73 360 in a F100. This was a sitter. Long story short cleaned everything up and found 2 bent pushrods. Someone here told me to look for a stuck valve and thats when I found the bent pushrods. 2nd valve in # 1 side and 4th one same side. Got everything loose and lubed timed and running very smooth, good power, no smoke. Drove it all over the place start stop several times and no problem. Parked it for the night and started it the next day boom first turn bends # 2 pushrod. I pulled it, checked the length, carefully reloaded the rocker assembly on both sides. ran it and checked the oil system everything looked good. Ran perfect. Drove it all over the place no problem. Next day boom same thing. Yesterday I did the whole thing over again drove it all day stopped several times for a hour and restarted no problems ran perfect. Today same thing bent pushrod.
Help!

 

I'll go with the valve/s has shellac from old gas, once warm it's sludgy but when cold it's like tar if not epoxy. Other than removing the heads and manually cleaning valve/guide ? Never heard a quick fix really. Maybe mystery or penetrating oil down the guides overnight and see what gives. Wouldn't poor a real cutter like naptha or anything on them.

 

Well I have some mystery in it but I haven't taken it for any extended drive at hyway speeds. What do you think about a nice 50/100 mile run. I am sure your right about the shellac. Ive picked up many old bikes that have sat for years that were gummed up but I have never had a problem like this. I will give it a good hard drive. What do you guys think of that Rislone stuff. Says it will remove varnish??

 

Old saying, "The Cheap cost to much" do it rght, yanks the heads, pull them and give them a proper cleaning, even if its asimple wire wheel, it will cost so much lest in the long run. You also can check the cyl wall, and change out the head gaskets. Old ones do wear out with age and there no that costly. Spend a $100 here will save your $1000 in the long run. Like if when a push rud fails and a valves decides NOt to close and goes thru a piston top

 

Well I poured the 1/3 Seafoam into the oil, 1/3 into the tank, 1/3 into the carb until dead. Puked up a ton of carbon, brought it up to temp and pulled the valve cover and while the valve was working I kept spraying Deep Creep onto the valve and into all the oil ports. Took it for a long drive at 70 down the highway.

All I can say is the problem is gone. The truck is running excellent smooth idle with no smoke at all. Still trying to get the choke and fast idle right and next a Mallory electronic conversion. Looks like I have a Ford Bug now. The night before I poured Marvel into all the plug holes and let it sit over night to loosen the rings. This truck was headed for the junk yard when I pulled it out of a dirt pile but now with the old paint rubbed out and new shoes it looks like a good straight project.

 

Good luck with it, "really" Nothing like a revived Ford" I'd give the main bearings a review in (real)short order IMO. Just to feel comfortable. Hopefully the sludge breaker doesn't create worse issues. I'd change the oil filter asap and run a few short order high detergent oil changes for the next 3k. Then hope for the best. Cheers!

 

Just pulled apart an old 1960 FE for another set of exhaust manifolds. The crud under the intake and in the valley tray was scary. Can you guess what the oil pan and oil pick-up must look like ?

Good to hear you got things cleaned up and running better.

 

Crazy, the wife and I took it out cruzin tonight and it is running great. 102 here today and it runs nice and cool, quite after I tightened the doughnuts no smoke. I had to clean the dampner to see the marks and got timed at 10 btdc and no more ping, no smoke good power. What the heck we had a great time. Next new shocks and electronic ignition conversion and electronic choke.

 

Glad you seem to have it fixed, but I'd be checking the cam sprocket. Some were plastic-over-metal and the plastic sometimes came off in chunks. This led to a very sloppy timing chain.

Only speculating here, but maybe bad enough that in certain circumstances the piston and valve could meet and possibly the pushrod could be the weak link.

I stripped down a 289 one time that had most of the plastic in the oil pan....and one bent pushrod. Never was certain why the pushrod bent, but with a new timing chain, sprockets, etc., it didn't do it again.

 

Well the 90 year old PO said he had pulled the heads to put in hardened seats and valve job a few years ago and didn't put alot of miles on it before he parked it when he quit driving.
While at it he rebuilt the carb and replaced the time chain. I guess this would mean decent head gaskets, intake gasket, timeing chain gaskets and such.
So when I got there and found it gummed up (plugged up) with "super" nasty gas, the carb was completely clogged, the fuel pump shot, gas selector stuck. When I finally got it to start the pushrod "thing" started to happen on 2 valves. Vac leaks all over. I pulled the covers and could see the slow moving valve when cool as it heated up it got better.
Well it has been a clean up job (3 weeks) and I have run 2 tanks through and it just gets better. Dual tanks but I think I am getting rid of the spare tank. (it will just sit and tar up and it blocks my path for duals) Very smooth idle, no more ping, no smoke, no misses, little hessitation when cold but none once warm. Runs cool.
Next electronic ignition, I am pulling the carb for a rebuild and electronic choke / fast idle set up when I collect all the parts.
Today new plugs, new shocks.
So far, new batt, replaced all vac lines, got timeing set right for it's present condition, changed all fluids and greased, just got new shoes, brakes still good and got the power assist working good, not much slop in the wheel, Power Steering pump a bit noisy but not bad, flush for it very soon. I will replace the radiator and heater core with all new hoses this summer.
Buddy has a spare AC compressor so I can rebuild that factory system.
So far so good. Body not bad as well the interior once I buffed it out. Already getting a few looks. Orange baby!
We will see how it goes. I have 12 motorcycles but I have to admit this Ford is a blast. Not bad for 500 bucks. It was suposed to be a garbage/dump truck but you all know what is going to happen. For some reason my wife loves the thing so I guess it's fate is sealed. Quietly lol. I going to have to upgrade my membership and get the pics going.