Exhaust valve color - concerning?

[tass]

I've read some mixed info on this, but after bore scoping cylinder 3 the other day it looks white. The picture I got wasn't great (I was having some trouble maneuvering, and the iPhone app for this scope really sucks) but can go back for more:



Compression was good, 78/80.

Is the color something I should be concerned about? Is it possible I'm just not taking great photos?

 

[BH1166]

Which cylinder? White with yellow looks like it is smaller in circumference , which I believe would be your intake valve. Either way, I don’t see anything alarming. Yeah all scopes aren’t equal. It takes some practice.

 

[tass]

Cylinder 3 - the perspective messes with scale but it is the exhaust valve.

 

[rocketbob]

Cylinder actually looks beautiful without any excessive lead deposits.

 

[wcalvert]

Looks like rust on the top of the chamber .. what's the status of the engine? Flown regularly? in storage?

 

[tass]

Thanks for the feedback so far.

It's flown fairly regularly, I try for once a week or more but there's been very occasional periods of 4 weeks or so of no flying if I'm away. The top of the chamber doesn't look too different from previous photos. Before that, it was done by someone with a different borescope and the colors don't match up.

I read that white valves can mean they were exposed to high heat and may fail, and because I try to run lean I was concerned I might have damaged something. CHTs don't run very high though - around mid 300s.

I'll do another practice with the borescope with something other than my iPhone and keep flying.

 

[D-Dubya]

An iPad or a laptop has a larger image and will help you see better when you're maneuvering the borescope around.

 

[Carlos151]

Here's some good gouge from the AOPA Air Safety Institute: