I have been seeing folk getting all over MMO and questioning the reason for using it. Well, I think it is time to clear a bit of air within these airheads and explain why MMO or Seafoam, or these top end lubricants are almost a must.
Valve small.jpgIf you will take a look at this picture of the valve chamber, you will see to the right a copper tube protruding from the bottom of the valve valley. Well, this is my addition of Mike's A-Ford-Able oil filter tube. Look past that tube and think that this is where the oil from the oil pump comes out and begins it's journey to oil the mains and drain back into the pan. Please note the hole to the right of the tube in the engine casting, this is where oil should travel to drip down into the timing case and lubricate the timing gear.
I would like to move your attention to the cast rib where the tube comes out of the hole, this is the first of 2 steps that the oil has to jump over on it's journey. Now, while the pocket between those two will fill with oil to do this climb, some of that oil is drained down a cast pipe to the front main bearing, which is a good thing. After the oil level reaches a point where it can overcome the height of that first rib, it flows into the second valley, where there is another drain hole that lubricates the center main, another good thing. On its journey it also fills up this section of the valley lubricating not only the center main bearing, but also the oil pump drive, which also drives the distributor, but then, it runs into another wall in the engine casting, right behind the oil pump drive. Now, the oil has filled up the second valley and over comes the second rib and continues to flow to the rear of the valve valley where we find, the cast in block drain to the rear main cap, where gravity feeds that, another good thing, but it also finds the external drain pipe that returns the oil to the oil pan.
Now, here is the whole reason for me posting this, remembering that the engine is mounted on an angle tilting high in front, all the oils' natural flow is toward the rear of the engine.
If you will take a straight edge, be it a folded piece of paper or a ruler and hold it up to the screen of this picture, holding it from the hole in the front to the second rib, you will notice that at NO time will any of the flow of the oil reach up high enough to touch the bottom of any of the 8 springs hanging down holding the valves in position. As a matter of fact, the ONLY way any of the tappets(cam followers) will get any oil is by splashing of the oil. Now, this means, that because gravity flows down, there is no way any of the flowing backward oil can get up to any of the valve stems or guides.
Now you say, how do they get lubricated? Well, mainly through gas additives, but since most of the lead additives have been removed, there isn't much lubrication from that. So, those of us who like to keep the valves quiet and lubricated, we add the 4oz of Seafoam or MMO to the gas, which doesn't all burn off at ignition, at least we hope it doesn't.
I do hope I have explained this sufficiently so there is not many questions about how the valves and valve guides get lubricated.
Valve small.jpgIf you will take a look at this picture of the valve chamber, you will see to the right a copper tube protruding from the bottom of the valve valley. Well, this is my addition of Mike's A-Ford-Able oil filter tube. Look past that tube and think that this is where the oil from the oil pump comes out and begins it's journey to oil the mains and drain back into the pan. Please note the hole to the right of the tube in the engine casting, this is where oil should travel to drip down into the timing case and lubricate the timing gear.
I would like to move your attention to the cast rib where the tube comes out of the hole, this is the first of 2 steps that the oil has to jump over on it's journey. Now, while the pocket between those two will fill with oil to do this climb, some of that oil is drained down a cast pipe to the front main bearing, which is a good thing. After the oil level reaches a point where it can overcome the height of that first rib, it flows into the second valley, where there is another drain hole that lubricates the center main, another good thing. On its journey it also fills up this section of the valley lubricating not only the center main bearing, but also the oil pump drive, which also drives the distributor, but then, it runs into another wall in the engine casting, right behind the oil pump drive. Now, the oil has filled up the second valley and over comes the second rib and continues to flow to the rear of the valve valley where we find, the cast in block drain to the rear main cap, where gravity feeds that, another good thing, but it also finds the external drain pipe that returns the oil to the oil pan.
Now, here is the whole reason for me posting this, remembering that the engine is mounted on an angle tilting high in front, all the oils' natural flow is toward the rear of the engine.
If you will take a straight edge, be it a folded piece of paper or a ruler and hold it up to the screen of this picture, holding it from the hole in the front to the second rib, you will notice that at NO time will any of the flow of the oil reach up high enough to touch the bottom of any of the 8 springs hanging down holding the valves in position. As a matter of fact, the ONLY way any of the tappets(cam followers) will get any oil is by splashing of the oil. Now, this means, that because gravity flows down, there is no way any of the flowing backward oil can get up to any of the valve stems or guides.
Now you say, how do they get lubricated? Well, mainly through gas additives, but since most of the lead additives have been removed, there isn't much lubrication from that. So, those of us who like to keep the valves quiet and lubricated, we add the 4oz of Seafoam or MMO to the gas, which doesn't all burn off at ignition, at least we hope it doesn't.
I do hope I have explained this sufficiently so there is not many questions about how the valves and valve guides get lubricated.
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