autoxranchero
New member
Hi,
I got a '61 Ranchero last year, it has a '68 200 in it, condition unknown. I've put a HEI distributor in it, and tuned the carb, so it runs quite well. Compression test shows between 165 and 175, except for cyl. 1 which is 155. While idling and slow test drives, the oil light doesn't come on, but if I push it a little harder, the light will flicker on the upshift, and when I push the clutch in for a down shift, it will stay on until I finish the shift. Once I'm back at the shop, it will idle fine, without turning the light on. I pulled the valve cover, and there is a lot of sludge, I also get a black puff on start up, but after that the exhaust is clean. The pistons do have oil on top when I pull the plugs.
This appears to have been a junkyard swap, I'm surprised the compression numbers are as good as they are. I've been busy working on the suspension and a t5 swap, so have only driven it about 20 miles.
Any ideas before I take things apart? I do have a mechanical oil gauge that will go in next weekend.
I got a '61 Ranchero last year, it has a '68 200 in it, condition unknown. I've put a HEI distributor in it, and tuned the carb, so it runs quite well. Compression test shows between 165 and 175, except for cyl. 1 which is 155. While idling and slow test drives, the oil light doesn't come on, but if I push it a little harder, the light will flicker on the upshift, and when I push the clutch in for a down shift, it will stay on until I finish the shift. Once I'm back at the shop, it will idle fine, without turning the light on. I pulled the valve cover, and there is a lot of sludge, I also get a black puff on start up, but after that the exhaust is clean. The pistons do have oil on top when I pull the plugs.
This appears to have been a junkyard swap, I'm surprised the compression numbers are as good as they are. I've been busy working on the suspension and a t5 swap, so have only driven it about 20 miles.
Any ideas before I take things apart? I do have a mechanical oil gauge that will go in next weekend.