Alright, got the hole tapped and an insert loctited in. Have compression of 155-165 on all the rest of the cylinders, #6 has 90. Valves? #4 has 160 so I think that would rule out headgasket. Let me know what to look for, I figure I'll pull the head tomorrow but not sure what to look for. Oh yeah, I changed the oil last week and there wasnt any antifreeze in it, didnt smell of gas and antifreeze doesnt have oil in it.

Have you tried to do a leakdown test? web page

>>>*#6 cylinder on the 3VZE V-6 is the one we see with a burnt or damaged valve over and over and over.
To be sure, a leakdown test is the answer....*EB

Hey EB, I saw your valves on Ebay, was thinking of just pulling the heads and having them redone. I have a feeling this is the problem. I dont have a compressor here but I guess I'll have to get one now and make this thing. How do I know when the cylinder is at TDC and how do I turn it by hand? Do I have to pull all the plugs to let the compression up?

Engnbldr is right on. Odds are it's the exhaust valve.

You can check the intake valves with it at idle. Hook up a vac gage to a full manifond vac connection and see if it flutters. If the needle flutters around, you got a leaking intake valve or valves.

Exhaust valves tend to burn when they get stuck open or the tappet clearance is too tight. The exhaust valves pass super hot gasses and are only cooled the brief instant they shut where they attempt to transfer that heat to the head.

Those thin valve edges don't survive long if set too tight or open too long.

An exhaust valve with a weak spring is also subject to burning if it tends to 'float' at hi RPM's.

Thats the thing, it wont idle or really run well below 3K, even then my vac gauge in my A-pillar twitches.

It's either a valve problem or a blown head gasket.

A blown HG may not show up on a compression test, but will leak when subjected to firing pressures. firing pressure is a whole higher than cranking compression pressures.

And yes, a partially blown HG can leak just in on direction at first. Number 6 might be leaking into the next cylinder. If that cylinder has the intake open when 6 fires, then there is your stumble and wavering vac gage and no idle problem.

If it's #6 intake, and not the HG, then it will cause the same problems.

Let me add that burnt and leaking ex valve can make your vac gage waver a little, but not alot like a bad intake would. If the ex valve is bad, then engine vac will suffer when the piston for that cylinder drops on the intake stroke. It will cause a slight wiggle in the gage needle everytime it happens. But a bad intake valve will really make the needle dance cause firing pressure is blowing past it back into the intake manifold.

About all you can do is pull the valve covers and check valve timing and lash. If all that is ok, then pull both heads for rebuild and pray that the rings will hold up after you screw tight new valves back on. Either way you will be replacing the HG's with new ones.

Engnbldr,

It seems you have seen this many times before with this engine.(#6 exh vlv burnt)

What do you think the problem is that so many tend to do this?

I hope the rings will hold up, the motor is just barely 30K old. Thats why this whole thing has gotten me so frustrated. I had oil dump into my intake due to too much oil so Im hoping that got in and burned up on the valves, I think I'd rather have that than another headgasket and new motor.

I missed the posts about too much oil and the stripped threads.

Just how much oil was in the engine when this happened? And how did the threads get stripped?