So I have started getting my new project '65 F100 cleaned up. I am in the process of seeing what the motor is going to need. I took the valve covers off today and this is what I found on both sides. Any thoughts? I turned the motor by hand and all of the valves are moving. Is this what others have found when they pulled the valve covers off of a engine that has been sitting for ???? years?
Just a lot of age and neglect. Are you planning on a rebuild? I think that's what I would do. Anyway,I guess you never know you might try to run it that way. Just figure on stuck rings and lifters. With some good motor oil and some run time it might run OK. I just wouldn't bet on it. But hey! Good luck either way. Normal Norman
You really never know,last year I took a 60 wagon from the graveyard that looked worse than that and put a few fresh parts on it and it ran like a champ
Looks pretty standard for one of those old engines. I'd pull and clean the rockers and look at the guide seals, then get busy with a scraper and a shop vac.
Its not the end of the world It all kind of depends on your budget. Are you broke like the rest of us? If so, I'd put the valve cover back on, change the oil and substitied a quart of automatic transmission oil, or Marvel Mystery Oil or Seafoam or something like that. Fire the old engine up and see what you have. Let it get up to operating temps, etc. See what you have. If the truck is driveable run it around for a week or so. If it seems ok, give it about a thousand miles and repeat the process. Lather, rinse, repeat. It may take some time but it might clean up. If on the otherhand, you have plenty of money to spare then pull that sucker and go through it. Bobby
That is a classic SBF that has been fed a diet of Quaker state oil....have seen several SBF , that were wayyy worse..looked like the valve covers were still on...all used Quaker state "religiously" ...Shawn
If its not impossible I would pull the pan and see what it looks like down there. If theres no metal in the pan and if it just looks dirty or neglected I would add oil and a couple cans of marvel mystery oil crank it over by hand if you can so the rings want take a beating at first. Depending on what it feels like disconnect the coil and spin it for a while off and on.Once you have the carb and fuel fresh plugs replaced I would hook up the coil and fire it up. Run it for a while and change oil again. This time let the oil drain thru a red rag and see if there is anything that concerns you. You may be surprised what you have.
Before you spend any money do a compression check. If it passes then change the oil and filter as recommended above, fire it up and check the oil pressure. If it passes consider yourself good to go. Your motor is 48 years old and appears to have been poorly maintained. You should not expect too much. But then again, it may be just fine. Friend just went through all that with a 302 that he put in his 32 Ford coupe. Bought it from a family member who assured him that it was in good shape and low mileage. It ran fine around town but showed low oil pressure. My friend, ever the optimist, blamed the gauge. It blew after about 200 miles on the Interstate. At that point my friend took off the valve covers and found the same gunk you have. There was more in the pan along with the main bearings. After looking at all his options he replaced the 302 with a rebuilt long block from O'Riley's. Hopefully, your experience will be different.
That would be a FE or big block Ford. Most likely a 352.. Small blocks weren't installed in 1965 in trucks from the factory. But you're right, that gunk is from Quaker State or Pennzoil use and rarely ever changed.
I've seen engines like that turnout to be in rather good shape underneath all the crap. Without going completely nuts you could do, if you have the time and equipment, a minor tear down of it and see what ya got. Yank engine, put on engine stand. Remove intake and heads. Spin engine upside down, plastigauge bearings. If bearings are good and bores look good.. I'd pull pistons, give cylinders a light hone, replace rings. Replace oil pump, oil pump shaft, freeze plugs, timing chain and gears. Check valve guides, valves..rockers..etc. if all looks good start cleaning the block, oil passages, etc... And then clean the snot out of the heads. Get $50 worth of gaskets and slap her back together. Presto! Good engine. If things be worn, well, you kinda figured that anyway, didnt ya?
Wipe it all down as best you can with a shop rag to get the gunk out and then run it with fresh oil and possibly seafoam. Do some frequent oil changes and check the progress. It will definitely improve. Good luck.
Do NOT run an engine flush through that thing. The pieces it that come loose will jam in the oil galleys and the your f**ked. Strip it, clean it, rebuild it.
Must have run a steady diet of cheap parrafin (wax) based oil...I have had motors like that...look like shit inside but were still quiet...I wouldnt make any judgements based on what oil sludge buildup it had....
As the others have said, she's been rode hard and put up wet. I can hear the previous owner saying....... "Oil change? Nah, you don't have to do that, jes put a quart in when she starts knockin". Been doin' that for fiddy years an' she's fine" I agree with HARDTOP-TK's advice above, don't do anything to stir it up now. It needs to be rebuilt, and the good news is it probably can be rebuilt at this point, but messing with it or continuing to run it could cause damage beyond repair.
The sludge quiets down a noisy valve train. Start scraping it off from the top and you open a can of worms. I would run a compression check as suggested before making any other decision other than painting the valve covers and slappin' them back on. Bob
I had a 63 country sedan in 1967 powered by a 352,it was a cold engine from day one. Started knocking one day,no oil pressure. Dropped pan and discovered the oil pump screen plugged with sludge. pulled rocker covers and discovered heads packed with sludge too. Faithfully changed oil with Quaker State too. I blamed the oil brand and the fact the engine never really heated up. So,if the galleys are plugged then figure the oil screen is too and pull that pan too
An old friend of mine told me that a used engine without any sludge inside meant it had been topped off with fresh oil often. One with sludge probably didn't use oil. Blue
That looks like a pretty typical mid-60's Pennzoil lubed engine. A few oils back then had a pretty high paraffin content, and tended to leave a lot of sludge behind. Unless your budget can support a rebuild, put the cover back on and run it. Don't flush it, or the loosened remnants will plug your oil pickup screen and then your budget will HAVE to afford a rebuild.
Bingo Motors that never really warmed up never burned out all the condensation and fuel that got past the rings. Stop and go driving with a cold motor results in a grunged-up engine. Change the oil, use top quality oil and filter. Forget the ATF and snake-oil. Get the oil to operating temperature and drive it.
looks like an old engine run on old engine oil blends. Had plenty, no problems with them, just don't cam one that looks like that. Lower operating temperatures, stop and go, poor crankcase ventilation all contribute to sludge didn't matter what oil you used. Do a quick check, if you don't see any problems, run it
I have run way worse looking engines than that one, for 50,000+ miles. Do not wake the angry monster. Put the covers back on, and run it.
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