Oil leak from valve cover and thermo question

falcon_master

Well-known member
Hey everyone. So I decided if the weather permits I’ll drive her down, no of course I’m going to do a 3 hour round trip shakedown run on the highway first to test her out but before I do that there is still some things that need addressing.

1.oil leak from valve cover (I’ll check if I have solid or hydraulic lifters as the shop manual says I have hydraulic) should I adjust valves while it’s off

2. Thermostat right now is a 165 should I put a 180 or 195 in it. I’m thinking 180

3.brake pedal goes almost all the way to the floor before begins to stop car. Checked no leaks I can see

4. Check on 2.77 un synchronized crash box, I know you need to wait a sec after pushing in clutch to get to first but what someone said he does is push the clutch in immediately put it into 2nd that’ll stop the shaft spinning than put it in first and no gear clash and it happens quickly. Does this work?

My plan, after I get it driving better and replace or fix those problems take it about an hour and a half each way on the highway to a town nearby. Hopefully there is no snow if there is I will have to very slow like 45 but with no snow I plan on going 65 maybe even 70 for short bursts. How hard are these to drive in snow, I’ve driven RWD in snow but never such a light vehicle with no power or control accessories. I know basics easy throttle easy brake, don’t turn hard/fast and put weight in the trunk.
 
yes, breaks R pretty much the most important point (W/all u list) right now.
It sound like U may have not bled enuff?
Get a friend (you've done so much solo - U really deserve it now) to pump 4 U.
Bleed furthest frm MC 1st, wrk ur way 'forward'. Get all the air out. HTH.
 
X2 on what Chad said. Also might want to check the adjustments on the brakes. There should be an adjuster on the backing plates to move the brake shoes closer to the drum if needed.
 
Gene Fiore":25gxmzlp said:
check the adjustments on the brakes. There should be an adjuster on the backing plates to move the brake shoes closer to the drum if needed.
yep, sorry 4got that. Do as much w/'bleed' as possible, then re ck by rotate that lill star thru hole in backin plate w/screwdriver as U spin tire/wheel. Stop tightenin when there begins 2B just a lill drag as U spin (at each of all 4 wheels). That is nxt to last, e-brake is last to the break sys wrk you've just done.
 
Did you take the drum off to check if a cylinder is leaking? Or did you just check the connections?
 
Howdy Falcon_Master and all:

"1.oil leak from valve cover (I’ll check if I have solid or hydraulic lifters as the shop manual says I have hydraulic) should I adjust valves while it’s off."
IF you have hydraulic lifters there is no need to adjust if you have no tappet noise. If your engine does have tappet noise it is likely due to a stuck lifter. If you have adjustable rocker arms you may need to try tightening that rocker arm.

"2. Thermostat right now is a 165 should I put a 180 or 195 in it. I’m thinking 180."
I'd go with a 195 for winter. At least a 180 thermostat.

"3.brake pedal goes almost all the way to the floor before begins to stop car. Checked no leaks I can see."
You will need to adjust the shoes on each brake. Look on utube for a How-To. Also check the level of brake fluid in the master cylinder bowl. If a wheel cylinder is leaking it will show wet on that brakes backing plate.

I hope that helps. Good luck.

Adios, David
 
falcon_master":oulrgvvl said:
No I have not removed drums, very good point. That would be a good idea thanks
WoW, I missed some things @ end of summer.
Thought U did a full brake job when finally pryin off those stuck drums....
Yeah, ck each wheel cylinder for 'corrupted' rubber diaphragms on the 2 ends, inspect shoes/drum, springs & assorted parts, bleed all w/o breakin off the lill bleed nipples...
 
I thought you had a 144? I'm under the impression that all 144's had solid lifters. I'm pretty sure they did. That's why they all have adjustable rocker assy's. That's how they got enough power out of them to move anything down the road. Like the V dubs. They certainly didn't put any hydraulic lifter 144's or 170's in Econolines or Broncos up through at least 1970. Albeit the 144 was abandoned for the 170 as the bottom of the line long before. Don't over tighten them to quiet them down. Make yourself a go/no go gauge out of some old feelers and set them to spec. The spec for a '61-70 Econoline 144 or 170 is .018" valve clearance. So take a .012-.014" feeler and a .018" feeler and tape them together w/an offset w/ the thinner one sticking out on bottom. Set the valve clearance w/ the rocker adjusters so the .018" can just make it through, if you want to go further don't set it so tight the .012" can't make it through. You see?
 
Ford went hydraulic lifter in '63, WITH adjustable rockers. ONLY Econolines and Broncos continued with solid lifters into later years, not Falcons, Mustangs or Comets.

I very much doubt falcon_master has an Econoline engine block.

Doing a solid lifter lash on a hydraulic valve train is going to turn out to be a bad day.

Falcon_master, everyone has been telling you that you have solid AND hydraulic lifters.

Ford really did put adjustable rockers on with hydraulic lifters, 1000% sure of that.

TRUST NO ONE on this solid vs. hydraulic years, physically check your engine yourself before attempting to lash the valves. Either try to collapse a lifter at the rocker, or back off a lifter adjuster enough to pull the push rod and physically pull out the lifter to see what you actually have.
 
'64 was the last yr for the 144 so I'm thinkin no hydro lifter...
 
Sorry haven’t been on this forum for a while, chad I did remove the drums. I did a full brake job. What I meant is I never removed them to check the space between the shoes and drum. And frozenrabbit I cannot wait to finally remove the valve cover and settle this argument once and for all, I will take pictures and find out if I have them or not
 
Kouwell, thnx 4 checkin in.

Sometimes all they need is 'eyes on' (inspection). I kinda doubt all these will need is that (manipulate by hand, free up prts) as they sat for so long. Springs will have rusted into 'too weak' or gonezo, etc. Do Not step on break w/drums off. It may blow the wheel cyl &/or B too hard to get drums back on.
 
Howdy all:

Falcon_Master- you might get better responses if you were to start a new post with a specific topic line. This one is strung out and hacked to death. Just a thought.

Adios, David
 
frozenrabbit":2j1eyidj said:
Ford went hydraulic lifter in '63, WITH adjustable rockers. ONLY Econolines and Broncos continued with solid lifters into later years, not Falcons, Mustangs or Comets.

I very much doubt falcon_master has an Econoline engine block.

Doing a solid lifter lash on a hydraulic valve train is going to turn out to be a bad day.

Falcon_master, everyone has been telling you that you have solid AND hydraulic lifters.

Ford really did put adjustable rockers on with hydraulic lifters, 1000% sure of that.

TRUST NO ONE on this solid vs. hydraulic years, physically check your engine yourself before attempting to lash the valves. Either try to collapse a lifter at the rocker, or back off a lifter adjuster enough to pull the push rod and physically pull out the lifter to see what you actually have.
I am all for actually checking the lifter, but last i checked, you have to yank the head to pull the lifter out.
Try to collapse the lifter, that is the easy way. Otherwise you gotta yank the head.
 
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