Guys looking at 65 Wildcat the car is EXTREMELY clean but the motor scares me, I listened to it and I get mixed sounds because at one point it sounds like it is a detonation problem ( I tried moving the distributor around but it did not seem to make a difference which made me think the points were bad) And at other times it sounded like a rod knock, the car has originally 64k miles from the ORIGINAL owner......???? Please take a listen and tell me what you think I would love to hear opinons this is the only video that I shot. Oh and the gas smelled like VARNISH the motor had not been started in quite some time I also was thinking that it may be a timing issue because as the car was idling (barely) you could see that fuel was being spit back through the carb....
sounds like a bent pushrod, some thing with the valve train, can you pull the valve covers and get a better look?
The old gas will cause the valves to start to stick. My Riviera did this after sitting for years. It sounded like a rod knock as the valve / valves were sticking occasionally and being hit by the piston. I wouldn't run any engine on old stale gas just for this reason. Believe it or not my valves didn't get bent. I only idled it. If this is the problem, pull the rocker covers and squirt some penetrating oil to the top oif the valve guides to loosen the gummed gas deposits. If you have a rough idle after doing this do a compression test to see if you have a leaking / bent valve. I got lucky and mine cleaned up ok.
Ok I will do that, I just don't want to let this beauty go because it is SOOOOO CLEAN!!! I know these motors are expensive to rebuild!! ---------- Post added at 09:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:45 AM ---------- Thanks GTX, I am on the fence about purchasing the car....but DAMN....IT'S SOOOOO CLEAN!!!!!
The varnish in the old gas is making the valves hang up in the guides as has been mentioned. When the valves unstick they snap back onto the seat and produce a sound like someone is hitting the head with a small hammer. Dont run the RPM up like that again! If you continue to run the stale gas, even if you dilute it with fresh gas, you will start breaking rockers arms (if you havnt done so already). As mentioned, pull the valve covers, replace the broken rocker arms, and while you have the rocker assemblies removed from the head check the height of the tops of the valve stems to be sure you do not have a valve which is hung open. If you do, try the penetrating oil while tapping the head or the top of the valve stem (lightly!) with a hammer to get the valve to unstick. As a last resort you can try a little heat but keep in mind you will be in close proximity to flammable liquids (oil diluted with raw gasoline). Run the engine on a 5 gallon gas can and after you are satisfied you have a good engine drop the fuel tank, flush/clean and start over with fresh gas. Good lluck, Tom Mooney
I wouldnt be afraid to buy it. It does sound bad but to be honest i could not offer a real opinion without actually hearing it in person with a stethoscope. As others have said you may have a valve sticking and of course if so possibly a bent pushrod. If the exhaust valve is stuck closed the sound may be the piston hammering the compressed cylinder which is not good for the lower end so i would not run it much or at any rpm. How does the oil look, does it have good oil pressure? I would say the most you may have to do is yank the heads and have them cleaned up. Otherwise pull the valve covers, do a compression test and check to see what is going on.
I will post pics once it is in my garage lol, I threw an offer out to the seller I am awaiting to see if she accepts more than likely she is waiting to see if she gets any offers higher than mine......
I have to run 100 octane gas in my '65 Wildcat in order to get max performance out of it. The so called pump premium gas here in CA won't even start up a bar-b-que.
I would use a small BRASS hammer. I would never hit any reciprocating or rotating part of a piece of machinery with a steel hammer.
What about the whining sound as the rpm's increase?? Could that also be related to valves, or is it the transmission?
Here are a few shots of the car, sorry i couldn't get any interior shots but it was clean as well, bench seat car. Sorry for the crappy pics i am still on the fence with buying this car, given the state of the motor what would you all suggest a good offer to be for this car?
I think that whine is the power steering pump low on fluid. I noticed the cap on the steering pump is loose... I agree with the others, don't run that engine again with the valves sticking and/or bent push rods. 35 years ago my piston hit a valve . Broke the skirt off of two pistons. One broken piston skirt scored a cylinder. We had to sleeve that cylinder. all due to a sticky valve. ---------- Post added at 09:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 PM ---------- It's a nice car. But with the engine problems, not more than $1,500
Copy that bulldog.. I think I will pass on this one and wait for the "next train" although the body is clean as hell.... still too much work!!
