Gear Head Question
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,388
Likes: 92
From: California High Desert
If the engine is only 50 miles in after overhaul, it may be the piston rings haven't fully seated. It shouldn't take long, but sometimes for whatever reason it can be stubborn. Conventional or old school iron rings and cylinder cross hatch need to be under engine load, under compression, to fully seat into their new working environment.
Make sure you've a good hot spark and the ignition timing is straight, engine is reaching normal operating temperature, and take it for a short highway trip and get it up to speed. "Vary your speed" is the advice given, this means some acceleration and deceleration cycles. A clear stretch of road without a lot of traffic would be best. There's no need to "baby" a rebuilt or overhauled engine.
Make sure you've a good hot spark and the ignition timing is straight, engine is reaching normal operating temperature, and take it for a short highway trip and get it up to speed. "Vary your speed" is the advice given, this means some acceleration and deceleration cycles. A clear stretch of road without a lot of traffic would be best. There's no need to "baby" a rebuilt or overhauled engine.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,388
Likes: 92
From: California High Desert
"Yes, officer, I know the truck is not licensed or insured, and the lights, signals and horn don't work. The brakes felt pretty good today so I thought I would blow out the carbon."
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
It is important very generally during or after an overhaul to first - get the engine started quickly without a lot of contortions.
Then, break-in a new camshaft & lifters with a high RPM run in, for about 20 minutes.
At this point after cam shaft break in, but before rings are seated, avoid any further idling and get 'er out on the road, under load, to finish piston ring seating. Again modern ring materials and cylinder finishing techniques are different than the old school iron rings, chrome, etc.
Some "moderate" full throttle accelerations and decelerations from around 30 to 50 mph say. This ring seating business is important in such engines that are affected because if the cylinders glaze over, they will likely never seat going forward, and it will be a permanent "oil burner". It's kind of a one shot deal or the cylinders will need another ball hone deglazing w/ new cross hatch, and a proper break-in.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,388
Likes: 92
From: California High Desert
Still purple.
Checked oil in sunlight. It is black. It is Royal Purple break in oil. Used a generous amount of assembly lube also.
Checked oil in sunlight. It is black. It is Royal Purple break in oil. Used a generous amount of assembly lube also.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,388
Likes: 92
From: California High Desert
Decided to replace plugs, plug wires, points and condenser to eliminate possibility of friend's junk drawer parts being wrong. Then had no spark. Stopped for lunch and a rain storm came through. It has been too cold and windy since. I'm guessing either points or wire to points grounded. I noticed when I tried to adjust points the vacuum advance plate wasn't moving freely so maybe wires are caught underneath.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2019
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Likes: 375
Decided to replace plugs, plug wires, points and condenser to eliminate possibility of friend's junk drawer parts being wrong. Then had no spark. Stopped for lunch and a rain storm came through. It has been too cold and windy since. I'm guessing either points or wire to points grounded. I noticed when I tried to adjust points the vacuum advance plate wasn't moving freely so maybe wires are caught underneath.
sometimes you take two back before going forward...!
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,388
Likes: 92
From: California High Desert
It was too cold but I couldn't wait. I found the terminal on the points had slipped off the mojnt and shorted, burned out coil secondary circuit. Reassembled points and installed original coil. Fired right up and purred like s kitten. An old rattling kitten but it ran great. Drove it twenty minutes around here on dirt roads. Hit 45-50 mph if speedometer accurate. Guess I'll do that again when I use the truck. Seemed to run well even wih the old gas mixed in.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 2,818
Likes: 375
It was too cold but I couldn't wait. I found the terminal on the points had slipped off the mojnt and shorted, burned out coil secondary circuit. Reassembled points and installed original coil. Fired right up and purred like s kitten. An old rattling kitten but it ran great. Drove it twenty minutes around here on dirt roads. Hit 45-50 mph if speedometer accurate. Guess I'll do that again when I use the truck. Seemed to run well even wih the old gas mixed in.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,388
Likes: 92
From: California High Desert
Ok, so the old truck is still running fine but doesn't want to start cold without s shot of starter fluid. Fires right up and once warmed up it runs good. Would it help to try first the 40,000 volt Flame Thrower coil to see if hotter spark helps? They are fairly inexpensive. Then if necessary the pertronix electronic unit?
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,388
Likes: 92
From: California High Desert
Choke opens and closes. Don't know if accelerator pump is working correctly. I have tried pimping once, twice a lot, and not at all. A really small shot of ether snd it fires right up.
Removed air filter and worked throttle. Didn't see any fuel squirting. This is an oddball Carter YF I rebuilt after engine overhaul.
Removed air filter and worked throttle. Didn't see any fuel squirting. This is an oddball Carter YF I rebuilt after engine overhaul.