48SpecialDeluxe Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 I just bought a 48 special deluxe and it has sat for 20 years. It turns over by hand and I was informed that it needs a new head gasket. I would like to know what I should be looking at cleaning/checking/replacing to get it running again? I'd rather not pull the entire thing apart so I would just like to know what to look for or what areas should be addressed when I get to work on fixing my new project. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andydodge Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Gidday from sunny Sth Grafton NSW Australia.....get & read a workshop/service manual, replace points,plugs,leads, check earth straps, carby needle & seat, check all wiring connections, insert battery & fuel and give it a whirl.........lol.......welcome to the best Mopar 6 forum on the net.........good luck & regards, andyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchEdwin Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 At first, welcome to the forum. If an engine has sat for 20 years and needs a new head gasket, I would take it apart to the last bolt. The thing is, the old oil from the past had the habit of sticking to the colder engine wall. If you put in modern oil, the greasy stuff will get loose and could clog up an oil channel, only detected when it is too late. Also it gives you a good look inside on what is broken and what not. You can get a lot of help over here. Just my opinion. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48SpecialDeluxe Posted June 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) I'm definitely going to have the head off to replace the gasket so that will give me an opportunity to check the bore on the cylinders and make sure everything is looking in order. If I see anything alarming at this point, I will tear it all down! I plan on replacing the water pump and maybe the oil pump and definitely cleaning out the old oil pan. The entire ignition system can be replaced, save the distributor and generator, for under 80$ (I work at an autoparts store ) I already rebuilt the carb so that's good now. I'm going to go over the basic stuff like plugs, wires, cap, rotor, points, condenser, new gaskets for anything that isn't too bothersome to replace ect... But that's as far as I've gotten in my thought process thus far. I just don't want to have the car in pieces for so long that it gets annoying to look at. Edited June 23, 2011 by 48SpecialDeluxe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Welcome to this forum. What is a 3.6 engine? I dont do metric well. I assume when you say you have a 48 Special Deluxe (from your signature line) that you have a Plymouth. The standard engine for such vehicle is a 218CI engine. Who and why did someone tell you the head gasket needs replacement? Have you done a compression check or any other troubleshooting? Need more information. Where are you located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48SpecialDeluxe Posted June 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Yeah, it's a 218. Currently, the car is still at the previous owner's house because I need to rent a tow dolley to get it to my place of residence. I am just formulating a plan of attack at this point so I can get right to work when I bring it home. A compression test is in order once I get it home. The previous owner told me it needed a new head gasket and he was told by someone who checked it over 20 years ago. Replacing it can't hurt so I'm definitely going to do it. I'm located in Pennsylvania USA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted June 24, 2011 Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Before you pull the head I suggest you do some basic troubleshooting. Twenty year old information is a bit old. There are several forum members in Pennsylvania. If you be a bit more specific on your location you may find someone close who can assist you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andydodge Posted June 25, 2011 Report Share Posted June 25, 2011 Also as you live in the US I'd suggest that you should never refer to th engine in "metric" terms..........lol..........I have enough trouble dealing with you yanks as it is.........3.6 engine is only gunna confuse everone........lol......but Don's right.....have you had a go at trying to start it?.......give it a belly full of fuel, decent spark and see what happens........lol..........thats what I'd do first.............andyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruffy49 Posted June 26, 2011 Report Share Posted June 26, 2011 Always use SAE numbers for vintage engine displacement. Use metric for more modern stuff. I tried it the other way at Autozone, told the parts kid I needed a full set of plugs for a 144 cubic inch twin plug 4 cylinder Ford. He got a serious Duh??? look until I told him 2.3L 4 banger, dual ignition. Would have loaded his britches if I'd said what it really is: a fuel infested PINTO engine with a bunch of useless doo-dads tacked on so Fraud can charge you more... Using metric displacement on a vintage engine WILL get you the wrong parts. A 69 318 takes a different plug than a mid-90s and newer 5.2L V8... Different filters, different fluids... Even a Fraud 5.0 and 302 are different animals. Same displacement, different everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48SpecialDeluxe Posted July 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 I'm in York, Pa (south central pa) I haven't gotten the car home yet so I haven't tried to turn it over yet. Any help from a local veteran would be greatly appreciated! I've gotten some good info about starting an old engine from a hot rod website...I'll find the link and post it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48SpecialDeluxe Posted July 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 Here are some links to places I found pretty good information from. http://www.how-to-build-hotrods.com/start-an-engine.html http://forums.aaca.org/f169/old-engine-start-up-274491.html The second response to the second link seems like a really good way to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted July 4, 2011 Report Share Posted July 4, 2011 It has been a while sence I last logged in on the AACA forum. But I did not realise just how long it had been. You last visited: December 31st, 1969 at 23:00 I do find this a bit hard to believe as I did not know what a computer was in 1969. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48SpecialDeluxe Posted July 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 Wow, fire up the DeLorean! Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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