Noises after rebuild
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 111
Likes: 2
From: Daphne, Alabama
Noises after rebuild
I hope I can describe this well enough.
I have a 78 F100 with 351m, 84K miles. Had issues with a broken plug and eventually had to have heads pulled and lots of little things fixed (done at a machine shop, beyond my humble skills): heads were resurfaced and reconditioned, replaced some leaking freeze plugs, put in a new radiator and water pump we repaired. Had to put in new temp sensor.
Anyhow, got it back earlier this week and it sounds and runs great. Except as it heats up, it starts to make a knocking sound. There's also what sounds like boiling water and air bubbles in the block itself. The temp gauge reads right in the normal range, the radiator is warm but not too bad. it fills the reservoir as it cools, then it goes back to level. It gets more intense for about 2-5 minutes after I shut it off, then it quiets down alot.
No fluid or strange vapors in the exhaust. The power is pretty good (except going up an incline when it cuts out: needs carb rebuild).
A friend of mine thinks its just air in the cooling system that needs to work its way out. I've put about 50 miles on it in short trips so far.
Any ideas?
I plan to take it back by the shop once the holidays settle out.
I have a 78 F100 with 351m, 84K miles. Had issues with a broken plug and eventually had to have heads pulled and lots of little things fixed (done at a machine shop, beyond my humble skills): heads were resurfaced and reconditioned, replaced some leaking freeze plugs, put in a new radiator and water pump we repaired. Had to put in new temp sensor.
Anyhow, got it back earlier this week and it sounds and runs great. Except as it heats up, it starts to make a knocking sound. There's also what sounds like boiling water and air bubbles in the block itself. The temp gauge reads right in the normal range, the radiator is warm but not too bad. it fills the reservoir as it cools, then it goes back to level. It gets more intense for about 2-5 minutes after I shut it off, then it quiets down alot.
No fluid or strange vapors in the exhaust. The power is pretty good (except going up an incline when it cuts out: needs carb rebuild).
A friend of mine thinks its just air in the cooling system that needs to work its way out. I've put about 50 miles on it in short trips so far.
Any ideas?
I plan to take it back by the shop once the holidays settle out.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 887
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
Could be as simple as just a bad radiator cap. Before tearing into the engine or doing anything expensive, get a new radiator cap and put it on... May help, may not... but for $5 and 30 seconds worth of work, i cant think of a better place to start.
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 621
Likes: 0
From: near pittsburgh pa
Yep! Sounds like head gasket on backwards. Feel under front of head, an look, you should have some head gasket sticking out towards radiator. Good Luck
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From: Daphne, Alabama
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Posting Guru
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From: western montana
I'd run it and when it pushes out the coolant into the overflow....break the vacuum in the radiator so that it doesn't pull it back in and run it a bit low....i have a 429 that runs hot and pushes coolant out when full.... then runs fine. might not be the head gasket and thats a bit of a pain if it is.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 111
Likes: 2
From: Daphne, Alabama
Tried breaking the seal on the radiator, just a lot of coolant everywhere, the noise may be a little quieter but still knocking.
Got a few shots of the head, not much to see
Basically, the driver's side has a little blue gasket showing. On the passenger side, I can see bare engine block and no gasket (both on radiator side, didn't try to contort to get rear view.
Below is the only shot of passenger side. All the rest are driver side
A few more shots are in the gallery.
Got a few shots of the head, not much to see
Basically, the driver's side has a little blue gasket showing. On the passenger side, I can see bare engine block and no gasket (both on radiator side, didn't try to contort to get rear view.
Below is the only shot of passenger side. All the rest are driver side
A few more shots are in the gallery.