budget rebuild?

[Anonymous]

Our 68 falcon is coming together. It hadnt run for 20 years when we bought her. 120k original miles. the crank was free. so we rebuilt the carb, fuel lines and tank and added new ignition and a battery and she fired right up. noticed a slight rod knock after warm, which is more audible at idle. lifters were real sticky and shortly it bent a pushrod.

i used some marvel mytery oil over the top end and a qt in the crancase. straightened out the pushrod. had to clean out a bunch of hardened sludge in the rocker cover. it seems to run OK now. rear main seal is a gusher.

i checked compression and it has 150 on all 6 without extra oil. it doesnt smoke and seems quite powerful.

i am thinking of taking it down for a general cleaning internally. guaging all the journals and replacing as needed. using the exsisting piston and rod assys and devarnishing real good. deglazing the bores. havina 3 angle head job with a .030 mil. changing to early rockers/pushrods. new rvcam and cam brgs, lifters, gears and chain. and a new oil pump as well as the rear main seal.

Since i am unfamiliar with the idosynchrasies of a small
ford -6 i was wondering if i was overlooking something. the idea is to get the car running descent at a modest cost. i think i could do this in a weekned or a couple days vacation.

I have always favored the insert-type pistons and chrome rings for street use. i would go to sythetic oil.

I would appreciate your feedback

thanks frankie
Later i could add the headers and a carb update.

 

[Anonymous]

Frankie,
I'm going to be following your endeavors here.
I have a couple of situations which are very similar.
I just can't see putting $4-500 into an engine fix up when I'll only have a $400 car when I'm done.
Read a similar situation(article) on a Bowtie v-8 onetime and thought that was the thing to do.
Only difference is the gasket set for it was a whole lot cheaper!
I remember having some pistons knurled when I was working on an old Studebaker six in the 50's. Is this still done to get a few more miles out of the old slugs?
Also shimming main and rod bearings?
Glad to see someone else comtemplating a tear down and clean up.
DaveP

 

[80broncoman]

If i had 150psi on all the holes i would not touch the pistons or the bores at all
I cant tell you how many engines i have seen like this where a machine shop tells a cutomer "to be a good job" It needs to be bored. If mine maybe a gasket kit and some bearings.

 

[twentyover]

Don't know that I'd use chrome rings if you do decide to rebore. Moly rings are less aggressive on the cylinder walls, so you may be able to get a few re-rings out of a single bore.

And no, there are not chrome-moly rings. Chrome rings are plated cast iron rings, and contain no molebdenum (yea, I know I probably didn't spell itright). Moly rings have a valley of molebdenum around the circumference of the ring.

 

[Lazy JW]

i checked compression and it has 150 on all 6 without extra oil. it doesnt smoke and seems quite powerful.

....... the idea is to get the car running descent at a modest cost.

I wouldn't even pull the pistons out of that engine. I allowed myself to be talked into re-ringing a perfectly good engine many years ago. Never again. Clean it up, new rear main seal, gaskets where appropriate, and keep driving it. That's what Fords were built for, ya know
Joe

 

[MustangSix]

I've found that the cranks are so tough that they wear very little as long as there is oil. But the bearing do tend to eventually wear out. I would look at the crank and if there are no visible grooves, I would put the same size bearings back in. Improves the oil pressure and is not hard to do. But with 150psi, I'd leave the rings alone.

 

[CoupeBoy]

But if he pulls the head, for head gasket replacement, he should double check the measurements to be sure he doesnt cause himself CR, correct?

http://falconperformance.sundog.net/compcalculator.asp

what about valve stem seals? thermostat? waterpump?

about this devarnishing.. doesnt switching to synthetic do that for you? I though that was one of its qualities? removal of built up crud..

-ron

 

[Anonymous]

YES I WOULD DO NEW VALVE SEALS, KNURLING, WHATEVER THE HEAD GUY DOES ALONG WITH THE THREE ANGLE HEAD JOB.
MAINLY I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE RINGS STICKING IN THE GROOVES. PROBABLY SINCE IT DOEASNT SMOKE THIS ISNT A PROBLEM. AND I AM STILL RUNNING THE MARVEL OIL MIXTURE. I MAY NOT EVEN PULL THE PISTONS AS SOME OTHERS HAVE SUGGESTED.
SINCE I WILL REPLACE THE LIFTERS SINCE THEY ARE CHEAP AND A PAIN TO REBUILD. AND YOU WANT NEW LIFTERS WHEN BREAKING IN A CAM ANYWAY.
i DO NOT KNOW IF SYNTHETIC CLEANS OUT OLD GUNK OR NOT. BUT I DO KNOW IT WILL PREVENT FUTURE FORMATION AND ALSO PROTECTS THE PARTS BETTER AND HOLDS UP BETTER. DOESNT PRODUCE ACIDS AND OTHER HARMFUL CREATIONS DUE TO ITS OWN IMPURITIES LIKE PARAFIN BASED OILS DO.
I DID GET A NEW THERMOSTAT. IT IS A NEW KIND THEY ADVERTISE THAT IS GOES OPEN WHEN IT FAILS. I HAVENT HEARD OF THIS BEFORE,ANYONE HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THESE? AUTOZONE SOLD IT TO ME.
AND YES I WILL GET A NEW WATER PUMP AS THAT IS SOMETHING THAT INEVITABLY GOES OUT EVERY 50,000 MILES AND I ALREAD SEE SOME WHITE CORROSION LIKE IT MIGHT DRIBBLE SOMETIMES ALTHOUGH I HAVENT SEEN IT DO SO. NEW BELTS AND HOSES TOO.
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR INPUT FRANKIE

 

[Anonymous]

just check the whole thing when you have it open...if its a cheap part (lifter) replace it...

the whumping sound is prolly the bearings....

clean it trroughly...then drive it forever...I have 422,000 on mine

mayeb you could make a resto-mod...chop the top or something....

 

[Lazy JW]

I thought this was going to be a "budget" rebuild? Why pull the head on an engine that has 150 psi compression, doesn't smoke, and runs strong? I dunno either
Joe

 

[Anonymous]

i wouldnt pull the head except the tight pushrods syndrome has me worried i might have head problems. possibly seat recession. this will be a driver i plan to use. my first symptom was a bent pushrod. then i noticed some pushrods not twirling unless i lossened rocker stands about ,020. so i figure i will do the head. should do a 3 angle job as well as seat inserts and seals. its going to be a budget rebuild that will run for a while.
Frankie