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Engine Tech / Re: Strong engine stumble
Last post by Haystack -When I was 16, knew nothing about cars and was a pen 15y know it all, I decided I was going to do an h.o. swap and bought a brand new (remanufactured) engine.
When I got married, money obviously was tight, I ended up buying a car with a bad engine, I was really excited to throw all the parts at it. I got it all put together, dropped it in the car, and not only was the engine bad, but so was the transmission. Had a very badly skipping first gear and 3 neutrals. Didn't even make it around the block.
After trying to save up for a new or rebuilt trans, I gave up, picked up another cheap t-bird that was listed as "non-running" food trans, which I got for a song, I think I paid $150 for the whole car due to an "electrical fire", sight unseen. After it got dropped off, it was in much better shape.
Since I already had an extra wiring harness on the stand, I figured it might be cool to see if it will try to start and verify the engine works before I swapped cars, so I decided to see how bad the harness was.
Single bad fuseable link, replaced that and the car fired right up, it had lower miles, and was in much better shape, but also removed the reason why I "needed" to swap the engine, so the now ex-wife said we'll just save it for now, and when it blows you can spend money to put it in. So I ended up saving the engine and junking the other car.
Since then (about 2006), I have only changed the oil if it was a needed thing, meaning I had to drop the oil pan for some reason, and I have tried as hard as I could to blow up every cougarbird since. My current 86, the one with 275k miles, I drove it home, 50 miles on the highway when I bought it in first gear bouncing off the rev limiter. I figured for sure it would fail, it had a bit of a stumble, and a bit of an exhaust tick, so I was sure it had a bad lifter.
I drove it as is, hard as I could, trying to blow it up. If the oil got low, I'd wait until the oil light was flickering at idle, and keep driving it until I got done with whatever I was doing that day, and then I would throw 1 quart of the cheapest oil I could get at it. I don't think I ever once pulled the dipstick. Again, that was 135k when I bought it, after 9 years, it's at over 275k last I checked, the dash lights have been burned up so I can't read it for the last 4 or 5 years and I haven't checked since.
Eventually the exhaust tick and stumble got really bad, I also started blowing coolant. Again, I topped it off when the engine seized from overheating, otherwise I just drove it as is. It got bad enough I started blowing radiators and heater cores, so I decided to pop the valve cover to see how bad it was.
With how much I beat on it, and overheated it, I was sure it was a blown head gasket, secretly hoping for a cracked head. Instead, I found that it was missing a head bolt, just one between two cylinders. Engine looked mint, no metal shavings, I even pulled a few lifters and they had some wear, but it was really clean and even, hardly a single scratch on them.
I pulled off the head, head gasket wasn't even blown, but I already bought the kit, so I replaced it anyways. Only replaced the gaskets and the one busted head bolt, and it ran like a top, minus an occasional stutter that came and went, which is what ended up being the o2 sensor harness. After I fixed the O2 sensor harness, car still ran good, only used about a quart of oil a tank, so I just topped it off. Oil filter is rusted with almost no paint left on it last I looked, but has a thick layer of black gunk, likely oil mixed with dirt (I often drove on dirt roads). About a year ago, I think the valve stem seals all have up, that or the oil rings. Now I can't keep oil in it, blue smoke everywhere, uses a full 5 quarts in half a tank, not worth driving anymore with the cost of the oil so I parked it.
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User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Last post by bodyman -https://youtu.be/BF8LRyRnNuY
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Engine Tech / Re: Strong engine stumble
Last post by jcassity -i gotta get my act together on these uploads,, and dead links.
Haystack
ive got 375kmi on my 302 20th,, i feel compelled to credit rotella 15w40 diesel engine oil. plus changing the oil often sure does help.
I started this habit long long ago because one day i changed my oil and after a trip 50miles round,, i came home and checked it and it was sorta dark again. from that day forward,, about every third oil change i use 4qts of cheapes oil to keeping the old filter,,
then drain the cheap stuff, add new filter and new rotella. ive noticed it kinda flushes hout the motor and keeps the oil looking good and carmel in color much much much longer than before.
If you happen to have a spare 302 oil pan that has a low oil level sensor provision,, i could use one... jcassity@frontier.com or 3047724082 to discuss cost ,, i appreciate it.
i am still wanting to experiement on a two piece oil pan since i now have the sheet metal splice strip i found from BLine.
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Lounge / Re: Evmt's
Last post by jcassity -86
Lounge / Re: Evmt's
Last post by Haystack -87
Lounge / Re: Evmt's
Last post by EricCoolCats -Everything from 1983-88 in there. I believe most of them are from jcassity directly.
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Engine Tech / Re: Strong engine stumble
Last post by EricCoolCats -All manuals from 1983-88 are in there (thanks Scott!).
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Lounge / Re: Evmt's
Last post by Haystack -My winter project will be getting the wrecked car to the wrecker after I swap the parts I want. Trying to decide if it's worth it for the entire base to digital dash cluster or not before I tear it all down.
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Engine Tech / Re: Strong engine stumble
Last post by jcassity -he called me a year and a half ago and i sent him access to my dropbox to a shiznit ton of evtm's,, i think when he downloaded they got erased or something,, the only survivor link up on dropbox is my 87 evtm.
you need an 86 i think and i can upload that if you want and send an open link