Valve Guide Seals.

[sandrooney]

I am working on a friends 76 Shovelhead. It has been smoking on start up after sitting a while then clears up after a few minutes. Oil is running out the front pipe. I pulled the heads and the front head and cylinder were oil soaked. I am thinking it's bad guide seals and possibly bad guides. Am I correct in thinking if it were rings it would smoke all the time and not put oil in the pipe. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 
Thanks,
SR

[Ohio HD]

Guides are probably shot, 90% chance there are no valve seals unless someone installed aftermarket. You should have performed a compression and leak test(s) down before pulling the heads off.

[sandrooney]

Probably should have, but figured I will probably end up doing the whole top end anyway. It does have seals.
Thanks a lot.

[sandrooney]

 The guides were good the seals were shot. Someone had installed new seats at some point and set them way too deep. Luckily Mike my go to head and cylinder guy had a couple of good heads laying around and made my friend a good deal.

[Hossamania]

It's good to know a guy!