Truck engine 'restore'

[48Dodger]

No smog required on '73 and older. You're safe.

48D

ps....enjoying your threads.

[pflaming]

Results: 25 - 48 - 48 - 52 - 46 - 48. A close mechanic friend joined me for the test. Since I did NOT do anything to the valves he thought #1 might be dirt and since the head gasket was a used one and NO sealer he suggested I put in the new gasket and seal it both sides. He also suggest I use emry cloth and clean the valve edges and the valve seats. Going to use a lawn mower gas tank. Do I still run the line through the gas pump? Once I get it running, will let it cool down and compression test again, then I am going to do the Bon Ammi treatment and see what happens. This is quite enjoyable, thinking of upscaling our home, just made an executive decison, nor fewer than five garages!

Will reattach the pan next, add oil and see what kind of oil pressure I get. Tomorrow or Saturday project.

In the mean time I'm getting ready to try and start it by replacing all the essentials. I'm going to assume all the old parts work, repair/replace only what doesn't. Have everything except a carb, so if anyone has one for sale, send me a PM. New gaskets arrive mid next week.

This exercize can get in your blood.

[Don Coatney]

Did you replace the broken piston ring you found?

[pflaming]

I did not continue with that block, but took a chance the one that came in truck miight be just as good, so cleaned it up, put the cleaned up 'rusty' head on that engine and this is where it is today.

Wow, my right hand is so swollen I can't close it and so numb I can't feel the keys! Better give it some rest.

PF

[pflaming]

I am going to give my engine a Bon Ami treatment after I get my new head gasket in. SO. . . I went through the Bon Ami thread and captured the essential test information so I could have a printed copy at the engine. Here is what I captured. In the spirit of good research I tried to give credit to all responses.

FMSPEED49

Senior Member, have way too much spare time on my hands Join Date: Nov 2006

Location: Oklahoma City

Posts: 202

________________________________________

Put the plugs back in, reassembled the linkage, and started her up, ran her around the block 3 times to get her to operating temp. 180 degrees

20 ounce coca cola bottle, cleaned w/ carb cleaner

1 tablespoon of powder

89 octane gas unleaded.

Shaken, not stirred ( i had to say that)

ran the car at approx. 2000 - 2500 rpm

fan to the radiator

poked small hole in side of bottle

dribbled solution into carb over a 10 - 15 minute period

Adverse affects = NONE

Smoke = NONE

had to adjust idle up approx. 1/2 turn (compression rising???)

Sounds better (isn't that scientific)

Let it Idle for a minute

Shut her down, gonna let her cool, then test drive for the scientific seat of your pants test.

I will repull compression after she has cooled back down to the same temp as the first test.

Stay tuned.......

The tablespoon was just seat of the pants, figured 20oz of fuel and 1 tblspoon should be a mellow mix.

Test drive #1: 10 minute drive, varied speeds from 0 - 60 mph. Feels quite a bit more responsive. Idles smother. Sounds better. Pulled up the local hill with quite a bit more omph.

I will need to wait for cool down to check compression so that it will be accurate; also will drive with buddy following me tonight to do the "smoke in the headlights" test.

(Note new idle setting) The idle is now set more than half a screw in , to obtain the previous idle.

First follow-up test

The motors pretty cooled off, probably not all the way. Result: every cylinder is AT LEAST 15lbs higher than the first test.

BEFORE

cyl 1 70 lbs

cyl 2 70 lbs

cyl 3 73lbs

cyl 4 71lbs

cyl 5 70lbs

cyl 6 74lbs

The answer , YES it works!

It seems to have worked really well, better than I anticipated. On a side note, if you do this, have a spare set of plugs ready, 20 oz of fuel straight down the throat fouled em out pretty good.

I will also pick up a fresh oil filter and oil and I am going to look closely at the oil when I drain it , It was brand new! The powder has a clouding effect on the gas, so in theory, it should do the same if it got in the oil.

**** Test # 2 ****

Pull cold compression, same specs as the high ones last night (whoo hoo) ( the new specs after the first treatment stayed!!!!

1 Tablespoon Of BonAmi

1 cup of unleaded (full 20 oz yesterday)

Shaken well

Down the throat.

Adverse Affects = NONE

Test dirve = No real noticeable gain.

Idle, same setting.

Waiting for cool down to pull compression: stay tuned.........

Motor cooled to touch

YA'LL READY FOR THIS?

cyl 1 105

cyl 2 110

cyl 3 115

cyl 4 115

cyl 5 108

cyl 6 111

So I guess the answer is = YES IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM

with no adverse affects. also no visual change in the oil, Yet I’m gonna change it just in case.

Signing off, going driving.

Next report will be after a few hundred miles, unless something bad happens before then.

Thanks.

SOME HISTORY ON THE ENGINE TREATED IN THIS TEST:

The theory was due to the cleanliness of the inside of the motor, no sludge in pan, clean piston tops, and .40 pistons, 51,000 original documented miles and had sat for 10-15 years. I figure it "wasn't seated"

But I also figure, If it was using 1 qt per 100m, worst case I was rebuilding it, I even had the machine shop lined up, so I figured I had nothing to lose, If it didn't work, well I rebuilt it, If I didn't try it, well I rebuilt it. But it worked, so away we go.

Btw ran her about 70 miles tonight, no visible smoke in the mirror, runs better than it ever did. NO adverse affects. More power, Easier starts, more "stable" speeds if you will.

Update

The bonami report is, Car runs perfect, no adverse affects at almost 200 miles now.

AUTHOR REVIEW OF THE ENGINE TESTED!

**** Side Notes ****

Question by Niel Hoback

How does Comet cleanser compare to Bon Ami on the grit scale?

Greg: Bon Ami is based on a different mineral than other Clensing powders ( usually Silicate based). Its advertising used to feature a very young chick (poultry type) coming out of an egg, and the slogan was Hasn't Scratched Yet. The only other one I know of that is based on the same mineral is Bartenders Friend which was used for behind the bar cleaning and polishing glassware.

Bon Ami's active ingredients are the mild abrasives sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate and feldspar.

((I will attemp to downsize the document and post it if anyone has interest.))

[Don Coatney]

Why do you want to do the bon-ami treatment? Bon-ami is only used to assist in seating new piston rings when they fail to do so. Adding abrasives to an engine of unknown condition does not make sence. There is little to gain by doing this and a lot to lose. Think about it.

[pflaming]

Because I didn't know. That being understood, I will still attempt to get the engine running to hear how it sounds, then probably do a ring and valve job as I was going to do before. Thank you for the information. Still looking for a carb! Yesterday I removed the head, cleaned up the valves with emery cloth, as best I could, then put sealer both sides of the used gasket and torqued the head down again. Did a 2nd compression test. The results were the same: 25, 50, 50, 48, 48, 50. I gather from that, that the valves is probably not the big problem, the rings need help.

Cold and foggy out here in the central valley. Yesterday was 45 @ 98 % humidity, not like the cold of the plains but still cold!

PF

[carl b51]

Paul when you did the compression test did you put a shot of oil in the cylinder to help seal the rings ? If you do this and the compression gos up then you need rings if it doses not you better look at the valves. keep goin

[pflaming]

Do I use a shot glass or just put in a teaspoon full? of oil in the cylinders? Had penetrating oil in before. Was penetrating oil too strong?

Question on water hoses? Two are obvious, to and from the radiator. There are two more orfices. One is on the water pump one is on the return mount. I would guess the one on the water pump goes to the heater and the heater valve on the back end on the head is the heater return. (See pic 'engine water pump'). Where does the water go from the orfice on the water return piece?

I found a carburetor! That and gaskets are enroute. Will try to start it on Saturday! Wasn't going to post until I had it running, but the water hose issue needs a reply.

Laying out the electrical lines on a 'door table', will work on a new harness until carb and gaskets get here. Always a little project to attend to when a larger one gets stalled.

[carl b51]

I am sorry I wasn"t more clear a teaspoon full of oil in the cylinder you are testing the compression on . I can't help you on the water hoses I only have 4 hoses on mine 2 to the heater and 2 to the radiator on my 51. Carl

[pflaming]

In another thread I saw this picture. Beautiful engine. It looks like the water pump outlet "T's" in to the hot water return 'spout' and sends the water to the heater. Maybe the elbo on my water pump is off turned a little and needs to be alliagned to match the hot water return as shown in the picture below.

My engine did not have any water hoses on it so . . . I did not know. A clarification will be appreciated.

PF

[carl b51]

Is the water pump on your motor the one that was on it when you got it? I am looking at the picture of the one with the bypass hose on the water pump to the thermostat housing and I believe this is a older water pump then the one you are using. Is there a open orfice on the thermostat housing. Carl

I just remembered that yours is a 52 if this is so I don't think you should need a bypass hose. If there is a open orfice on the thermostat housing other than the one that goes to the radiator, then I believe that the housing is off an older motor. BUT I am not sure

[Don Coatney]

When you re-installed the piston rod did you insure that the squirt hole in the rod was pointing towards the cam shaft?

[pflaming]

The pump came with the block but now that you ask, the 'hot water' neck is from the engine I purchased. That important clarification means the 'neck' is NOT the correct one the pump is. Oh MY, now what? I think that means I could "plug" the orfice out of the "neck" and route the water from the water pump to the heater. Best way though is to get the correct one. One additional note, the head in use came from the block with the number starting with T. . . The BLOCK in use is a 51 by the date that is on it. I thought heads are interchangeable, am I correct on that? BUT there obviously are several styles of hot water mounts. Could be some do NOT run the water from the water pump to the heater, rather it comes from the hot water return.

'

Found a picture in my saved forum notes which shows a water pump like mine. The hot water neck has a 120 +/- degree elbo with water, ONLY to the radiator. It is in a dark green pilot-house, engine is silver with red accents. Beautiful engine and engine compartment!!! Tried to post that picture but couldn't. I think the silver engine in the attached thumbnail is in a car. Maybe figure that out tomorrow; or later today now that I note the time. Couldn't sleep!! Get that way sometimes, much better than a few years ago before I retired. Nights were hell then. Life is good now!

Any extra hot water necks out there? I reposted the two set-ups together for viewing convenience. The unpainted engine is mine, will someday be silver!! Hope soon!

Don, regarding the rusty / removed piston. I did not continue with that engine block. I remains taken apart, now carefully set aside maybe to be rebuilt subject to what this engine sounds like and tests out when I get it started. However thank you for the tip, will try to remember that when / if I return to those rods or remove these.

Paul

[pflaming]

Carb is on the way, then will start it up. Lots of detail to get this far. Hope it runs at least decent since I only cleaned it, but I haven't spent any money only time. Put in a wrong engine picture, wanted to show the other side, can't add an attachment on and edit, will show that when I report the engine is running.

Cab pictures show before and after wet sanding. Getting alot more color than I expected.

[Reg Evans]

Paul,

Have you read this thread regarding internal and external bypass water pumps ?

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=6119&highlight=internal+bypass

[pflaming]

The head and the water neck came from a different engine so the water pump is, I hope, an internal bi-pass type. As you can see I plan on putting a large bolt in that short hose and 'go for it'. Look at this picture and see if I am OK with a plugged hose. Will also plug the heater bipass outlet / inlet. Is all that OK? I think so.

No I was NOT aware of the thread. Very informative, will see what happens when I fire up the truck. Question: If my water pump does NOT have an internal bi-pass, then what happens FIRST. In short, what do I watch for. I was going to watch for circulating water as a first check.

Thankyou for the tip!