Reducing Oil Consumption

I’m curious about everyone’s reaction to the Tech Tips article in the current issue of TWOTZ. I’m fascinated by any improvements to our V-12’s, particularly methods to reduce oil consumption. George Poore’s solution of machining the valve guides and installing Chevy 350 valve stem seals makes sense, especially if it results in more than a four-fold reduction in oil consumption as he says. But if the problem begins, as he says, with a worn fuel pump pushrod bushing, how hard can it be to replace the bushing compared to the hassle of removing and machining 6 valve guides?

Dave Cole’s follow-up article on fuel pump pushrods also inspires the question, how many of those 1/16” holes that lubricate the top of the pushrod where it rides on the fuel pump rocker in our cars are plugged? I think mine is. In any case, glad to see TWOTZ include a Tech Tip for a change.

Thought this would create some controversy - but I guess everyone has already done this to their 12's.

In my 47 engine the bushing could not be pulled from the top and the camshaft has to be removed to push it out the bottom. I was having trouble connecting the oil flow to the fuel pump where it contacts the push rod to the oil consumption issue at the valve guides.

The hydraulic lifters tend to mist the valve lifter chamber, which then gets sucked into the cylinders from leaky split guide

valve system..Solid guides, straight valves and exacting machine work makes the H V-12 a decent engine..without the

stinky blue trail of smoke..chk the gas, fill the oil!

I have almost no use now, good tight engine and updated Ford straight valves, solid guides and modern bowtie nylon stem seals

Being a "newbie" to the V12 Lincoln....what is considered as normal oil consumption on a "run of the mill" motor? I have no history of my motor but have a feeling that's it's tired from the amount of crud I removed from the bottom of the oil pan. Most likely, it will be another year before I "kick the tires and light the fire".

Add a high volume oil pump while pan is off..it is a wonder....

When you upgrade valves and stem seals, what machine work is involved. Valve length only?

VALVES AND GUIDES ARE DIRECT FIT, ONLY MACHINING NEC IS TO ADD STEM SEALS..MACHINE A LITTLE OFF THE GUIDES

I had added valve stem seals on the first V 12 engine that I ever rebuilt. It made it very difficult to pull the guides down to install the horse shoe keepers. I few years later I had to tear the engine down and noticed that a few seals had come off the guides. I think with new valves and guides, most of the oil consumption problem is solved. The seals may help, but they are not the final answer. Just MHO.

If you are using solid adjustable lifters, makes sense to plug the oil passage at the back of the engine, and drill a 1/16th hole down the front passsge with a small hole from the front to lube the timing chain. I don't think the additional seals will help much.

Abe

DO NOT use solid lifters in a V 12 except for the '36 & '37. All others will wipe the lobes off the cam shaft unless it has been reground to operate with solids.

Yes, if you use a Ford lifter (Egge), you need a Ford grind on the cam. Also use a break in oil with additives.

Abe

Jeff, I'm getting ready to install intake valves with seals - as you said - check the gas & fill the oil. Did you have any details on how the guides were machined and a source for the nylon seals? Earl Brown's catalog lists an intake valve kit with neoprene seals, which I guess is another way to go.

I found D-1611 Teflon valve stem seals but I don't know if these can be used with the stock 49-53 valve guides without machining them.

Use Earle's kit, then if you want small v-8 chev valve seals on guides to xtra seal, probably overkill..but has worked well for me over 10,000 miles..Im not sure the dimension to

shave guide....take a valve stem seal and a guide to machine shop, they lathe it to fit..look at pt number on box in last pic.. I dont know if it is nec, but it is a high vacuum engine , and modern engine use em! must be some point..

I use the solid guides and fit them with a bronze liner on my V8 and V12 rebuilds.This allows for a tighter clearance between the valve stem and guide .

I use the solid guides and fit them with a bronze liner on my V8 and V12 rebuilds.This allows for a tighter clearance between the valve stem and guide .

Now that's got me baffled. So you bore out the guides and put in a bronze bushing? There couldn't be more than a 1/1000" gap between a new valve stem and the guide.

Now that's got me baffled. So you bore out the guides and put in a bronze bushing? There couldn't be more than a 1/1000" gap between a new valve stem and the guide.

Yes, Ream the guides to accept a 11/32 bronze liner. I save all the used and worn guides for this. Works great.

Here's a picture of one.

Thanks, flatcat. So the bushing must reduce the clearance? Still leaning towards seals, but with the seals installed there's no longer a place to grab the guide with a bar to pry it down to insert the retainer. Maybe I could install the valves separately instead of as a unit with the guide & spring, and use a spring compressor to insert the keepers.

Just finished installing new valves, solid guides (with seals on the intakes), and hydraulic lifters, which will hopefully reduce oil use. As hard a time as I had pulling down the guides to slip in the retainers I'm glad I didn't try to add the valve stem seals because I don't see how I could have gripped the guides without tearing the seals off.

The split guides that came out had no seals at all. Alan Whelihan suggested putting seals on the exhaust guides as well as the intakes, but I had already purchased exhaust guides that didn't have a groove for the seal. I'll let you know if I do better than the previous 1 quart per 100 miles.

Next job is putting in the Melling 15 oil pump.

so i'm still rewiring my 47 and it runs , but never had it on the road , i haven't changed the water pumps,nor the oil pump,nor got a valve job. i'm painting the dash n window frames now.iv got 5-30 oil in it now to help clean it out.it smooks when i start it but im thinking i should change oil/filter use 10-30 detergent oil n see what it dose befor doing the above changes......sound right to you experanced guy's ?

Update: The new valve guides, valves, and seals cut the oil consumption by about a third. I drove it 300 miles in 90+ degree temperatures, about 50 of them at 65 without overdrive, and burned about one quart. I'm currently running Valvoline 20-50 racing oil, which has ZDP to protect the cam & lifters. Will be pulling the pan again because the oil pressure dropped - see my other post.