Builds Work In Progress aka: Badass (5 Viewers)

[NeverGiveUpYota]

I agree those back 2 cylinders are hard on your back. I'm 6'2" and it's still a huge issue. I hate the yearly valve ritual and have been known to avoid it. It's worse in a spring over 40, trust me.

The tire step is good, and specifically good for this particular job.

Power through it, you'll get there.

Adjustment is done. I’m just pissing and moaning at this point.
As I said to @FJACS just now via email, regarding the leak down... honestly can’t explain. Tool is in truck. Directions here. 10pm and I’m glued to the couch. Not enough sleep the last number of days. My brain is full of busy gerbils over all this bs. I’m honestly quite fumbled. I need a compressor to do it again cuz I feel like I was doing it wrong. The gauge face for the cylinder reading is confusing also because 100 is in red but both Kurt and I read if it’s at the 100 it’s perfect but red is always associated w/ bad. So I’m pretty mixed up. I do believe at least a few I did right and results point to bad rings w/ hissing out intake side. Never once saw bubbling in the radiator fill neck.

 

[Prairie Swamp]

Looking at pictures of the HF tool - the two gages are the same inside have the same guts do the same thing. So looks like they want you to put 100 psi from your compressor to the tool. Even tho the gage on the right has a different face it's the same. So if the engine was perfect (not possible) and you had 100 psi on the left gage the right gage would be pegged at the same point meaning there was no leakage at all. Of course there is leakage and the more counter-clockwise the right gage is the worse it is. Hence the red in that part of the gage. The right gage is reading in "percentage leakage". 100% leakage meaning a hole in a piston.

If you heard hissing out the intake/carb that's air getting past the intake valve. Past the rings would end up in the crankcase and would probably come back up the oil drain holes in the head somewhere. Air hissing out the exhaust would be air getting past the exhaust valve. If there's bubbling in the coolant it's a head gasket or crack somewhere.

Did you write results down - to compare to compression test?

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Looking at pictures of the HF tool - the two gages are the same inside have the same guts do the same thing. So looks like they want you to put 100 psi from your compressor to the tool. Even tho the gage on the right has a different face it's the same. So if the engine was perfect (not possible) and you had 100 psi on the left gage the right gage would be pegged at the same point meaning there was no leakage at all. Of course there is leakage and the more counter-clockwise the right gage is the worse it is. Hence the red in that part of the gage. The right gage is reading in "percentage leakage". 100% leakage meaning a hole in a piston.

If you heard hissing out the intake/carb that's air getting past the intake valve. Past the rings would end up in the crankcase and would probably come back up the oil drain holes in the head somewhere. Air hissing out the exhaust would be air getting past the exhaust valve. If there's bubbling in the coolant it's a head gasket or crack somewhere.

Did you write results down - to compare to compression test?

Yes I did write things I was finding/seeing but I feel like a jackass writing them here because I feel I wasn’t doing it fully correct. I was having a hard time seeing the piston tops through the hole and seeing the TDC line together so a number I just tried testing when I could see the piston top easily through the hole. After a few and seeing/hearing results I caught on that I may have been on the exhaust stroke. I wasn’t on home ground, home owner was hungover and tired and I told him he didn’t need to help so I was fishing w/o a pole. I just wanted to get it done and he’d never done one.

Let me ask, another friend of mine thinks that I should simply rent a radiator pressure tester. That will most definitely tell me if my HG is leaking. He also said 100psi could easily push a piston down which was the case in a few of mine. So quite honestly I’m just annoyed and frustrated at this point. I’m getting steam/smoke from the top of the engine. Starting here and there lately has been hard. Coolant on the top and in air cleaner... all signs are pointing to the HG for sure but I really want to definitively test the integrity of the rings too!

Granted the leak down can point out rings but I don’t have a compressor, so I’ve been looking for a smaller one I could borrow or buy cheap and close by this AM. I’d really like to try the leak down again in my own space.

 

[dogfishlake]

You should never feel like a Jackass for the stuff you do here. There are and will be a ton of people inspired by your push forward attitude and lack of fear to tackle stuff.

Carry on, and I hope it goes as good as it can!

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

You should never feel like a Jackass for the stuff you do here. There are and will be a ton of people inspired by your push forward attitude and lack of fear to tackle stuff.

Carry on, and I hope it goes as good as it can!

Thank you AND please someone just tell me what to do here cuz I’m getting impatient. I’ve got today to maybe get it figured out, then work at 3. Kid pickup tmrw early AM and once he’s here I typically can’t do squat for truck stuff plus I feel guilty doing truck stuff when he’s back to me. He doesn’t go to school, he’s loosely being homeschooled by myself and his dad. I don’t do a ton of book work w/ him cuz I hate the arguing I get from him so I typically keep him busy in the yard or more recently doing easier things w/ simple tools. But I have to watch him or my tools will be doing things they aren’t meant to do and get scattered around the yard!

 

[roadstr6]

Fel, Here's my take on this. Forget about rings. Worn rings won't cause the symptoms you are experiencing. A leakdown test is great IF you have a compressor and IF you know how to do the test correctly. Personally I wouldn't bother. The radiator pressure tester will tell you if you are getting exhaust gas in your coolant. Judging by the amount of coolant on top of your head, I'd assume that you are. If you are not, so what? The head still needs to come off to fix whatever is causing this. Rather than wringing your hands over what could be, just take the straighforward approach. Do a simple compression test. Note the results. It may tell you which cylinder has the leak. It may not. Either way, pull the head. Take it to a shop to get checked out. Head could be cracked or you could have gotten a bad head gasket first time around. Perhaps a piece of trash fell in and compromised the seal when you were installing. Maybe the head bolts bottomed out before you got the head tight. It could be lots of things, but I can honestly say that if you don't pull the head and have it checked, you won't trust the truck. Just dig in and get it done like you always do. The head needs to come off. Take it off.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Do a simple compression test.

I did, it SUCKED. 2&5 lower reading from before I rebuilt the top end!!! 90 and 100. Two years ago when I jumped like a wild child, they were 130 and 140.

 

[roadstr6]

Pull it.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

The head needs to come off. Take it off.

Thank you! Oh ****ing okay. Sometimes I just need someone to tell me what to do. Time for me to take the sub role! Ha! Napa down the road has a pressure tester I can rent, shall I honestly bother or just begin dissembling the head?

 

[roadstr6]

There is nothing about this that you can fix without pulling the head. Pull it.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

There is nothing about this that you can fix without pulling the head. Pull it.

Thank you Sir, that’s what I needed to be told. Going to call dealership now and get a head gasket in route.

 

[roadstr6]

Fel, My advice to you is to not ever rebuild that motor. You have a jury-rigged crank key. It is holding up fine for now, but that crank should really never go back in a fresh engine. Any machine shop worth their salt would not allow it. Keep this motor limping along for as long as you can and get your hands on another one to freshen up on the stand. When the time is right and the stars align, swap them. That's long term. Right now if I were you, I'd be putting feelers out for a new head. My gut tells me this head you've got now is cracked. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

jury-rigged crank key

I welded it, that’s that bad? And yes I hope your wrong that the head isn’t NOW cracked. Supposedly it wasn’t before, not sure tho if he pressure tested after the magnflux.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

HG P/N 11115-61020 supersceded by 61030, on route from KC, dealer lists as $158, parts guy giving to me for $119.58 (TPD list as $112.62).

 

[roadstr6]

I welded it, that’s that bad? And yes I hope your wrong that the head isn’t NOW cracked. Supposedly it wasn’t before, not sure tho if he pressure tested after the magnflux.

You welded it? With a welder? I thought you JB Welded it. Big difference. Either way, it's a band-aid that I would not want on top of a $3,000 total engine rebuild. I'd start over with a good crank but that's just me. You can get a good used engine for practically nothing to rebuild. It's the rebuilding that costs you. There's no sense in being sentimental over a broken piece of metal. Spend your money one that's not already broken...if/when you decide to do a full rebuild. My .02.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

So I just talked at length w/ the machinist that did my head. Valve job includes magnaflux. They do not pressure test as well in that, only magnaflux. He said if I’m getting visible clouds coming out top of engine it’s MOST likely rings. He said if it was my head gasket the movement of air would be out the tailpipe. He does believe any testing I can do prior to pulling would be wise.
So that’s where I’m at, a few steps backward again.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

You welded it? With a welder? I thought you JB Welded it. Big difference. Either way, it's a band-aid that I would not want on top of a $3,000 total engine rebuild. I'd start over with a good crank. That's just me.

Yeah welded it when I had the cam out to do the bearings and con rod bearings.

 

[roadstr6]

Rings do not explain coolant in the oil. Machinist is trying to cover his ass by feeding you bullsh@t and you need to find a different machinist. A magnaflux is only as good as the guy inspecting it. Based on the fact that this guy thinks that worn piston rings leak coolant into the oil, I don't trust him any farther that I can throw him. Sorry, Fel....

What would explain coolant in the oil and puffs to the top end is a cracked head. Think about it...compression builds in the cylinder and pushes the compressed gasses through the crack and into the valve cover. Going out on a limb here, I'd say that the head is cracked on top. You've got oil and coolant mixing and exhaust coming through the top of the head. I think I've said all I am going to say about your guy and his BS diagnosis. Good luck!

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Based on the fact that this guy thinks that worn piston rings leak coolant into the oil

He never said that. He said the visible smoke/steam coming out the bypass hose and out the oil gallies when valve cover is off is more likely smoke which would be oil which would point to rings. Thats it. I'm not distrusting him just yet.

 

[roadstr6]

Is there coolant in your oil? If so, either the head or the head gasket is compromised. Period. There's not much else that it could be. Cracked block? I doubt it. Whatever it is, it's definitely not your damn rings. Sheesh!