Sheet metal around valve spring ?

[COPO_Anders]

Hi,
last weekend a took apart a 230 hp 454 from a 1987 motorhome. Around the valve springs on the "peanut port" heads there is a sheet metal part I have never seen before. What´s the purpose of this ?



This 454 had a 4-bolt block (14015445), cast crank, cast pistons, and peanut port heads. It is the third 4-bolt 454 from the late 80´s I have taken apart with small plugs above the oil filter.

[John Brown]

What´s the purpose of this ?

Looks like maybe it has rotators under the valve springs too. Bet they attach to the rotators. Don't know why GM does a lot of the things they do, but they wouldn't be there if they thought they could get away without them.

[earntaz]

According to Jeff Swisher on the Chevelle site >> GM does stuff like that on sbc and bbc and the only reason is to keep excessive oil away from the valve guide ... To keep oil consumption down ... Most use a good valve guide seal to do the same thing ... I like my valve springs to see more oil flow on them to keep them running slightly cooler.

TAZ

[marxjunk]

yes its oil control on 1 ton and bigger trucks

[Zman1969]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: COPO_Anders</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Hi,
last weekend a took apart a 230 hp 454 from a 1987 motorhome.

This 454 had a 4-bolt block (14015445), cast crank, cast pistons, and peanut port heads. It is the third 4-bolt 454 from the late 80´s I have taken apart with small plugs above the oil filter.


</div></div>
dang it, I always thought that all 4 bolts had the big plugs - I wonder if has any other external signs to know if 4bolts?

[olredalert]

----I pulled a couple of 67 427 &quot;351&quot; engines out of an old 67 cabin cruiser several years ago that were very similarly built to this 454. However they did not have those spring shields. They had small port heads, cast cranks and pistons. Sold the short-blocks to two different Corvette guys as they had great dates and standard bores, having never been apart. They were also drilled for the oil plugs.....Bill S

[VintageMusclecar]

From what I've seen so far, if the vehicle was equipped with an auxiliary external oil cooler and a big block, the block didn't have the large drilled plugs on the side. I'm assuming this was since there was no need for them with the auxiliary cooler. I have a 454 4 bolt block with the small plugs as well.

[COPO_Anders]

Ok, thanks. Looks like it has valve guide seals to.

[COPO_Anders]

The engine came with this adapter for cooling.

[COPO_Anders]

One of the other 454 4-bolt engines with small plugs that I had was a Volvo Penta high perf engine that Volvo bought for evaluation. According to the technician that I bought it from, they ordered ten 1971 street version LS-6 engines with forged everything. This is what was on the crate when I picked it up.
It had a 14015445 block, 3967416 crank, 3999295 pistons, 14096188 heads, 6269318 intake (like a #163 with brass water channels)