A compression and leak-down test are in order if you have any question at all about valve sealing. And if you spot a problem, pull the valve cover and inspect the valvetrain before resigning yourself to pulling the head -- you may still end up doing it, but if it's something screwy like a broken spring or a bent pushrod you can replace those with the head on the engine.

 

Friend w/compression tester on vacation. So I Checked for air bubbles in radiator...nothing showing, Pulled off valve cover cranked over engine to check valve operation. Just by eyeballing #8- opening and closing appears just as the other six valves [springs looked identical]. Also, could see the fuel mist from #8 clearly in the daylight.

Note: while preforming my visual test of the valve train, the coil [coil wire disconnected] was arcing across to it's mount.....I've never sen a coil do that, is that normal?

 

coil will arc to whatever is easiest. If it isn't the plugged in, then the easiest path still applies. Have you checked for arcing under normal running conditions?

 

Probably best to check for arcing once it gets dark. Guess I'll start it up and listen for any abnormal sounds since the valve cover is off.

 

Swapped #8 plug with a clean plug......ran for 45 sec., pulled plug and it was wet- Defiantly- "OIL"!

Enough oil that it won't fire -- can't be good.


Anything left to do aside from tear down?

[Hughes Plenum kit 2,200 miles ago]

 

does it smoke out of the tail pipe?

 

It's time to start pulling parts. When you get the intake manifold off, take a good long look to see if the oil could possibly be coming through it (rather than just running out of the head into the manifold). If the problem isn't in the manifold, you're yanking the head to find the problem. Nothing you can fix with the head on is going to dump that much oil that quickly.

 

[dodgeman52]...It hadn't been smoking prior to it missing, I don't believe it is now but can't b 100% sure.

ughhh...last thing i wanted to do this summer

 

i would start tearing into that motor

 

There's never a good time for something like this to happen.

With any luck you'll find something cheap and easy (plenum gasket gone wrong) and be back on the road shortly. Good luck with it!