Engine - Rebuild or is Their a fix in place?

[Jack605]

Cylinders 1,2,5 and 6 all have compression between 75-100. Cylinders 3 and 4 maybe have 15 psi. I am looking for some input and direction, is it worth trying to fix in place or should I just break down and pull the engine and send it out to be rebuilt?

[doodlebug]

Cylinders 1,2,5 and 6 all have compression between 75-100. Cylinders 3 and 4 maybe have 15 psi. I am looking for some input and direction, is it worth trying to fix in place or should I just break down and pull the engine and send it out to be rebuilt?

In my opinion, I believe you would be better off, both financially and mechanically, if you pulled the engine and rebuilt it. Quick, short term fixes never seem to work out the way you hope they will. Do it right the first time and you will be much happier. Just my opinion.

[Charles Talbert]

With cylinders 3-4 giving the same very low reading indicates the head gasket has blown in the area between those cylinders. You could pull the head, if the gasket is blown, get the head surfaced, and replace the gasket to get a few more miles out of it.

With all the other readings under 100, that isn't good, so yes I agree that a total rebuild is the better option as soon as you can get to it.

100 psi is borderline, 90 psi, most likely you will have intermittent skipping and performance issues shining out. Below 90 psi is totally unacceptable, likely to be some cylinders dead, certainly will be extremely low on power, with oil consumption and smoking likely becoming noticable.

If you don't have access to local rebuilding facilities, we offer complete rebuild service for any component on the truck. You can reach us via the website below if we can be of help.

[Kaiser2boy]

Jack, not seeing any more input from you , it looks like you have made a chioce.
I dont know the choice but if you are the first to remove the head from that engine think it over real good.
The head bolts go through the water jacket and that exposes a inch or so of the shank to water for the last 50 years or so. I tried to get mine off and many of the bolts snapped off right where the rust had thined them down.
One snapped head bolt is a pain, 6 or 7 is a Royal Pain.
On mine the bolts had been coated with some sort of goop that I guess was to keep the water from leaking out through the head. It had hardened up like cement making each and every bolt a tourture to remove. The bolts are grade 8 I think so drilling into them to try and extract them was another ordeal.
Just a thought.

[Jack605]

I decided to go ahead and pull the engine, still thinking about where to take it to get it rebuilt, most likely going to take it to a mechanic that I have a long relationship with he say's he can do the work and he usually is working on one or two older cars so now I just have to pull the engine probably early next month I just want it back up and running by spring.

[Kaiser2boy]

Thats the best thing to do. Dont try to shortcut the enging removal by NOT removing the fenders and front end.
Removing the entire front end is not as big a deal as it sounds. I took mine off all by my self in about 3 hours.
To clarify that a bit I am 67 years old and pretty banged up from a life time of doing dumb stuff and motorcycle accidents. So if I can do it in 3 hours so can you. Trust me once the front is off it is much better to work on and while the engine is out you can get at a lot of stuff under there that is a total pain to deal with while its on. WD40 the bolts a day or so ahead then get to it. Everything is fine thread so it will take a lot of werenching.
Unless some one has tinkered with the wiring they all should be marked with metal numbers and twist plugs.
If not masking tape and a felt marker will do.
Keep in mind that even though its a small six cylinder it was built in the 50s. The stupid thing is about 800+ pounds with the trans attached. good luck

[gusbratz]

i'm late to the party but it sounds like you just have a couple valves stuck open. pull the cyl head and squirt a little kroil on the valve stems then roll the engine and make sure they are all going up and down. tap them with a rubber mallot if they are not. you can reinstall head without replaceing head gasket as long as it was not blown. i think it is copper clad abspestos and that is what they intended. regardless of what some people will tell you keep in mind this is not a swiss watch.

[Kaiser2boy]

Before you do anything try a simple trick. Check your compression then squirt about a half ounce of engine oil in a cylinder and recheck the compression. Do that on each cylinder. If the compression comes up that means you have worn rings, if it does nothing you have bad valves.
I saw the Swiss Watch comparison and that is 100% true. The 230 engine will still run even if it should not. That said you have to decide what you want , an engine that will run, or one that will run well.
The engine in tip top shape is by no means a fireball. One that is weak is going to be just a sad contemptible thing and unreliable to boot.
Imagine you break down on the road, you call road service and a guy about 20 years old shows up and opens the hood and says "well what the heck we got here?"

[DrPepper]

Taking the compression correctly...?

I don't know what your experience level is but the way you take a reading will give very different results. Pull all the plugs and (important) open the throttle wide open. Count the number of times it turns over (I use 3-4) until the gauge is topped and use the same procedure on each cylinder.

Check the blown head gasket or valve with some compressed air. Fabricate an air compressor fitting to an old sparkplug or sometimes you can buy them ready made. Turn the engine to TDC on power (valves closed) and apply about 10-20psi to the "bad cylinder". Watch out it will want to turn over, so get it as close to TDC as possible. If the gasket is blown you will get air to the other cylinder (feel thru the plug hole), intake manifold, exhaust or into the oil pan. Have to be quiet to hear or feel it.

Then you look at the readings. The Kaiser oil test is a good idea. Sort out what is wrong first. No sense in a rebuild when a head gasket is all you need. Unless you want it ported, polished and the head shaved 3/8"...!!!!
DrPepper

[Jack605]

I appreciate all the help, I will most likely pull the head gasket and check I have to get to the timing cover to replace that due to a leak and missing timing arrow so I will do further tests when I crawl get right in next to the engine which will make it easier.

[Jack605]

More Questions

On my way to pulling the engine for it''s rebuild, my 14 year old is loving it I am pulling the front end as recommended in the manual which is allowing me to get a good view and acquainted with my truck. I did learn that I need a little more leverage to pull some of the old bolts even after they have been soaking for a day or two which is just adding to my tool collection so no problem there.

Question: With the engine being rebuilt I am rebuilding the carb as well, should I rebuild the oil pump and what else should I replace while the engine is out?

[JStinson]

Question: With the engine being rebuilt I am rebuilding the carb as well, should I rebuild the oil pump and what else should I replace while the engine is out?

Replace the oil pump for sure. I would throw in a new water pump and thermostat as well. New pilot bearing, clutch and pressure plate would be good ideas too.

Glad you're going this route, you'll be much happier knowing your engine is practically new.

[Charles Talbert]

On my way to pulling the engine for it''s rebuild, my 14 year old is loving it I am pulling the front end as recommended in the manual which is allowing me to get a good view and acquainted with my truck. I did learn that I need a little more leverage to pull some of the old bolts even after they have been soaking for a day or two which is just adding to my tool collection so no problem there.

Question: With the engine being rebuilt I am rebuilding the carb as well, should I rebuild the oil pump and what else should I replace while the engine is out?

The smart thing to do is rebuild every accessory component to include carb and governor, distributor, fuel pump, oil pump, starter, and generator. By all means don't fall for an NOS fuel pump or fuel pump rebuild kit. The diaphragms are not compatible with today's gasoline, and will fail resulting in dumping gas into the oil pan, diluting the engine oil and ruining engine internals. You can get a kit with current production rebuild components that will work fine, just be sure you know what you are getting. There are vendors out there that will sell you inferior junk.

[DrPepper]

Anything with a bearing or seal ....

needs to be checked:
JStinson has a great start above....!

I never rebuild a carb when I rebuild an engine. Get the engine running with a carb that is "set" and rebuild it later or rebuild it now and sort it out, then tear down the engine. You don't want to try and set a carb on an engine that is just rebuilt. Timing, wires, etc., you need to run the engine when it starts not fool with an out of sorts carb.

Have the head magnafluxed for cracks.
New wrist pins on the pistons, and have the rods checked for straight and cracks. The block should be tanked, then you know it's clean.
Check clearances on everything...!!! Use "Plastigauge" to check the bearing clearance and write it down. When it's right, lube it and assemble it. Punch alinement marks on the main caps, either center punch 1 dot on #1 cap, 2 on #2, etc, so you dont mix them up, they do not interchange.

Distributors need to be cleaned and checked for wear. Try to move the shaft sideways, if it wobbles you will never get the point dwell correct. Look at the advance weights sometimes the pivots and slots are worn with big grooves. A little is ok, just make sure it works smooth and is lubed. White litheum grease.

Use assembly lube on bearings and shafts, I'm partial to Lubriplate #105 a thin white grease. Pistons get the rings oiled with starter oil when you attach the ring compressor. Don't use a synthetic oil. Regular old motor oil lets the motor break in.

New freeze plugs, a little Permatex avaiation Form-A-Gasket 3H on the block and plug will ensure the seal and be there when you take in apart in 20 years. Don't use RTV on everything, it tends to blob and pieces come off inside the engine.

Lock-Tite blue for any thread you want to hold, but be able to remove later. Use Red if the next guy is going to work on it...;-) Excellent stuff.

Oil pumps do wear, you can check it with a feeler gauge and replace the seal/o-ring, but a new, good quality one is good insurance. That new oil pump has to be installed with oil in it. In the first few seconds it has to move and distribute fresh oil to the engine, give it all the chances it can get. Dunk it in clean oil and turn the shaft until it pumps thru. Install it full, it's a mess but worth it. The other alternative is to pre-pump the engine with oil using an adaptor and drill.

Watch your bolts....if it is to long don't use it, find one that is right. Most automotive bolts will thread in about a little farther than the bolt diameter. If it's a 1/2" bolt and it's 1" out, it probably isn't right. check the hole depth and be sure.

Do you have a set of micrometers? Check the cam lobes. Measure the lobe from the back to the high piont, look for wear and cracking on the lobes. Make a bin (egg carton?) with the cylinders marked and keep the cam followers with the same cylinders.

Your having a valve job done, (?) the springs need to be shimmed and set, make sure the guy knows what he is doing, if it is cheap, take it somewhere else. Talk to the guy doing the work, or go somewhere else. Really good automotive machinists are getting fewer all the time.

Show your 14 year old as much as you can and let him / her help. They will never forget the experience. When it is done, it fires up it and belches smoke and noise and settles into a nice idle, nothing on the internet will ever match that moment.

Just a few thoughts...
DrPepper

[Jack605]

One problem I have is the carb that is in the truck now is from a mid 80's ford truck, I have an original carb and air cleaner to rebuild so it will be a newly rebuilt carb on the truck any suggestions with going through that problem. Also I see you are in Rockford, the truck is currently garaged in Elgin.