I just bought my 66 GS 4 spd convertible and it was advertised as running, in need of a tune up. The guy who sold it to me seems honest, but doesn't know a whole lot about old cars. He said that it had been stored for 15 years without starting, before he bought it. I started it just long enough to get it from the trailer to my driveway, and not since.It made valvetrain noise, and was way down on power. The oil was very high on the dipstick and smelled like gas. I popped a rebuilt Carter on it and did a full tune up, but it wouldn't fire, so I pulled the right valve cover to set top dead center and saw a broken pushrod at 7. There was also about a 1/4 inch of sludge in the valve cover and on top of the head without new oil on top, and the valves looked like they had a thin coat of petrified oil. I pulled the other cover and found another busted pushrod at 4. I then pulled the manifold and valley pan to look for the pushrod ends and saw that the cam had a worn lobe at 3 and several pitted lobes elsewhere. I looked hard around between the rods below, and couldn't see the pushrod ends, so I think they made it to the pan. The lifters have dried oil shellac above and below the lifter journals. I am short of cash for the short term and am debating whether I should button it back up till spring, or do a cam change, clean up the oil passages and unstick the valves with a 2x4 and rubber hammer, and drop the pan to find the lifter ends before I try to fire it. The big question is.... Do you think the bearings are OK with the long storage and a nice coating of thinnned oil The rings might have some memory, as the seller promised that he saw no smoke and I haven't run it enough to look. I know these nailheads are stout, but I don't want to ruin the motor with a thrown rod. If a bearing spins, I am stuck, but I don't think that is a great risk, as it hasn't happened yet. In short, should I try to get it running or leave it alone until spring? Thanks, Dan
:shock: Dan, It sounds to me like you are in need of more than a tune up? I would be in a hurry to find out if you have more problems waiting. Drain the oil and look at the oil filter first, then find the missing pieces of pushrods. I would pull all plugs to see if ALL pistons are moving up and down, next do a compression test. Hope this helps. Keep us posted as to the progress. Bill Bailey
update Well, I pulled the plugs on the cylinders with the broken pushrods, and they are going up and down nicely. Only one of the valves was stuck, but it popped loose with a few medium pops with the board and rubber hammer. The engine turns smoothly by hand. There are no chunks in the oil. Now....do I go ahead and button it up and try to fire it, or do a rebuild? Again, have any of you taken an old motor like this with a lot of years of storage and fired it with bad results after checking it out for obvious problems, changing the oil, lubricating everything, etc? Obviously, no one wants to give advice that ends up bad, but if the odds are pretty good, I don't mind playing them. What is the experience of the group on this? Thanks, Dan
o No: Dan, Did you pull all plugs? If not I would take a look at the condition of the plugs and make sure all pistons are moving. I made the mistake of spending tune up money and oil change, only to find out I had two blown pistons and a hole in my oil pan which required re sleeving both cylinders and an over .030 bore. I had to replase everything inside my motor, except 6 rods. I didn't even take the time to look under the car when I got it home, or even worse before I had it towed to my home. I would never have got involved with this project if I had known the extent of the damage in the motor. My advise is DO NOT GET IN A HURRY to fire it. Impatience is not a friend to us car nuts. I am glad I have my car running, and truly love to drive it, but the money I have spent to get it right could go a long way in paint and interior work which is still ahead of me. Take care Dan. Bill Bailey
Starting Nailhead We have started alot of old motors from bone yards and such. Pull plugs, squirt blaster into cylinders, this will keep the rings loose or losen them if they are stuck. It also works on valve lifters if they are stuck and also on the valve stems. Take both rockerarms off, tap valves with rubber hammer to make sure each one moves and comes back. uzzled: Put engine at Number 1 cylinder, change oil and filter, pull distributor and prime motor. Install the distributor and crank with hand and if it turns free: crank with starter. If everything seems free put on rockerarms, turn by hand and watch to make sure each one is moving. If all this is okay you should be able to start it. Pull the coil wire and let the oil pressure build up and then plug everything back in and start it but just at an idle so you can check everything. Then HAMMER!!!!!!!!:blast:
Update I am blessed with a very knowledgable friend in Oklahoma who supplied me with encouragement and 4 brand new 401 pushrods. I took apart the passenger side rocker and cleaned it with a good dose of gun oil for good measure. I then cleaned all the sludge off the head, bolts, etc, took one last look at the rods and trolled the pan with a magnet stick for metal pieces.I coated the upper end with an expensive gun spray called corrosion-X, then buttoned it back together and cranked it over for about 15 seconds before reconnecting the coil. It fired on the first turn and runs smooth as silk with no smoke or noticeable blow-by. There is minimal rocker ticking and no knocking. I am taking it very easy on it, to give it a chance to get used to running after such a long slumber.I might add that I used slick 50 with the oil change, but don't know what effect it might have had. I guess this is the first experience of the group with a sleeping nailhead, and it's a good one. These nailheads truly are bullet proof! Thanks for the advice, Bill. I also thank Erich Davis in OKC. YEEEHAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Dan, Thanks for the update on your motor. I have wondered from time to time about it. I am happy that you have a working motor that most likely will serve you well. Enjoy. Bill Bailey
:af: dan would be a good idea to change your fuel pump, also. if you smell gas in oil ,,,the pump diafram is bad and leaking gas in the oil. had the same problem on my 63 wildcat 401. Ron......:TU:
I bought a new fuel pump for it, and noticed that the old one didn't have the same oil coating as the rest of the front of the motor. I figured maybe the pump had been changed, but not the oil. I am holding off swapping pumps and have been sniffing the oil regularly, and don't smell any gas yet. I'll be watching it like a hawk, though. I took it for an easy spin around the block, and it has loads of power and sounds like it should with no exhuast leaks or drips, since I had the radiator recored. They sure make a sweet sound as you run through the gears! Totally different than the automatic. It's like a different car than my auto convertible.
nail head slumber party :Brow: Dan, Change the oil and filter frequently and use a good detergent oil to loosen the rings and remove the sludge. Eventually the sludge and dirt will all be caught by the filter and removed. If you have engine building experence, you might take it down this spring and do her up right. Doug
