Ford Racing 427 burning oil - Page 3

68pony · #1 (**permalink**) 12-13-2011, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madmaxx

I am curious will it make you feel better when someone says "All builders have parts issues at one time or another"? I doubt it but wanted to get a jump on it.

I don't blame ford racing for the faulty seals but it would have been nice for them to have told me that there was a issue with them'when i rang there tech line 2 weeks ago i asked the question were there any issues with seals on these engines , the reply was no , well bull**** i have every right to be pissed, we pulled off a perfectly sealed intake for nothing, especially seeing that there is history for this problem, i know plenty of mechanics who have been burned due to faulty parts, but the link that was put up to the ffcars forum with a person with simular issues i have been in contact with him and yes he also had the same problem and yes it was the seals this was in aprill of this year, its funny how i orded my 427 5th of may this year so around the same time as his, i'm curious as to how ford racing will handle this seeing i'm so far away, even if they send me new seals i dought i will use them, i will however take a new intake gasket, i have asked them to send me a new one lets see how good they handle this one.
cheers chris
here is a pic before it went in.

And my baby the red vert on the left

mreid · #2 (**permalink**) 12-13-2011, 06:36 PM

Now going out to the garage to check the color of my seals...

mreid · #3 (**permalink**) 12-13-2011, 07:17 PM

Please keep us posted, Chris. This will tell a lot about Ford Racing. Sorry you went through this, but it seems a solution is on the horizon. I bought my 427w in October of 2010. The seals are not orange.

68pony · #4 (**permalink**) 12-13-2011, 07:29 PM

Thanks mark, i will keep you posted on what they do, if you look at the pics i added obove your post the red coup in the middle and the spring time yellow vert on the right have roush engines in them, i wanted to be different and went ford racing.
cheers chris.

madmaxx · #5 (**permalink**) 12-13-2011, 08:00 PM

I think you figured it out, most vendors are only reactive. Let the customer take it in the a$$$ and we know our liabilities and will move at a pace within our contractual agreement. That why I suggest Keith Craft, Blykins, they are small enough they cant afford to be reactive, and they actually give a sheet.

crawleyscobra · #6 (**permalink**) 12-14-2011, 01:59 PM

Good info about the Orange Seals. Once I get to my first start, if it burns oil that will be the first thing I check.

Archrms · #7 (**permalink**) 12-15-2011, 11:58 AM

Which would be easier to change first in the event of similar oil consumption issues, the valve stem seals or the intake gasket?

mreid · #8 (**permalink**) 12-15-2011, 12:47 PM

Both are a pain, but for different reasons. I hate opening a perfectly good intake given you have to drain the coolant, disconnect fuel lines and linkage, remove the distributor (not always), and scrape gasket and sealant. Valve seal are much less invasive, but do require removing rocker arms, finding a way to retain the valves (usually air) while you remove the locks and retainers, and then install rockers and readjust all the valves. Given a choice, I would always go for replacing seals.

Dwight · #9 (**permalink**) 12-15-2011, 12:59 PM

I replaced the seal in a 351 last month. I use an adapter to blow air into the cylinders. I borrowed a tool to compress the spring and a magnet to remove the keepers. A third hand makes it a lot easier. It took about 1 1/2 hours to replace the seals.

Dwight
When you remove the intake, drain the oil first or plan on new oil when you finish.

68pony · #10 (**permalink**) 12-15-2011, 01:57 PM

Well just an update ford racing have gone all quiet they will not reply to my emails now that i have told them they are hiding this issue, i know 2 other 427's here in sydney that had to get the orange seals changed and if you include mine that makes three and there tech line had the nerv to tell me they have had no issues with seals, don from the ffcars forum told me his 427 had bad seals but could not tell me the colour as he just pulled the motor out and sent it back, yes we had to pull a pefectly sealed intake and that has totally pissed me off!!! thanks to there good for nothing tech line, so BEWARE ANYONE THAT HAS ORDED ONE OF THESE 427'S check the seals before install if there orange just change them or better still before you recieve it demand that the seals are not orange, shame on you ford racing for the way you are treating me,
chris

68pony · #11 (**permalink**) 12-15-2011, 06:57 PM

Okay an hour after my lasy post i got a email from ford racing, if changing the seals fix's the problem they asked me to send the bill and they will run it by management.
chris.

mreid · #12 (**permalink**) 12-15-2011, 07:54 PM

I think punative damages are in order. Make sure you include that!

Good to hear they responded. I love how empowered people are to make a decision.

mreid · #13 (**permalink**) 12-16-2011, 08:00 AM

Luce, mine was rich and retarded at first start also. I fixed the timing (16 at idle, 950 rpm and 32 total all in by 3200 rpm), but my very rich issue seems to be a cracked baseplate on the carb. I've swapped carbs, changed the oil and filter, and will try to start it again and tune the carb today. We'll see how it goes. Good luck to both you and Chris!

mreid · #14 (**permalink**) 12-20-2011, 02:46 PM

Luce, man that sucks! It is the intake valves that are the real problem. On the intake stroke, oil is pulled past the seal. However, it is easier to change them now before you have bigger problems.

Did Ford say that ALL orange seals are a problem? If you are not seeing oil in your exaust or fouling your plugs, perhaps your are fine?

Luce · #15 (**permalink**) 12-21-2011, 09:42 AM

I'm on the fence with this one. A little oil consumption is OK on this thing. It's not like my daily drivers who's hoods only get raised every 12,000 miles by the Jiffy Lube guy.

A little oil getting by is a good thing...keeps the valve guides lubed. I just don't want an embarrassing amount of smoke from anywhere other than my back tires. I also feel like I need more reason that some of the other guys with orange seals have excessive smoke to start a complaint and waste the time arguing over $60 worth of seals. What a pain in the arse. Is anyone running one of these engines now without oil consumption problems? Is it a minor issue with a few engines or is across the board. For that matter, Is it across the board with the Z heads, including the ones shipped on the 392 previous to this engine? How about the other engines with the Z heads? Does anyone know what brand the orange seals are? All of the ones I saw on Summit look black.

Luce · #16 (**permalink**) 12-21-2011, 09:47 AM

If anyone has changed them yet, can you tell me what the sizes are so I can have them in hand before I change them. I may go ahead and buy them and have them in my tool box for later.

68pony · #17 (**permalink**) 12-21-2011, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luce

If anyone has changed them yet, can you tell me what the sizes are so I can have them in hand before I change them. I may go ahead and buy them and have them in my tool box for later.

We are changing mine today, i will let you know how it goes and which seals we used, the smoke coming out of mine was embarassing, i pulled over in front of a cafe and almost choked everyone to death from the smoke and i got some evil looks
cheers chris.

Luce · #18 (**permalink**) 12-21-2011, 05:43 PM

Yea, NO. I don't want to be making excuses for a motor that smokes like a piece of ...Well, this forum won't let me use my extended vocabulary.

Please, let me know what size they are.

68pony · #19 (**permalink**) 12-22-2011, 08:57 PM

Great news, no more smoke, the seals were the issue, i drove home from my mechanic about 20mins there was a bit of traffic pulled on to my driveway and let it idle for 5 minutes and nothing what a great sight, now look at the photo of 2 0f the seals( all were the same but took a photo of 2) what do you notice, they don't have a clip on the top part of the seal only the big centre part, the ones we put in were white but had a clip on the top part of the seal where it tappers down also my mechanic said there wasn't much tension on the main clips, this is the reason why they leaked, i will be sending the bill to ford racing after the new year for the removal of a perfectly sealed manifold and re install including gasket and the removal and re fit of new seals, i won't send them the bill for the loss of hear ive had through this

,lets see what they do i will send back half the seals to them and keep the other half incase they go missing in the mail, why would they fit crappy seals like that,

madmaxx · #20 (**permalink**) 12-22-2011, 09:28 PM

Wow, excellent feedback!!!!! Thanks for the info!!! Once you put some miles on it let us know how many miles per quart of oil.