Hello! I've been a lurker for a while. Finally have a 1955 Fleetwood I want to get back on the road but need education and advice. It has been sitting for a while. The motor turns over smoothly and the carb fires to the point you almost expect it to rumble to life. However, no oil is coming up through the rockers or push rods. I am new to 331's (I have a very shallow understanding of V8's in general, but seeing that this is my car, it's the best place to learn). Where is the best place to start in diagnosing and fixing this problem? Thank you!
If it's anything like the early Olds engines, you will never see oil at the rockers if it won't run. To be safe, on a car that sat, I'd use a remote oil pressure gauge to see if you can show some pressure during cranking with the spark plugs removed. With plugs out, you can spin it longer and faster RPMs to check for some pressure. I don't know if your experience can detect low compression just by ear...if not, I'd do a compression test, if it just won't start. Been there on these old engines, with stuck rings. They run good but are very hard to start if rings are stuck.
Does it have a pressure gage or light so you can tell if the oil pump is working at all? It may have lost its prime if the level was low or drained for extended periods. That will mean priming the pump via the oil pump drive being rotated once the distributor is pulled. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
The compression itself is very good. Oil pressure was checked. I walked in while it was being turned over and I actually thought it was about to start up. (This was actually before I found out that it was going to be mine) I haven't had the opportunity to get elbows deep myself, yet. I'm currently doing some reading and research to learn about the 331 and looking for parts. I wondered about the oil pump. As for that - I'm wondering about priming it like leadsled56 mentioned. Adding all that to the list of what to test and look for.
Welcome to the HAMB, and congrats on your 55! Have you primed the carburetor / intake with a few squirts of gasoline before attempting to crank/start the engine? My 55 is notorious for needing a squirt of gas down the carb after she's been sitting for too many days without running.
Ah! I'm not keeping it local to me so a friend tinkered with it - he says he is reluctant to pull the dizzy because the carb was originally backfiring so the timing was set. It's simply possible that the oil is not coming up due to the engine not starting. It's firing, it's turning over fast and hard like it should - it's just not catching and actually starting up. I'm sure the list of what that could be is pretty long.
Hello and thank you! Yes, that was originally done and that's apparently when the carb backfired and the timing was set. It will be this weekend before I get back up there. Possibly a video with sound may help. I really thought it was about to rumble up by the way it sounded when they were trying to start it.
How is the oil pressure? If it was mine, and the crankcase was full, and none of the valves was stuck and it showed any oil pressure, I would squirt some oil on the valves and rockers from an oil can and fire it up. To fire it up I would clean the points and make sure all the plugs are firing. Then see if it will start. It might need a shot of gas down the carb or a spray of WD40. If it will fire I would run it at a fast idle till the oil circulated and it warmed up. Make sure the gas in the tank has not gone bad, or disconnect the gas line and hook up a motorboat gas tank or other gas supply.
The gas tank was removed. It was pretty crappy so fresh gas is being run out of a portable tank. I know they pulled the plugs which were clean and I just double checked - they did try the squirt of gas in the carb. We'll go back over everything here again just to be sure this weekend when we can jump back on it.
Welcome to the H.A.M.B. Does it have fresh oil and a new oil filter? Usually it takes a few minutes of running before you see oil at the rockers. Never hurts to pour some STP or at least squirt some engine oil on the rocker assemblies to keep them lubed until oil can find its way up there.
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