Oil pooling around cam followers

[tvr1432]

I took the cam covers off to check valve clearances today.

NB. Some inlets with fully closed gaps on the left bank! Right bank seems to be near ok with all exhaust clearances bang on and only 2 inlets needing shimming. Left bank completely to pot on exhaust and inlet! (48,000 miles)

However, my question is this. The recess around the cam followers for number 3 cylinder is containing a large amount of very black oil as seen in the following photo. All of the other cam follower recesses on both banks are dry apart from a film of oil on the cam followers - do I have a problem in the head?

The engine has had regular oil changes every 6,000 miles from its service history and I have done an oil change 400 miles ago. (Car has been sitting for 4 months)

Any advice?

[ukkid35]

I'd be more worried about the other followers, why aren't they bathed in oil? The drains seem very slim to me, but what do I know...

[longbow]

From memory every time I've had the cam covers off mine there has been a bit of oil pooling around all of the buckets. Therefore, the issue may not be the presence of oil, but a lack of it??? Just a thought......

[GT6k]

Ditto, the dry ones are the ones to worry about

[tvr1432]

Thanks for the reply.

The engine has been sitting for a while. I took the photo before I started turning the engine to check the clearances. Once I started to revolve the crank there was plenty of fresh good looking oil being drawn up the side of all the followers onto their respective tops and cam lobes.

This pool is old black thin oil!

[Tanguero]

The other followers should be sitting in oil.

[tvr1432]

Just rotated cams several times. All right bank cam followers now bathed in pools of oil. Just cylinder 3 on left bank with a large pool of oil over followers. All other left bank followers with a good film of oil.

I will just go ahead and take off the cams to re-shim and investigate further.

Thanks to all.

[jackwibble]

While your at it make sure you check the valve stem tops for any deformation especially as you have an early car they have been known to erode!

[tvr1432]

In the meantime - I would be grateful to hear some opinions on the cause of these circular grooves on the inside of my cam covers:-





NB. On both covers. Some on opposite sides in the exactly the same position. Tends to be in the are covering cylinders 1,2,7 & 8

[sonnylad]

Clamping marks left over when machined i would have thought

[GT6k]

Mines got the grooves as well just machining marks.

The oil pools should look like this, the car had not run for 5 days prior to this photo being taken