[V8] Visitation with my oil leaking V8 patient

[Roger M. Woodbury]

Well, I have had visitation with my V8 again today.  Or probably more
correct, I had visitation with my V8 cylinder heads.  The heads have been
pulled in search of a mysterious and elusive oil leak.  Right now, the heads
are due to be sent to the machine shop for further evaluation, but everthing
actually looks pretty good so far.

The cylinder bores themself are "like new" according to the wrench, so at
least he bottom end appears to be 100%.

But the oil leak is a mystery.  We do, however, have a list of likely
suspects.

Examination of the heads themselves, seems to indicate that the head gasket
has allowed weeping in several places, chiefly at the front and the rear of
the right cylinder head.  It's pretty clear that the seal line is weak in at
least two or three places.  The mechanic thinks strongly that it is a gasket
failure, most probably from manufacture.  He suspects that the engine might
have been weeping a small amout for some time, and only recently, say, the
last ten thousand miles...has the gasket seal deterriorated enough to be
really noticable.

It is possible that the plug (s) in the end of the high pressure oil
journals might have been leaking too, but it is unlikely.  The plugs will be
replaced anyway.

There is one small...oh, maybe 14 mm mark on the side of the head that looks
like a scratch, but might be a break in the head itself.  But it doesn't
extend to the edge of the head, just along one small area.  This will be
examined.

I am hoping that the car will be back in another week, 100% ready for the
next 80,000 miles.  It should be.

And I am so euphoric that I ordered some European headlights for it over the
weekend.  eBay is a VERY dangerous place, especially when someone on this
list has reported that he bought something good from a guy in Germany....he
just happened to have a set...hold your breath.  I am.

Roger