If it turns over and the valves are not stuck it WILL run...

I am hoping that she really only has the 47K the odometer says she does. Looks like she was babied in her life time. So, heads go into the shop, check the bearings (replace the rear main seal) clean her up and stuff her back in. Hey, I am going to play the optimistic card here.

Mike

With the heads off clean out the oil holes that feed the rockers. a pipe cleaner works great and you can see the the sludge if there is some. Chamfer the oil feed hole on both the head and block side. I put some grease in the hole in the block and used a die grinder with grease on it then cleaned out the hole. I taped off the piston holes. A babied engine that never warmed up properly can cause sludge build up. My mothers 56 292 lead a sheltered life and was dead at 40,000 because it never warmed up. Good Luck

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

So I did my first compression check on my engine that I got for my wagon. Here are the results-I ended up using an O-Reilly gauge as that is all had at the time. Opinions please (first test/second test):

1-100/110
2-0/0
3-50/50
4-45/35
5-40/15
6-50/0
7-40/0
8-30/0

The valves were adjusted to .020 cold per the book (used Tim McMasters method) and this gauge is the screw in type. I checked #2 with my grandfathers hand held gauge and it registered 30#. #1 it blew my hand off of the head so I could not verify the reading. I suspect the valves my be the cause so I rechecked and adj. a few on the drivers bank and here are the numbers:

5-40/40
6-20/20
7-45/50
8-30/30

It is possible that the valves are good but the guides/seals are bad. Maybe the rings? But all indications are that this engine has about 47K and never opened up. Sneaky suspicion the heads are going in.
Thanks,
Mike

Mike, don't take this the wrong way, but those numbers can't be valid??

Just to be clear - so everyone is on same page - Compression test means all spark plugs removed before test, fresh charged serviceable battery, throttle blades & choke fully open? A fully warmed up engine is specified for compression, but most engines should give an accurate enough indication of their health even when cold. If those compression numbers are valid, it probably won't even fire. It needs a complete overhaul

Expect ~ 150 psi on a factory stock Y Block in good mechanical condition. I suppose stuck rings will bring compression down quite a bit, though that much, I'm not sure. I doubt it. Very often stuck rings (from years of sitting in place, sludge, varnish) will improve compression considerably with some normal heat cycles and driving. But those compression #s are way off the beam.

Guys who routinely resurrect motors from the dead would know better than I. Suspect maybe a faulty test method, or a defective gauge, or "something".

I’m with Tedster here. Somethings wrong. But before you pull it apart, I’d try oil in each cylinder for a cranking test and a leak down test, with and without oil. More knowledge members will chime in, but that would tell you a lot. On a leak down, you can listen for the air at the intake and exhaust. But don’t give up or get too down. If it turns over, that’s a good sign.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

There is no carb on her right now as I bent one of the little brass tubes lifting it-so it took it off. The throttles are frozen anyways. But I could hear it suck air and then the sound would go away and come back.

Either way when she goes on the stand I am going to check all of the bearings, probably replace the rear main seal and have the heads redone. If she requires a rering then I would do it the as well. This all assumes the bearings are good. Thanks for the ideas and help.

I poured oil all over the rockers and down the pushrod holes to lube everything. I even shot oil into the cylinders to lube the walls. When I used the hand held compressor on #1 it blew my hand off and the gauge was covered in oil. So I think she is pumping oil to the valves and it is leaking into the cylinder. Or that is left over oil that I put In. Either way I some shop time is in order-hopefully not a lot.


Tedster- no offense taken. There were no plugs in and no carb. The engine hasn’t run in probably 30 years as that was when it was tagged (I got the original plates from the donor car). I would screw in the gauge crank her over about 6-8 times and write the number down. Then I would repeat on the same cylinder before moving on to the next one. It is entirely possible that I am doing something wrong in the test-and wouldn’t be surprised. But she is out of the car so now is the best time to get stuff done.


Mike

I could not find a search button to look for this so I apologize if I missed it. But, the heads are coming off, how do I do that? The bolts all came out easily-they all had either oil or what appears to be some water on two of them. But how do I unstick the heads. Do I need a head puller? Rope trick? What?

Thanks,

Mike

No magic to it, just find some good spots to use a pry bar and have at it.

I've loosened up stuck heads by reinstalling the rockers pushrods and adjusting the lash.  Thread several head bolts to keep the head from falling out of place when it comes loose.  The pressure eventually popped them loose.

I figured that trick out by accident, while preparing to do something that was probably stupid.


Lawrenceville, GA