Oil Burning

[basement]

I have an older 360 that if left sitting for say a week or so will burn a noticeable amount of oil during the first minute of starting. Once warm then nothing significant can be seen coming from the exhaust pipe. And every so often when I check the oil I am having to add about 1/2qt. Now, if the car is started every day there is no visible smoke coming from the pipe, it's only if left to sit for a few days. From what I've heard this typically is a sign that the heads/valves are where the oil is leaking from, true? The last time I did any type of head repair it was on a GM set of heads. Actually went through and ground the valve seats and valves in a High School auto class, good experience. And on the portion of the valve stem that was above the head opening(sorry don't know the technical term) there was a round rubber seal. Question, are Mopar heads  similar and if I replace these seals will it cure my leaky valves? Or is the only true cure is to get a valve job and repair the valve guides in the process? If I go that route I might as well freshen things up on the lower half. Sorry this was abit wordy.

[Chryco Psycho]

changing hard old seal wil help , the guides may be worn though

[Super Blue 72]

I'm no pro but on a 318 I used to have I used to get a similar thing.  On start up I would get some oil burning then it would go away and there would be no sign of it as I was driving, even under heavy acceleration.  If I parked it and let it sit then go back to start it I would get the puff of smoke again at start up.  I replaced the valve seals and that helped a lot.  (Since the 80 weight gear oil didn't slow oil consumption.  )

I did the seal job about 18 years ago so its vague but I did not remove the heads.  I just removed the valve cover, plugs, and rocker shafts,  both valves on that particular cylinder should be closed after removing the rocker shaft, used an adapter to inject air into the cylinder through the spark plug hole to pressurize the cylinder to keep the valves up, get a valve spring compressor to compress the spring, take out the locks (Don't lose these!  Use a magnet!), then remove the seal.  Reinstall new seal then everything else in reverse order being careful torquing down the rocker shafts.

If the valve drops in the cylinder you're in deep doo doo , though.  At that point you can think of the valve job when you pull the heads to retrieve your dropped valve! 

[heminut]

I just removed the valve cover, plugs, and rocker shafts,  both valves on that particular cylinder should be closed after removing the rocker shaft, used an adapter to inject air into the cylinder through the spark plug hole to pressurize the cylinder to keep the valves up, If the valve drops in the cylinder you're in deep doo doo , though.  At that point you can think of the valve job when you pull the heads to retrieve you dropped valve! 

Another way of doing that if you don't have an air compressor is to get a 50' length of clothesline rope at Wal Mart. You then put the piston of the cylinder you're working on down at the bottom of the stroke and feed all but a foot or so of the rope into the cylinder. You can then turn the engine over BY HAND until the rope is pushed up against the valves to hold them closed. Remove the springs, change the seals, put the springs back on and then back off the piston some and remove the rope. Now you're ready to go to the next cylinder, and no chance of the valves falling out.

[Chryco Psycho]

been there done that !!

[BIGSHCLUNK]

...aaahhhh the old days. Me Too!

[heminut]

Amazing how we made do back in the day, when we didn't have the equipment we have now!

[Chryco Psycho]

Ahh the old days .........................like last week