour a quart or 2 down the distributor hole in the head. this should help free it up a little. but wait a day or two before you start it.
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BLEEP! The valve chamber is prevented from filling high enough to reach the guides by the overflow tube. You may also have noticed a rather large hole at the front of the valve chamber that will dump any excess oil onto the timing gear. You can put a bucket of oil down the distributer hole and it will change nothing. Why wait 2 days, 1 minute or 1 year will have the same effect.
Rainmaker Ron
 
When you do the pressure test, put it in low gear and set the e-brake. The engine could turn, open a valve and give you a misreading.
 
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