74' f engine rebuild

[rsbcruiser]

Break in

Fired it up, 2000 rpms, bearing noise, gone, valve noise settles right down. 10 minutes into it and Wife walks by, says,"I don't know how you can stand it". "Music, I say". Temp stays stable at 1/3. It was the belt. I'll have to figure th eoil issue later. I use my 3/4" drive 1 and 3/4" socket, a step down adaptor to 1/2", Two 1/2" extensions (to get thru the hole in the valence), a 1/2" ratchet and a cheater bar. Same as before, set the valve gap while the engine was hot. Most of the valves required some readjustment.

 

[rsbcruiser]

The oil leak

Ran back down and picked up another batch of oil and a stopper. The plan is to pull the drain plug, stop the flow, investigate, take corrective action. Huge mess, only saved maybe half of the oil in the pan, the rest, in the used oil collector, on the floor and all over me. Another great plan foiled by reality. Checked the drain plug out, ah ha, when I painted the pan 9 months ago the paint covered the old plug gasket OD, gluing it to the pan and making it look like part of the flange. It pulled off with the plug this time.

 

[rsbcruiser]

The dipstick

No way to tell how much oil is now in there. No problem, I'll check the dipstick. Glad I did that first, it read full. What the heck! Both dipstick tubes were the wrong length or type (maybe the dipstick itself is wrong). I ran the stick down and could hear it striking the bottom of the oil pan. Now I have no way to telll how much oil to add. Another plan. Drain and refill. Good plan, Removing the stopper I noticed more old gasket material around the drain hole. cleaned it up, a new gasket and another full load of oil. Three loads in two days. Counting the Cobalt that makes it four. I've currently got the market cornered on used oil. I'll have to track down the correct dipstick now.

 

[IDave]

Well, at least it wasn't chocolate milk coming out of there!

 

[Pighead]

I know this may sound like a personal question, but, how long is your dipstick?

 

[MoCoNative]

Does the oil pressure gauge move at all. As in, it shows low pressure while cranking, then builds pressure. Does it fluctuate at all when changing RPM, or does it just show full pressure right off.

It could be the small passage into the sensor is clogged with a bit of crap. Could easily happen after a rebuild, and it maybe has the sensor diaphram wedged in full pressure mode. May be worth taking off and squirting some WD-40 or something in there, try to clean it out.

 

[rsbcruiser]

I know this may sound like a personal question, but, how long is your dipstick?

No, no, not at all, happy to............Oh, no wait. I get it, measured it at 13 and 1/2" . I looked all over the place for another stick, not sure but I think the stick was given to me by BS. Can't find another around here....hmmmm. This whole thing just doesn't make sense.

 

[rsbcruiser]

Does the oil pressure gauge move at all. As in, it shows low pressure while cranking, then builds pressure. Does it fluctuate at all when changing RPM, or does it just show full pressure right off.

It could be the small passage into the sensor is clogged with a bit of ****. Could easily happen after a rebuild, and it maybe has the sensor diaphram wedged in full pressure mode. May be worth taking off and squirting some WD-40 or something in there, try to clean it out.

Hey thats great stuff. Drove it today, and yes it builds pressure and does not fluctuate. Now that it has been a few miles and with the oil all warmed up I can now see the top pressure mark just above the needle. Thinking the motor is just that tight.

 

[IDave]

Might be worth putting a real gauge on there just to see.

 

[n2666s]

awsome thread ..............x2 with IDave............plug in a real gauge to get an accurate reading; I picked up a 1 1/2 F that had been pulled 'cause of "no oil pressure".............with a real gauge it is all at upper limits of normal!

Lou

 

[MoCoNative]

That's a good point Lou, the stock gauge is finicky. Mine show low alot of the time. Seems to be the marginal stock wire to the sender I think. On ocassion is falls off too, but I know it still has pressure.

Could be the guage in the dash though, for sure.

 

[rsbcruiser]

Oil gage

A real gage? Are youguys talking about the ones where there is a little oil pipe thatruns into the cab, connecting to a meter? Do you connect it up to the hole in the block where my oil pressure unit currently plugs in? Is there a apecific brand you would recomend? And thanks all. Still have to do some fiddlin, keep you posted.

 

[IDave]

I picked up one at NAPA. You can get fancy and set one up perminantly in the cab, or you can just use an adapter and temporarily plug it into the sensor hole, and see what your engine is actually doing just as a check, then go back to the standard setup. That's what I did, to see what my dash gauge corresponded with in real world numbers.

 

[rsbcruiser]

I picked up one at NAPA. You can get fancy and set one up perminantly in the cab, or you can just use an adapter and temporarily plug it into the sensor hole, and see what your engine is actually doing just as a check, then go back to the standard setup. That's what I did, to see what my dash gauge corresponded with in real world numbers.

Thangs Dog, I was wondering, when you pull the sensor out, Does alot of oil pour out of the sensor hole? That oil feeder tube in the block looks huge. I'm guessing there is a quart of oil in it at least. I like the feature myself. Because it is higher than the crankshaft, I bet it continues to gravity feed the bearings after the motor is shut off.

 

[rsbcruiser]

The payoff

Valve cover removal: Clear all hardware so the cover is free to move, left hand on one end, right on the other, gently rock the cover, breaking the seal between gasket and head, once broken free, yard the cover out of there, the seal remains attached to the cover, payoff! Backthread and you will know of what I speak.

 

[rsbcruiser]

Break in continues

Motor ran through a couple of heat cycles so time to retorque the heads. Last time I neglected to do this step torquing all the bolts except this one (the one with the socket on it) , fudging with a wrench....Removed the rocker assembly. Retorqued, starting from the center I retorque to the ol familiar pattern. Only the ouboard bolts move and then only slightly. Retorqued my rocker rack, checked the valve gaps cold, warmed it up, reset gaps hot.

 

[rsbcruiser]

Living with the paradigms

I'm driving now...3 Cruiser moment, 2 60s' and my 55, dude with the big wheels, external roll and roof rack, hesa wavin, eyeballed me first, lady has to eyeball my ensignia before waving back: Motors tight, exhaust sweet, idling, lady walks by,, pulls her scarf over her face, book by the cover: I tell the dude (yep, can't pump your own gas here) premium 3 times, driving down the road, I do the math, yep, regular. I have too sweat out a 1/2 tank of treated old gas, a full tank of new gas before getting what it craves, premium is a must. Finally can get serious about tuning.

 

[rsbcruiser]

Tuning

Finally, the 32/36 weber, had it set where they suggest, fiddled with idle mixture screw, ended up just inside webers' ideal setting, same with the idle. So a 60 jet on the low curcuit. The secondary, different story, 60 or 65, 70 way too much...timing, jets, back to timing, finally with the t light going for a ride I have it worked out, so I think, just can't chase that little hesitation, 40mph or 50mph, won't go away, lark a 57 jet, runs better! what the heck a 55 and it howls, timing to 10 degs or so, with premium, pingging under load ceases, hesitation ceases. But I can tell, I am paying the price for not holding out for the Downey dizzy (more advance). Its' there, but when under load and not fully warmed up, it is grumpy.

 

[IDave]

Thangs Dog, I was wondering, when you pull the sensor out, Does alot of oil pour out of the sensor hole? That oil feeder tube in the block looks huge. I'm guessing there is a quart of oil in it at least. I like the feature myself. Because it is higher than the crankshaft, I bet it continues to gravity feed the bearings after the motor is shut off.

I don't think there's all that much oil in the galley. Don't remember very much coming out, anyway. Just a dribble. Gravity drains when you turn the engine off.

 

[rsbcruiser]

Details, details, details

Headers leak! Darkened paint on the heads make it apparent right off. Why? removal highlights a flaw in my plan. I ignored most of the washers and because they are so darned sturdy they yielded not, cocking ascew on the intake manifold, not giving the headers their full torque. Befuddled, I consult the usual manuals. The Redneck Resource Guide, Shade Tree Mechanics Forum and the tried but true Southern Engineers Handbook. They all confirm: Vice Grips good, grinder good. Equiped with this knowledge I go to town on the big washers.