Fingers crossed there is nothing major when you pull the oil pan and check the lower end out. It might be worth it to do a compression test to try and get an idea which cylinder you need to take a close look at.

 

Agreed, pain in the butt tho. However Ill do it because It has to be done. I just getting burnt out..... I bought this from some one that hid a lot of issues with the engine. Thats why I had to build it. I'll post every thing I did, once I can roll it down the road more that a 500 miles. only made it 76.......LOL

So Far I plan on checking:
compression and a leak down
oil pan, crank and piston alignment
Check with my UV light around the head gaskets
There was probably something else. lol

 

There really should be something pretty obvious in there. Compression check should show where to look, or at least what cylinder is giving you hell.

 

the passenger side valve cover has a oil baffle the drivers side does not, which explains why one was dry and the other soaked with oil.
the driver side has no baffle so if you just stuck a pvc valve it there or hose it is going to suck oil up, not fumes, oil in the intake lots of smoke.
are you positive that the oil separator in the passenger cover is not blocked.

 

Oh yeah, every thing is new or squeaky clean. I took the cover off and blew air in it before that.

So I found the issue I think, passenger rear cylinder ( 7 I think ) has air just blowing by it but compression check read the same as the others. Did a ghetto leak down test, pump a 100psi in there and the air was just coming out of there. Went in to the oil pan and out the cam/lifters area. Had to block off all the slots above the cam and pack rags in there to tell. Sure enough, the 5/8 hose I put in the rear slot around the cam, had air coming out of it.

I have only done two leak down test but 5 was cranking the engine when 100psi was pumped in there. Cloud barley hold the shaft with a wrench. 8 was not doing that at all. So all of them were holding 132-144 on 3 secs or 3 crank revolutions. Test of course could very so multiple test were done with the crank rotated a little each time to get an average. No lower the 132 and no higher then 160 but that was only one cylinder; one time.

I guess its time to pull the engin out again..... Thinking about cutting out some tranny bolt holes if it is easy out of the Firewall..... LOL Pain In my royal ... With one hand to take out and put in .... Not excited about it.

 

I'm visiting your thread again but based on this last it seems you have identified rings as the likely problem. Or at least too much clearance from the rings to the sleeve. Is that right?

You probably already know this or said it elsewhere but reaching those top back bolts is so much easier with the motor mounts off and the engine lowered.

Also, Harbor freight has some cheapie ratchets that are SHORT and hinge at the top of the handle. I found that they were just right for reaching the top bolts from the engine bay. They last two engine pulls, but no more. Maybe ten bucks.

 

Harbor freight LOL, boy the receipts have stacked up ..... 600$ later; I have all the cool stuff from there that you speak of. Between That and Northern Tool. I Take the engine mounts off ever time of course but it the upper sides bolts if not the side bolts too that are a pain. The two on top are not too bad, but even with a few locking extensions and a universal joint; its an a hole still. I have to get a buddy just to hold the socket on there while I ratchet it. Unless they make some 40lbs earth magnetic sockets. About to google that.

Man they do..... Proto ProtoGrip Magnetic Sockets. No sure if they have a strong pull or not. I'll no more about the issues with the rebuild soon.

 

That sounds shockingly useful!