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Hello. I have a 1954 235 engine in my car and removed the valve cover and found what looks like grease on the inside of the top of the valve cover. Anyone know what it is or what is causing this. The motor was rebuilt 5 years ago and runs fine

Thank you for looking

was it there before ??
is it grease ? or something else ?
if you clean it out does it come back ?

Did someone slather grease all over the gasket to hold it in place when installing the cover onto the head?

To me it looks like grease. It wasn't there before and I have never seen something like this before

Maybe the springs and rockers were covered in grease to prevent rusting and when it warmed up it slung the grease to the cover?

My wild guess of the day.

Dave

The photo shows the grease is the same color as grease in a can or tube. I can't think how light brown grease can get there except by someone smearing it on the inside of the cover.

I agree with Chipper. That sure looks like a coating of grease was manually applied to the inside of the cover.

My next guess is that the engine has been run very little after that was done. I cannot see any indications of oil hitting the grease. I would expect that the hot oil splashing around in the valve cover would eventually “wash” the grease away.

Probably someone smeared it in there in an attempt to prevent rust from forming on the inside of the cover.

Stovblt,
That is my thinking but they put way more than just necessary to reduce rusting.

Chipper,
Agreed! :-)

I had a similar problem with my 54 235 solid lifter engine. The accumulation of grease or light brown slim was a result of a cracked cylinder head and it was boiling off antifreeze mixed with engine oil.

I initially took the head to an engine shop to have new valve guides installed thinking that was my problem, the shop found the crack in the head. Replaced the head and no more accumulation in the valve cover.

I hope your findings are different than mine were.
Dave B

Like DWB_6 said, anti-freeze in the oil. I have run across this before and it was a bad head gasket. The anti-freeze mixes with the oil and you get a brownish slime. When I had the problem I just needed to replace head gaskets. Check it out before any real damage... Jeff