Tearing Down The 3.1.....What Is That Color?

[95oldsVan]

I took the intake manifold and valve covers off the engine today...the heads inside have a strange red color to them.Makes the oil inside the areas look like tranny fluid.Is this something GM did?The springs,rocker arms and pushrod all have this cherry red color.I wondering if thats a coating they used to help oil flow back better or maybe someone added a lucas treatment or something one time?

 

Weird..never seen this before on any GM cars I worked on.

 

[Brian P]

red eh? Got a pic? I've seen varnish, but I'm sure you have too.

[Guest TurboSedan]

like this? or more red?

 

[95oldsVan]

Yeah turbo,Like the reds in your pics down by the lifters,but imgaine the whole inside head,springs,pushrods and etc being a red color.Any idea why its so red in this engine im working on?Your engine has that golden color in the areas mine has red...weird...then againe I dont know the history of this engine too good so maybe an additive was put in at one time?

 

[5speedz34]

My cutlass is the same way, I think its just the miles on the engine, and the look of the oil.

 

I wouldn't worry about it.

[95oldsVan]

My cutlass is the same way, I think its just the miles on the engine, and the look of the oil.

 

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Thats good to know,not worried about it at all.Just thought it was weird to see a red color instead of the usual gold brownish tint around the heads and springs Ive seen with most other engines.

This engine looks really good inside..got one of the heads off and theres no bad carbon build up or anything.Just needs new seals all around...im very impressed with this engine,considering it has 145K miles...my 91 lumina has around 190,000 and I never had to take the valve covers off.Intake still doesnt leak....hope when I mod it,its gonna be cleaner than this one!