Breaking down 440 and have some questions

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standup303

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First time engine builder here. Really want to learn more about engines.

Started breaking the 440 down today and saw one of the intake ports was really caked up, pics are attached. Material is rock hard but breakable. What would cause this? Would this head be able to be cleaned out?

Also, some of the exhaust ports and valves are black and some are white. Is that just bad lash adjustment?

Thanks all!

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The white usually means a lean condition or that cylinder is burning antifreeze.
 
The caked up "port" is the crass over port.

Exhost gasses from one side of the engine flows through the intake to warm up the intake at cold start.

The center is the port, the U shaped opening is just a hole in the casting for heat dissapation.
The orange crud is just years of misc build up of dirt, grease and other crud.


As to the white vs black in the exhaust runners. Probably a cylinder running hot, or not burning oil like the rest.

Advise.... If you plan on reusing parts try to keep them in order, lifter with push rod with rocker with valve etc.
 
The caked up "port" is the crass over port.

Exhost gasses from one side of the engine flows through the intake to warm up the intake at cold start.

The center is the port, the U shaped opening is just a hole in the casting for heat dissapation.
The orange crud is just years of misc build up of dirt, grease and other crud.


As to the white vs black in the exhaust runners. Probably a cylinder running hot, or not burning oil like the rest.

Advise.... If you plan on reusing parts try to keep them in order, lifter with push rod with rocker with valve etc.

Agree with the above posts, also to expand on this part... check the lengths of the stock pushrods. They likely vary by 10-20 thou or more. Getting new pushrods that are all the same length will help with valvetrain stability and power at higher RPMs due to having more consistent lifter preload across all the lifters. Also allows you to dial in the ideal preload with custom-length pushrods, if you're going with a hydraulic cam. If you're converting to roller and/or solid lifters you'll need new pushrods anyway.
 
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