Do i need a valve job?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

officespace2 - 12 Sep 2006 07:03 GMT

Ok... So I posted a thread earlier asking about the best headers to buy
for a 96 z28 camaro because my mechanic said I need a valve job...
everyone that responded to my post seems to think that I might not need
a valve job... so let me post this question to everyone. Here is what
I already know:

The car has been misfiring terribly on the #3 cylinder. This misfire
occurs throught the driving range and is causing my SES light to blink.
The fuel lines have been checked and I know I have good fuel pressure.
The spark has been checked and I know each cylinder is getting good
spark, and there doesn't appear to be a vacuum leak anywhere.

The mechanic who worked on the vehicle told me I needed a valve job.
When I asked him how he knew I needed a valve job, he informed me that
he had checked cylinder compress on #3 (the misfiring cylinder) and
that the cylinders were getting good compression, but that my vacuume
was going up and down speradically. He insisted that it meant I needed
a valve job. He said
that he had not had an opportunity to take off the valve covers but
that he was sure that the valves were my problem.

Now, i'm no rocket scientist, but as I understand it, if I needed a
valve job, I would not be getting good compression correct? The car is
a high milage beast (160,000 miles), but if I have good compression,
how could I need a valve job? Today I took off the valve covers and
there doesnt appear to be ANY caronization around the rocker arms or
valve springs... in fact, I was surprised at how clean things looked.
A little bit of dark colored oil was present, but nothing worse than
what you would find in your oil pan before an oil change. Shouldn't
there be carbonization everywhere if the valves are screwy?

I've listed everything I currently know about the vehicle. There may
be some important information I am leaving out, so please feel free to
ask questions. Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

oh.. PS... does anyone know where I can buy one of these exhaust
things? I dont know what they are called but here is the url for a pic
of it:

www.nathanielmills.com/thing.jpg

any idea what its called and where I would order one?

Reply to this Message

John Ireland - 14 Sep 2006 08:13 GMT

I think you are way over-worried about valves. Replace the broken
spring, or have a shop do it. It shouldn't be too expensive. Then
see how your car runs and have some fun.

Oil carbonization is not related to valve performance, per se. It is
related to overheating and failure to change oil regularly. If you
see no evidence of carbonization, consider yourself luck that the
previous owner(s) changed oil regularly and didn't overheat the
engine.

Your "exhaust thingy" looks like an A.I.R. pump check valve. Get one
at your Chevrolet dealer's parts counter. What makes you think you
need a new one?

>Ok... So I posted a thread earlier asking about the best headers to buy
>for a 96 z28 camaro because my mechanic said I need a valve job...
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>
>any idea what its called and where I would order one?

Reply to this Message

Randy - 14 Sep 2006 13:11 GMT

Replace what spring? I did not read anything about a broken spring in
the OP.

I might suspect a bad fuel injecter, try some FI cleaner first, or
switch #3 inj with another one and see if your miss follows the
injector to the new cylinder.

Correct on the check valve.

>I think you are way over-worried about valves. Replace the broken
>spring, or have a shop do it. It shouldn't be too expensive. Then
[quoted text clipped - 53 lines]
>>
>>any idea what its called and where I would order one?

Thank You,
Randy

Remove 333 from email address to reply.

Reply to this Message

John Ireland - 29 Sep 2006 18:28 GMT

>Replace what spring? I did not read anything about a broken spring in
>the OP.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
>Correct on the check valve.

In an earlier post he stated he took off the valve cover and found a
broken valve spring. See "officespace 2 9/12/06.

Sorry about the slow reply. Been away.

Reply to this Message

lab~rat >:-) - 14 Sep 2006 14:12 GMT

>I think you are way over-worried about valves. Replace the broken
>spring, or have a shop do it. It shouldn't be too expensive. Then
>see how your car runs and have some fun.

I think he wants new heads and is looking for an excuse to get them.
Dude, if you have the money, GO FOR IT!

>Oil carbonization is not related to valve performance, per se. It is
>related to overheating and failure to change oil regularly. If you
[quoted text clipped - 49 lines]
>>
>>any idea what its called and where I would order one?

--
lab~rat >:-)
Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to this Message