Not sure how the seals are fine if you have oil on the valves. That's the only place for the oil to come from lol. And if a guide was worn out, causing a leak, it would be leaking because the seal is messed up.

 

could the pcv be puking oil?

 

They found just one cylinder with wet intake valves.

 

i haven't spent much time looking at the x manifold but where about does the pcv route into it?

 

The barb is on the cylinder 4 runner, but like the 8/9 manifold, it has a "plenum" (if you will) that runs across all 4 runners so that all 4 cylinders get the air from the PCV.

 

Thanks, just thought i would throw it out there, not many place for oil to come from.

 

You are right, not many places for oil to come from, and with it being in only one cylinder points directly to valve seals/guides. Very odd to have oil in the port and not see and issue with the seals. At the very least, when the guide is initially going, sometimes the tension spring will come off the seal, at which point it will start leaking. Eventually the guide really goes and lets the stem tear up the seal.

 

No PCV to puke.

 

So I'm ordering new thangs because the head has to come off.

So far I have on my list:

Headgasket (oem)
Intake/exhaust mani gasket

I should do a fresh set of ARP head studs, right?

Anything else while the head is off?

 

Head studs should be fine. I've never had an issue reusing them.

 

+ valve cover gasket
+ banjo bolt crush washers

 

Reuse the studs. You're just throwing away money by buying new ones.

 

I had a valve seal get destroyed similar to this, except I had no guide damage (found that tension spring in the oil pan). It was easy to spot the damaged seal with the valve cover off though. Maybe the seals look good from the top but one wasn't installed all the way in?
Sorry for the issues OP, hope you find the issue soon.

 

I'm fully aware that seals can go bad and the guide be fine.

 

Here are both sets of seals while still installed. Only somewhat funkiness is the darker stuff on the top of the left exhaust seal.

Intake:



Exhaust