A rod just goes through a hole in the head right? There's no actual seal?
A valve has a seal for its stem though, right? Is there a way to replace the seal?
Or is it a completely new or reworked head?
I have smoke at start up along with a clatter between 1800 and 2200 RPM.
Thanks

 

The push rod jus slides in the head the lifters. The valve giudes can be replaced or machined depending on how bad they are. But the cladder def sounds like a lifter problem.

 

how many miles on your motor? how's your oil pressure? sounds like she's getting tired

 

178000 miles. Oil pressure is good. I've switched to a heavier oil but still clatters and the smoke at start up is gonna start pi$$in off people. I know she's old but I wonder if I can get the seals replaced and keep her around for a while longer.

 

1. Can the seals be replaced w/o taking off the heads?

2. What type are they. Caravanshad a type that was notorious for leaking-and smoking, and the engine had to be diminsmantled to get to them. Luckily minedid not leak.

3. What type of smoke are you talking about?A littleor Fog-A-Yard type?

4. Can it wait until it is warmer?

5. Could it be a valve not seating?

 

If it's below freezing, it tends to smoke worse at start up. This morning, I fogged the neighbor's front yard. It smells like a lawn mower until it burns it out. Usually takes a couple of blocks. If the cops see it, I'll surely geta ticket because of emissions here.

 

metal clatter is likely lifters, push rods, rocker arms. something is worn out. if it gets better after it warms up, its likely a lifter and you can sort of live with it.

heavy smoke is likely piston rings or rubber valve seals. worn rings tend to smoke more at cold start, and then smoke less when warmed up. broken ring smokes heavy all the time. rubber valve seals tend to smoke more at startup and idle, and not so much at rpm.

i once had a dodge caravan v6 with valve seals so bad you couldn't stand to be around it at idle. oil was cheap back then, and i just kept it filled up and drove on.

can you change valve seals without removing heads. yes. you can use air pressure to hold the valve up... or, better - you can feed cotten string into the cylinder and then rotate the piston up to hold the valve. this is safer, and less likely to fail due to leak down.

what you should do is run some tests to determine engine condition, starting with a compression test, and then go from there. probably pull the valve cover to see what you can see. you'll have to pull the intake to get at the lifters. (good time for plenum fix)

temp solution. buy oil by the gallon. start up truck and go back inside and get another cup of coffee and let it burn off and warm up.