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Looks like the end...


Robert Smith

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Well guys, I'm not sure what to do here, I'm working part time and can't seem to find a second job or a better full time job. Money is extremely short, especially now with the holidays.

I have only one car, and that's my Plymouth. She has been giving me four years of faithful service for the most part and has been the best car I've ever owned. However, I am in need of a valve job again and I know there is one bad valve. I have no money, what I can scrape together is very small. I know most valve jobs cost over $600. I have that right now but, I must pay the rent and also bills. So, every time I make a check, it goes right into bills and rent. I'm also afraid of the next month since my room mate has decided to change his mind about moving in. So, I am in a bad way.

I can't sell my car, that would be foolish because I wouldn't be able to get what I bought it for originally. The car selling market is horrible right now, I wouldn't be able to get more then $3000. for this car so, I must find a way to fix it so I can continue to enjoy it and drive it.

If anyone here knows of a good motor, or any of the hot rod guys who may have a flat head 6 layin' around who may live local to LA or Pasadena, please contact me, or if there are anyone who are near that can do a valve job for a reasonable price, please contact me I am in the worst way. If this car dies, I wont be able to get to work and that's not an option.

So, I hate to come to you guys with this, it bothers me so, but I'm needing a Christmas miracle here... any one can help?

Thank you,

Robert=-

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yep got laid off a year ago and same thing no work out their!!! lucky I can do work from home and have a big shop, otherwise I would really be in a bind..drop me a line and see if we can come up with something, I am about an hour north of ya. Mike

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Valve jobs aren't that hard to do. Get one of those wooden handles with the suction cup on the end,a can of layout blue,and some valve lapping compound,and have at it. If you don't understand what I am talking about,buy a Motors Manual from the early 50's,and it will give you all the details you need,including photos.

No,you are not going to get a high-speed 3 angle valve grind this way. What you WILL get is a valve that fits your valve seat perfectly,and thousands of miles of driving pleasure.

This is only if your valve seats are good,though. If they have to be replaced it's machine shop time. In that case,look around your local area for a technical school or high school/community college auto mechanics course,and make arrangements to have them do this for you. All it will cost you is parts and materials. No labor.

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Thanks for the info! I'm needing to get this done soon as possible, I'm running on four now, can't take it on the freeway... have to take serface streets to get to work now... I know, I'm bad, I shouldn't be driving it but, I have't any choice. No money to rent a car and no friends that I work with live close to me... I'm in a bad way!

-=R

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If you can't afford it, sell it. get what you can for it right now, I did that to my car about two years...when I get my money back up...I will buy another one. Don't let it died on you and get less money....and not have anything to drive around....

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Well, I paid $5k for it, I still owe on it since I've had hard times finding good work over the last four years... and I've hardly paid anything off. So, it's only worth $3k right now that's IF I can sell it... with hardly anyone buying anything today I'd be lucky to off it for $2k.

So, selling it is not an option, especially when it would only take $700 or less to get the valves done when I couldn't even buy a car that is trust worthy for that.

I'm keepin' it!

=R

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So, selling it is not an option, especially when it would only take $700 or less to get the valves done when I couldn't even buy a car that is trust worthy for that.

I'm keepin' it!

=R

You are right. Keep it. You can't sell it for enough to replace it with a car that has nothing wrong with it and a warranty,so you wouldn't be gaining anything if you did sell it.

Go old school. Get a 50's Motor Manual and follow the directions in it to do a old school valve job. The only special tools you will need are a torque wrench,the hand lapper (a wooden stick with a suction cup on one end. You put valve grinding compount on the valve face and spin it between your palms to fit/lap the valve to the seat),a can of "Dykem Blue" or other lay out marker,and a couple of cans of valve grinding compound of different grits. One roughter to rough it in,and one finer for final lapping.

You will also need a new head gasket,but that's about it. The Motors Manual will lay it out in detail for you,and even show you photos to help you understand what you are doing. It really is very simple. You will learn something,have fun learning it,and have a car you can drive and enjoy while taking pride in the fact that you fixed it yourself.

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You know, I have been around flatheads a long time and rarely have I seen an engine that all of a sudden needs a valve job . It takes years of wear or some drastic event to cause valve problems.

I also do not understand how you can diagnose a valve problem without removing the head and visually inspect the engine and especially the valves and seating area.

You mentioned you had a valve job done some time ago, I wonder if the valves have somehow closed up because someone forgot to tighten the locks. I had a pinto engine that locked up - thought it needed valves but when re set valve train voom off she went.

I think a little more info to us might help- how did this develop? what symptoms- fouled plugs? soot? bl;AC smoke out rear? onset rapid or slow how long after other valve job.

Give us More info and YOU check the clearances of the valves-

Also remember Tim's view"better to hear the valves than replace them early and often."

It sure sounds to me like bad adjustment. I had one friend who swore the valves were bad on v8 for flathead- they were not just bad timing- has your timing slipped? Also wrong firing order can fool you check the wires also- plugs not firing can give symptoms of bad valves as can bad condenser points plugs etc.

And for Gods sake do not take the advice of anyone who has not really worked on the cars. I suggest u only listen to someone who has been there done that.

I cannot tell you how many times Ii have had someone come to me about a flathead saying their mechanic , neighbor, wife , grandchild, or some other wizard said bla bla bla. And upon questioning find out that their total experience is

1 installing a Chevy 350 crate in a car- with a kit and instructions and

2 Staying at A magic motel the night before they gave my friends their expert diagnosis.

Let us help but give us mere info based on your process of elimination - many of us have the experience but You must be our eyes and ears.

Lou

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img_P1555053.jpg

and

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and a few hours are what you need to seat your valve. This is how we did the fix back in the old days. You know you're finished when your valve seat is of uniform thickness all the way around the seat.

Sorry you're having a tough time. I've been in your shoes before and it's not fun. However, this too shall pass.

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Robert,

I have been off the board for the last couple of months and just read your post. I have six exhausts and intake used valves left from my engine rebuild. It is very hard for me to throw anything away. If you would like a couple valves PM me and I will send them your way. By the way have you ran a compression check? If you have not, do run one, the checker can be had for very little money; you do not need a very good one. Just the type that has a rubber noise piece you hold into the spark plug hole. I would not even worry about the numbers as long as they are about the same. If you have a bad valve you will have one or two cylinders that are way lower than the others. Like others have said before me these motors do not burn valves very often, but not unheard of if the valve is too tight. Good luck as most of us have been there.

Ed. :cool:

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And old Jipjob up here is Bremerton agrees with the idea of pressure testing your cyclinders and take oft that inspection plate down on the side of engine to see if there is a problem down there. Vlv's just don't burn up so fast especially two at a time.

By the way your internet site on my space is just Great!!!!!! Loved checking that out. Jon

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Guys, I think we're all missing Robert's point here.

Sounds to me that Robert is not as well versed in pulling the head, checking the vacuum etc., etc., and working on a car. So.........telling him how to do these things doesn't do much good. Remember not all on the board are use to working on car engines of any kind. That coupled with the fact that he said he doesn't have a lot of money to spend for a mechanic to do it. Then add the fact that this is his only vehicle, so he has to use it daily for work, etc. Also, if someone isn't one who works on a car all the time, they usually don't have the necessary tools to do it. All this puts Robert between a "Rock and a Hard Place".

Now, if this wasn't his only means of transportation we could walk him through it all and maybe help solve his problem on the forum. But, again, it is his only transportation, and it could take days or weeks to finally get to the root of the problem. So..........he has to be able to tear into the problem, and hopefully get it fixed all in one day. Yes, many of us can pull a head on one of these engines in less than an hour. But.........someone who has never done it could take a day or two. Especially if they have to go out and buy a torque wrench to replace a head gasket for example. It could take a person like that two or three days to simply replace a head gasket. Plus, if he runs into a problem and needs to go out and buy a part after tearing into the engine; "How is he going to go get it with no car"? It's that rock and a hard place again.

Here's my advise for Robert based on what he's said. Do what a lot of people here in the rust belt do. Buy what we call a "Winter Car". This usually an old more modern car that may look like hell due to rust and body damage, but mechanically sound so you don't drive your good car in the snow and salt. You can usually pick something like this up for between $500 to $1000 from a private party. Many times the car will only last about a year, but then you can throw it away because it's so cheap to begin with. Once you have the "Winter Car" you can then take your time learning, finding and fixing the problem on your P15. It's no longer an emergency to fix it and spend big bucks doing it then. Then all the advice the others has given can be checked out. It will also give you more time to find a friend or another person from the forum near you to help.

That's just my opinion (or 2 cents worth) on the subject. But........I would never rely on just an old antique car to be my everyday driver, without having a backup car of some kind. If for no other reason, you may not be able to get repair parts that fast for the old car.

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