So this is what happens when you buy a truck with a blown plenum, and later find out it has bad compression (~110psi +/-20psi) and is leaking air through the rings, exhaust and intake valves. It started up smooth and ran smooth so i figured the lack of power was from the plenum and slightly larger tires. Turned out the heads were cracked between the valves as well. This probably could have all been avoided if the previous owner kept an eye on his temp gauge and his oil level.

The new crate motor is in the truck with some borrowed tin from a mopar friend. He has been getting on my back about cleaning my valve covers and intake so he can have his back. I was planning on using degreaser and SOS pads. How does this sound?

Question on the valve covers. Can the 'splash' shield or whatever that piece of sheet metal along the top of the valve cover be left off if I remove it? Is it just there so oil does get shot up into the breather hose? I'm pretty sure the older magnums, and the old LA engines did not have this. I'm not putting these on my new motor if I can only clean what is visable since there is most definitely crud on the other side of these metal sheets. Would I be better off calling a junk yard or buying new covers?

https://i.imgur.com/wOI09.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TxnjI.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HLAhe.jpg

Oil crud baked into the intake manifold. This is going to take a lot of scrubbing. I sprayed it down with degreaser and let it soak for a while with little effect.
https://i.imgur.com/Cqy0m.jpg

This is the oil pan after spraying it out with degreaser and wiping it down wth a rag once... Still has some sludge in the bottom near the drain plug and stuff baked onto the upper portion. I have a feeling the motor ran low on oil on a number of occasions.
https://i.imgur.com/VvVNc.jpg


This makes me so because this could have all be prevented if the previous owner had replaced the gasket. The motor had just turned over 100k.

 

Problem is, the PO is not to blame, dodge is . They masked the problem with a PCM flash.

 

Save money,just take the parts to a local machine shop or dealer and get them hot tanked,that will clean all the crap out.About $40.00.........

 

Having them media blasted (walnut shells please) make them REALLY pretty....

 

As stated above, having those parts hot tanked would clean that up easily. Doesn't cost much either.

 

Think I'm just going to get new valve covers or see if I can just buy the ones I borrowed from a friend. The closest place that does hot tanking that I could find from asking around is about a 40 minute drive and it would be a few weeks before the guy could get to it. He also wants $50 for just the valve covers. :/ I tried soaking them in mineral spirits and the crap on the baffles is just too thick to get off. I spent about 2 hours scrubbing them with SOS pads and a wire brush and its just nasty stuff that kind of flakes off. I would have to guess this could come loose after running the motor some and gum things up. What a mess.