Dead engine revival techniques

[Milsteads Garage]

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I saw a guy this morning selling snake oil from 1934 so I figure I would start a thread so all of you could post your tricks and methods that you might know to get your old engine running again. Bon-ami tricks, acetone tricks, water to break up top end carbon, if you got em, I want to hear them!

[jdsnoddy]

To eliminate loose carbon knock, take some transmission fluid and pour some directly in the carburetor.

[Jack Bowser]

Banana's will quiet down a nosy rear end. Guys with class will peal them first. Ha!

[Milsteads Garage]

To eliminate loose carbon knock, take some transmission fluid and pour some directly in the carburetor.
This also works for stuck valves. Whoever used to give out info years ago at Bakers Auto, told me about this trick. The engine of course smokes like hell while you are doing it but highly effective if you don’t want to remove cylinder heads when an engine keeps bending push rods.

[jdsnoddy]

And this might be an option for 3730.
John

[Milsteads Garage]

Banana's will quiet down a nosy rear end. Guys with class will peal them first. Ha!

You are thinking of sawdust lol

[lld]

Using a quart of Marvel Mystery oil or automatic transmission fluid does make a noticeable difference with noisy tappets (hydraulic lifters). Of course, you must drain enough oil (or do it at an oil change) to make sure you don't overfill the crankcase.

Larry

[Bill K]

And this might be an option for 3730.
John

Hi John, yes, can't hurt, though I will say that I have no valve noise at all, sounds new.... My plan for this week is to remove the Pertronix ignition and go back to the points/condenser that I replaced. Someone on this forum said their Mark II did not run well with the Pertronix, hope mine makes two..

Per the combined advice of many, my engine revival was as follows.
Pulled all plugs, added 30ml automatic tranny fluid and crank engine over a few times. I did this often over a 2-3 week period while working on the property.
Filled crankcase w/ oil and added a BG EPR engine cleaner, ran for 10 minutes and drained/replaced oil filter.
Filled crankcase w/ diesel fuel, ran for 10 minutes, replaced oil filter, drained. Repeated twice.
Filled with regular oil and still clean as new... And I did throw away the oil filter when I started the process ��LOL

Fingers crossed w/ points!!!!

Fortunately a potential buyer for the property is willing to take procession the first of the year so I may have bought myself more time to enjoy this car! Would love to not sell, just not feasible....

Bill

[Milsteads Garage]

For a stuck engine: dump 1 gallon of off road diesel fuel straight down the intake manifold. You can let it sit from 4 hours to two weeks depending on how much time you have. Place a large drip pan under the engine, remove the spark plugs and try the starter. If the starter does not move the engine, remove the bell housing side cover on a 56 or the starter motor on a 57 and try to move the engine backwards using a pry bar on the ring gear teeth. It might take a fair amount of rocking depending on how stuck it is. If a good effort is given and the engine still does not move, the rust damage is too severe and will require removal and disassembly of the engine.

[Milsteads Garage]

Stuck valves/bent pushrods: common problem on a 368 that has been sitting. If the engine has stuck valves along with bent push rods, here is what you do. Remove the rocker shaft and push rods. Spray Pb blaster inside of the valve spring being sure to nail the valve stem. Rotate the engine so the piston is always down. I take two hammers, one to place on top of the valve stem (not the spring) and one to strike the other hammer basically using the lower hammer as a punch. Wear safety glasses/shield and knock the valve down to where the spring coil binds. The valve will eventually pop back up, but repeat the process. Spray the valve stem, smack the valve down and it should get to the point where it springs back up immediately on its own. Do this with all 16 valves. Reassemble and run the car. Either take transmission fluid or more on blaster and slowly pour down the intake while the engine is running. This should cure your bent pushrod problems.

[Milsteads Garage]

Gummy fuel system problems/varnished fuel: First, drain the tank using a siphon pump or do it the old Cheech and Chong way by siphoning with your mouth and a garden hose. (Varnished fuel is the worst to swallow so if you need to Yak, go Yak) Depending on how long the car has sat with fuel in it, I use this rule of thumb. Under 10 years it should not require dropping the tank. If longer or the car has a freshly rebuilt carburetor, drop the tank and either wash it out using a pressure washer or a car wash wand. No matter what, when you go to fill the car up with fresh gasoline, add 1 gallon of acetone. This will keep any dislodged varnish from re-clogging the carburetor or help immensely. If it does start to run rough, remove the hose at the pump and run the engine off of straight acetone. Most I’ve ever had to do was around 1/2 gallon but it also helps to prime the carburetor with acetone and run it until it picks up fuel from the tank.

[Barry Wolk]

Hi John, yes, can't hurt, though I will say that I have no valve noise at all, sounds new.... My plan for this week is to remove the Pertronix ignition and go back to the points/condenser that I replaced. Someone on this forum said their Mark II did not run well with the Pertronix, hope mine makes two..

If anything, replace it with another Pertronix or find the real problem. Pertronix is the best thing to happen to an old car. Did you change the coil and wires or just the Pertronix? I think you're taking two steps back. Kinda like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

[Bill K]

I did the Pertronix, coil and wires. In vacuum leak/carb issue/engine issue denial...

[Barry Wolk]

Curious, have you opened up your choke housing? Is there black soot in there?

[Bill K]

Yes, and yes, fair amount of soot.... probably rusted out tube that goes through intake... above my pay grade ;)

[Barry Wolk]

That's why it's running poorly. There's a passage or a piston in the carb that doesn't like carbon.

[Bill K]

Any way to easily bypass or block this off to test the theory?

[Barry Wolk]

Take one vertical tube out and start it up. Exhaust will come out the port. That's the only way carbon or soot can get there. It's not a theory.

[jdsnoddy]

Morgan:
Found this video on using starter fluid to find a vacuum leak and using seafoam. Enjoy.

https://www.facebook.com/andyslittlehomestead/videos/887762735316641/

Also, if your battery is dead, drop it on the ground to knock the plates and then reinstall. You might get two more starts out of it.

If your starter doesn't work, tap it with a hammer to knock the brushes loose. Drive home and install new brushes.