Oil on head exhaust runners. I searched already. Wisemen come in!!

[Stainbox12]

Ok, so i have oil on my exhaust runners. Head was rebuild recently, with supertech bronze valves, supertech seals, evo springs and retainers. I have oil in 3 runners, 2 of them closest to the timing belt and the one just next to the water pipe, the second one from left to right is just clean, no oil whatsoever. I didnt find any signs of a leaky valve cover gasket. My water pipe has oil on it, and the block too, so much of it, that it drips to the floor. I know that there is a manifold stud or studs that tend to leak oil , but i dont know which one is it, i read that its one of the middle ones. My compression is fine, and most important of all NO SMOKE, nor at idle or in boost (12 psi), car drives fine, no loss in power at all either. The weirdest thing of this, is that oil goes inside the runner about an inch only, after that is just regular carbon buildup, i thought it was probably leaky valve seals but i should be smoking and burning that oil. Im stumped.

 

[delta448]

I hypothesize that either the head wasn't resurfaced properly or the deck wasn't cleaned well enough.

My guess is that you're leaking oil at the headgasket into the cylinders. You didn't reuse a headgasket did you? Is the car overheating or overflowing the coolant bottle?
If not, then it might just be as simple as bad valve guides or spark plug hole valve cover gaskets.

Compression and leakdown tests might be useful here.

 

[BogusSVO]

how long ago was the head rebuilt?, if 100 or less miles, it could be just the lube from the valves being installed still buring off.

 

[97gst_spyder]

Check you valve cover gasket.

 

[Takophiliac]

Just to throw it out there, as for your concern regarding which stud has oil right behind it, its the center-most bottom stud, however that shouldn't put oil in your runners.

Is your exhaust manifold gasket covered with oil also? Even if it was, i'd expect that it would require your bottom center stud to be leaking, and the exhaust side of your head to be significantly not flat, or the exhaust manifold to not be torqued down properly. Without one of those, even if the valve cover was leaking, it shouldn't get into the runners.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Check you valve cover gasket.

Read the post, the leak is inside the runners. I would suspect assembly lube or the valve seals/guides weren't installed correctly. Which happens a lot.

 

[Stainbox12]

Yes, i reused the headgasket i know im cheap. The head was rebuilt not long ago i dont know how many miles havent checked that, but its definatly not lube, its pure engine oil, the manifold gasket was covered in oil as well as the manifold itself. Im not leaking any coolant, as a matter of fact im just using 1 fan, and the temp its pretty good. But if my guides, seals were installed incorrectly, wouldnt i be burning oil and be smoking? specially from the exhaust side? as i said earlier oil goes in the runner about half an inch and then the manifold gasket, after that its just regular carbon buildup. Thats why im suspecting the manifold studs, but once again, someone just said its just the bottom middle stud that has an oil galley behind it.

 

[delta448]

Is there oil inside the head exhaust ports?

Do a leakdown test, listen for air escaping from the oil fill hole on the valve cover. If you don't hear any, it's probably from worn valve guides. What was the reason for the head rebuild? If you jumped time and smacked the exhaust valves, then you probably needed the guides replaced, they are often damaged by bent valves.

 

[BogusSVO]

If the guides and seals have been replaced, and it is in the runners, the turbo could be suspect

dose your engine have the BSE? if so.. what is your oil pressure?
How is the turbo oiled?
do you have the stock or aftermarket gauge?

If the oil pressure is high, in the upper RPM , you could be forcing oil past the thrbo seals and it is creaping up the carbon

If the guides or seals were in correct, you would have oil in the bowl behind the valve to the mainny, fully coating the runners....

 

[Turbo Juice]

This is confusing....

You describe oil on the outside of the engine AND in the runners.

Is your terminology correct? Do you have the turbo off and are you physically touching the exhaust ports inside the head?


A leak inside the head will not seep through the manifold gasket and onto the block. And a leak on the outside of the head, will not leak into the internal ports.

 

[Stainbox12]

Yes, oil inside the runners and outside, in the manifold and gasket. I started the car today without the manifold (lots of noise). And i let it run for a couple of mins till it got hot, i inspected the head after i turned it off, and there was oil in the runners and also in the turbo flange, this means to me that oil being spitted to the turbo, so theres must be something wrong with the seals, maybe the machine shop installed them incorrectly. Whats the best way to install seals? too bad they were supertech seals.

 

[Takophiliac]

Maybe i'm out of line for saying this, but i'd say you probably shouldn't have reused the head gasket.
Having said that, i don't see a leak in the head gasket getting up into the exhaust ports (unless from the inside, in which case it should be all over the inside, not just at the edge) or on the outside of the manifold.

Perhaps what would help everyone is a couple of pictures of your situation. I think we are all having a hard time with terms and a picture would probably have you a quick answer or at least some better direction.