LazyK Posted September 23, 2021 Report Share Posted September 23, 2021 I'd pull the oil pan and side covers check/clean any sludge 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9 foot box Posted September 23, 2021 Report Share Posted September 23, 2021 Looks like a 1959 block with internal bypass cooling. What is the stamped serial number on the block? I would pull the plugs and squirt some oil in each cylinder, the bore has been dry for awhile and would be possible oxide above each piston. If it doesn’t have any oil leaks on the pan seals, leave it alone. Mark your hood some how, so when you put it back on, you have a reference point. I’d clean the engine up and paint it silver. Your 1950 has a 1949 only front bumper. My preference of bumper styles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librado65 Posted November 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 (edited) Well sorry I have not been able to update. Ive been super busy with work, trying to go back to school and try to switch careers. I got a "reputable" local mechanic (by the local classic car guys at local car shows) to install the engine for me but I honestly am not too happy with the work he did at the price he did it for. I had told his shop that I wanted engine checked and if it needed to be worked or rebuilt then I was prepared to do thatbefore installing engine back in. I am having white (almost light gray) smoke coming out of the exhaust ever since I bought the car home. Mechanic told me it was just old oil or sludge in the engine that needed to be burnt out and would be solved by changing the oil a few times. I have changed oil 5 times now. He installed 10w30 and then I changed the oil with 30 non detergent oil. Then I switched over to 15w40 (due to recommendations of an old school mechanic neighbor). So far Im still getting the smoke out of exhaust. I tried a combustion leak test but the blue liquid never turned yellow/green so I don't know if I did it right. Guys on the FB groups say its the headgasket. Exhaust smoke only appears once engine has warmed up and is consistent especially when accelerating. During the process of trying to figure out the smoke from exhause I also noticed 1 of the headbolts was leaking or forming bubbles. It turned out being 2 loose bolts leaving the head looking like it was wet all the time so I tightened them up. But its something the mechanic didnt notice I guess? . Im also now starting to hear the engine knock. Which neighbor also pointed out to me. Now with all that being said; the engine runs smooth. I can almost feel a difference in "power" compared to the old engine. Its also almost a turn-key engine in starting the car up. Its just these 2 issues that have me scratching my head. I know its just a trail in this journey of trying to drive this old car. Anyways heres a video of the original cracked engine Edited November 21, 2021 by librado65 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted November 21, 2021 Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 IMO the red engine shown in the video's sounds rattly and tired.... valve adjustment won't cure the noises. It doesn't sound as a good tight MoPar flathead should sound. What is the hot idle oil pressure? High rpm oil pressure? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted November 21, 2021 Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 You don't "burn" sludge out. Not knowing what type of oil was in it before should have started and stuck with non detergent oil. Don't know what the 15W-40 is. That's how I started my engine to knocking in the mid 90s. Listening to "Flush it with kerosene then change the oil a few times". Sounded like yours. As LazyK said best thing to do is pull the oil pan and clean it thoroughly. I wouldn't keep running it until then. The smoking is probably from worn/rusted rings. Even if rebuilt, if it sat a long time it could have affected the rings. Do the easiest thing..CHECK THE SPARK PLUGS. If it's a head gasket, it will show up on one spark plug. If it's the rings generally all of the plugs will show deposits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librado65 Posted November 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 5 hours ago, Dodgeb4ya said: IMO the red engine shown in the video's sounds rattly and tired.... valve adjustment won't cure the noises. It doesn't sound as a good tight MoPar flathead should sound. What is the hot idle oil pressure? High rpm oil pressure? Oil pressure once engine is hot is at 40 and high rpm goes up to 50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librado65 Posted November 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 3 hours ago, Bryan said: You don't "burn" sludge out. Not knowing what type of oil was in it before should have started and stuck with non detergent oil. Don't know what the 15W-40 is. That's how I started my engine to knocking in the mid 90s. Listening to "Flush it with kerosene then change the oil a few times". Sounded like yours. As LazyK said best thing to do is pull the oil pan and clean it thoroughly. I wouldn't keep running it until then. The smoking is probably from worn/rusted rings. Even if rebuilt, if it sat a long time it could have affected the rings. Do the easiest thing..CHECK THE SPARK PLUGS. If it's a head gasket, it will show up on one spark plug. If it's the rings generally all of the plugs will show deposits. I actually bought new spark plugs and pulled these out this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted November 21, 2021 Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 26 minutes ago, librado65 said: I actually bought new spark plugs and pulled these out this morning. Hard to tell from the picture and the angle they are at. 2 middle ones look good. Need to see the tips and insulators with a good pic. Second one from right looks oily wet on outside, but hard to tell inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Buchanan Posted November 21, 2021 Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 Top two look like they may be sooty/oily but upload another photo with the center electrodes facing the camera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librado65 Posted November 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 Uploaded a video of the spark plugs upclose BUT I already got them mixed up smh https://youtube.com/shorts/A91zflPc2yY?feature=share Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted November 21, 2021 Report Share Posted November 21, 2021 Somethings with the first plug to the left...electrode tip is not light tan like the others. Might not be firing completely. Most have a lot of carbon or soot on the base ring. Are you using normal unleaded gas? With pictures try to have the light source shining into the tip, not from the side at an angle. https://sites.google.com/site/kensautomachineshop/technical-information/articles-and-tips/tips---reading-spark-plugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librado65 Posted November 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2021 On 11/21/2021 at 3:05 PM, Bryan said: Somethings with the first plug to the left...electrode tip is not light tan like the others. Might not be firing completely. Most have a lot of carbon or soot on the base ring. Are you using normal unleaded gas? With pictures try to have the light source shining into the tip, not from the side at an angle. https://sites.google.com/site/kensautomachineshop/technical-information/articles-and-tips/tips---reading-spark-plugs I managed to put in the new spark plugs... broke the thermostat bolt so I had to replace that and add coolant before starting it up again with the new spark plugs. Its still smoking even after idling for 15mins. Will try to post pics of spark plugs tomorrow if it doesn't get too dark before I get home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted November 23, 2021 Report Share Posted November 23, 2021 Like I said, if it's one cylinder where the spark plug is different (color, tip, deposits) than the others and especially if it's near the leaking bolt, then probably the head gasket for the smoke. If you had to pull the head (cheap if you don't break a head bolt, or screw the temperature sensor up) that's time intensive but just the cost of a gasket. Still haven't gotten my bolts loose. Solving the knock...that's harder..but if you have to pull the head, and had the oil pan off to clean it out, you're not too far from pulling pistons out (if there's not a ridge) and checking bearings...it grows into mission creep (expansion). That could eat into a lot of evenings. I don't know how long a bearing can knock before it damages the crank or rod bearing. Some of the more experienced guys might know. But you can't keep running it and let it knock. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted November 23, 2021 Report Share Posted November 23, 2021 Do a compression test first thing. Better be good 100lbs all or better. Pull both tappet covers see if it's full of ugly flakey grey and black sludge. Hopefully not. Put the covers back on. Then I'd start that engine up and run it @ 1800-2000 RPM for 30 minutes... Watch temp and oil pressure. Watch coolant level. Listen for any bad engine sounds etc. If it's still smoking after that long of run... ***Rings...if mostly blue smoke and you smell oil fumes and see a oily slime in the tail pipe. ***Gray/white smoke...that does not go away after 10-15 minutes...coolant leak into a intake valve seat or port, head gasket, warped head etc. I did notice though it smoked upon start up on the pallet....no coolant in the engine...so I think it's a oil issue... Run it as I said for a half hour...see if the smoking goes away. You need to get that engine and oil 100% hot at run temp and for plenty of run time too to be sure of a correct diagnosis. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted November 23, 2021 Report Share Posted November 23, 2021 If that engine is knocking in a serious way or does not sound good don't run my test as I posted above!!!!? I have just heard your short vids. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librado65 Posted November 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2021 Thanka guys I hear all of y'all. I'm honestly going to throw in the towel and take this as mechanic screwed me over. He should've just told me that this engine needed a rebuild instead of pulling a fast one on me and installing it without either being honest with me or just throwing it it to try to earn some quick cash. Or maybe his reputation in town as the local hot rodder guy is just among those into chebys and ford's...who knows? Anyways I don't have enough time in the day to work much on the engine as the year ends. I think Im going to either wait and have car sit AGAIN or see what I can do in the meantime for a rebuild. I'll be going to CDL for trucking classes soon so I'll be away from home quite a bit. I was just hoping to cruise in the '50 until the wheels fell off before parking it away. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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