2F engine, Felt Material on Valve Train (1 Viewer)

[NorthFJ]

Help me out here folks.
Slowly we've been replacing the head and exhaust gaskets on our 1976 FJ40.
We're basically done except for a bunch of minor odds and ends we figured we'd do while in here. When we first pulled the vale cover off we came across something unexpected, the entire valve train is covered with a felt like (for lack of better term as we don't know what it is) material. Its cut to sort of fit in-between the rocker arms (I'll try to post a picture soon). When we heat cycled the engine for the first time after the gasket replacements we watch closely and noticed it seemed to help "soak" everything in oil.
However there is no mention of this material in the shop manual and we can't seem to find any information on it anywhere. Is it something that should be replaced/cleaned over time? If so what is it and where can we get it/how should it be cleaned?
Thanks!

 

[65swb45]

Never heard of it...in 30 years of wrenching on cruisers.

 

[Output Shaft]

There should be springs between the rocker arms. Not felt.

 

[Catfish28]

I checked. The felt is nla.

 

[NorthFJ]

Ok, thanks for the replys so far. I knew I should have included pics from the get go to explain (pics). The material is simply resting on the valve train. There is indeed the usual springs between the rocker arms, what I was trying to explain (and did a poor job) is the material itself has slots cut into it so it conforms in-between the arms.
catfish28: so you're saying you've seen this stuff before in 2F engines? Forgive my ignorance, whats NLA? The material seems very similar to scotch brite....

 

[micruz60]

nla : no longer available

Amazing to see this stuff, makes sense that it would be a 'scotch-brite' sort of material.
Never heard of it before now, and if you know the history of this engine, service records? Might help to determine if it is a virginal unicorn of some sort...

 

[NorthFJ]

Oh my how did I not guess NLA...thanks!
We unfortunately do not know the story behind the engine.
We are third owner. The second owner (who we bought off of) didn't seem like he was much into wrenching, so highly suspect he didn't add this. From what he described the previous owner to him was the original and had the truck for about 20 years. Don't know any more than that.
I'm taking it this material is not typical so maybe we'll just remove and forget about it?

I was just reading another thread regarding head gaskets and it seems non-toyota head gaskets don't seem to hold up on 2Fs and genuine are nla as well.
We got ours from SOR, hope it holds for a bit!

 

[skidplate]

I've never seen anything like that! It scares me!

 

[NorthFJ]

I'm becoming more and more inclined to show it the door LOL

 

[Tools R Us]

Never seen that one! Most likely someones idea of a fix, I would remove it. Don't see how it's going to help anything and fibers getting loose have the possibility of clogging up the oil system.

 

[65swb45]

Never seen that one! Most likely someones idea of a fix, I would remove it. Don't see how it's going to help anything and fibers getting loose have the possibility of clogging up the oil system.

Agreed. But it is curious.

Working from the premise that form follows function, there was a reason somebody did this.

I have seen oxidized rockers on rigs that weren't driven a lot and stored in damp environs. Methinks somebody in those environs concocted that as a shield.

The safer solution would be to just drive the truck more often.

 

[GA Architect]

Here is a thought that is outside the box. Maybe at some point in time that head was sent off to be rework, and was shipped back with that material on it as a protective covering. The person who re-installed the head neglected to take it off?.....I'll digress and sketch a few lines with my computer CAD package.

 

[honk]

Just throw that stuff away.

 

[lostmarbles]

I think the engine (or perhaps the whole vehicle) was placed in storage at some point in time and who-ever did that was a fussy bastard and put that felt, soaked in oil, over the rockers to keep the upper part of the engine oil-wetted for longer to prevent corrosion.

And then that person probably snuffed it (or was otherwise taken out of the picture) and a new owner got the vehicle with no knowledge of this "storage anticorrosion device" so they were unaware that it was expected to be removed before the engine was ever started again..



Well --- This is something an OCD sufferer like myself could have done anyway.

 

[JohnnyC]

Looks like a "valve train blanket"

Truckers trick to quiet down valves ... As others said ... Not stock ... Was the previous owner a trucker ?

 

[JohnnyC]

Double checking myself I talked to the old man ... According to my father... Used mainly when it's quite cold and valves are chattering away because the tar that used to be your oil is not flowing well to the head

Seems like a band aid to me ... I quess it was an aftermarket thing that you can get in a kit ... Cut to fit your application

 

[Spike Strip]

It's a shower-cap for the long-hair rockers.

 

[NorthFJ]

Thanks so much for all the replies, it has been removed....
Glad I asked before buttoning it back up!

 

[shawnfj40]

Wonder how much of that stuff is sitting on the oil pump pickup?

 

[NorthFJ]

yeah I was thinking that last night, or elsewhere in various galleries etc......