look at the plug, it aint rings. and it aint because branch (mikuni) did the heads. i think pmorris hit it with poor drainback, insert shitty seal and maybe guide. think about a set of heads that required lapping valves-------------enuff miles to require guides and seals?? question is, why didnt mechanic inspect and repair?
The story behind that is, at around 12k miles, I had the work done on this motor by a local indy.This included new cams, Branch machine work on the heads, hi volume oil pump, lifters, and a few other things. When he was done, the motor was making a tapping noise...the indy that did the work, put a few more hours looking for the noise only after I told him it didnt sound right, and he agreed it wasnt right...he gave up working on the build, as he couldn't find the noise and didn't want to spend anymore time and energy fixing his fk-up...told me to get the POS out of his shop. Nice guy. I put maybe 1200 miles on it before the noise just drove me up the wall. I took it to another builder...paying him to find the noise. we pulled the pump...went back to stock, changed out lifters, push rods.
Checked the cams. couldnt find noise. Decided to check the top end. The heads were pulled to determine if there was any problem with it or the wristpins on the pistons. The heads were sent to a machine shop in Hayward that does head work. The heads were put on a flow bench to test vacuum. Couldn't get a seal.... on any valve, he lapped them...got a good seal. He put new valve guide seals. The machinist also asked if he could have the jugs to check them out as well. They were ok, but since the were out, he honed them and had new rings installed. Put the motor back together, comp test...200 lbs each hole. Decel pop has been minimized..great compression, but the noise is still there, which is directing us back to the cams again.Come springtime, gear drive cam swap.
I dont know what is causing the oil consumption...the wrench is going to pull the head again and check the guides and rings.
pmorris mentioned poor oil drain back....what would cause that. I didn't have the oil problem before the the latest round of work, so I dont know what was done that would change anything oil related.
claydbal, there are only 2k miles on these Branch heads...for a shop that specializes in performance head work, I think their work was piss poor...those heads should never have left their shop in that condition. I would have had them returned to Branch to repair their work, but it was the original indy that had the work done...and you know how he stands behind his work....tail light warranty.
:beatdh:
Thanks fer listenin' to my rant.
T
