Questions about another prospect. Long post!
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Elder User
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From: Western N.C.
Questions about another prospect. Long post!
OK, it's a '73 longbed, PS, manual brakes, 390/auto, 9X000 miles, Edelbrock 2BBL intake?, he says there's no rust, no dents, floors are solid (including the bed floor), glass is good, new tires, dual exhaust, nice tailgate, clean interior, runs good/drives good/stops good..............$500 
I'm skeptical, but we'll see on Saturday.
According to the owner, the only two problems are that 1.) it needs a passenger side motor mount and 2.) it has a bad blowby problem. The motor mount is obviously not the issue I have.
He says that the breather hose from the valve cover belches out smoke, and it gets progressively worse the longer it runs...to the point that it is coming out from under the hood as he's driving. It sounds to me like it is valve seals or valve guides, but wouldn't the wear have to be almost ridiculous to cause it to be as severe as he says? I asked if it could be driven the 30+ miles back to my house, and he said he wouldn't if he were me---because of the blowby. He's afraid it's gonna blow up. But, there is no smoke at the tailpipes!
How bad could this potentially be? I'm thinking that I could just swap stuff over from Eddie to this truck (including the motor if necessary), but I'd like to know if this is something that can be remedied without pulling the heads/motor.
Thanks
I'm skeptical, but we'll see on Saturday.
According to the owner, the only two problems are that 1.) it needs a passenger side motor mount and 2.) it has a bad blowby problem. The motor mount is obviously not the issue I have.
He says that the breather hose from the valve cover belches out smoke, and it gets progressively worse the longer it runs...to the point that it is coming out from under the hood as he's driving. It sounds to me like it is valve seals or valve guides, but wouldn't the wear have to be almost ridiculous to cause it to be as severe as he says? I asked if it could be driven the 30+ miles back to my house, and he said he wouldn't if he were me---because of the blowby. He's afraid it's gonna blow up. But, there is no smoke at the tailpipes!
How bad could this potentially be? I'm thinking that I could just swap stuff over from Eddie to this truck (including the motor if necessary), but I'd like to know if this is something that can be remedied without pulling the heads/motor.
Thanks
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2009
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That sounds a little skecthy to me. The motor will most def need a rebuild, that and I'm pretty sure edelbrock doesn't make a 2bbl intake. Just when you go take a buddy with you to help look. Even if there are a few problems it's only 500 bucks.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Halifx Pa
That is what I was thinking, $500? That don't sound like a bad deal "IF" what he says about the body is right. Rebuilding that 390 would be a fun experience, and you still have Eddie to drive around in the mean time.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Prairieville, La
My 83 had major blowby when I got it. Compression was good but not great. It only had 53,000 miles. We pulled the motor and refreshed it. No machine work and no head rebuild. When we put the motor back in, it still had blowby. Right before I was going to pull it back out, I checked the line from the egr to the back of the carb. It was carbon filled. I cleared it out and the truck has had no more blowby.
It lost a quart of oil in a 65 mile drive before the teardown. It had blowby so bad it would push the dipstick up and oil would come out from there. Check all lines for carbon build up.
It lost a quart of oil in a 65 mile drive before the teardown. It had blowby so bad it would push the dipstick up and oil would come out from there. Check all lines for carbon build up.
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Elder User
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From: Western N.C.
I'll post some pics when I get back on Saturday. Of course my mind will have to be made up one way or another by then, but still...Oh, and I'll take a few drill bits to check on that carbon buildup. That hadn't even occurred to me, even though I did it on Eddie way back in March!
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Elder User
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From: Western N.C.
Well, I went and looked at it...and Eddie doesn't have to jockey for territory in the yard...yet.
I liked a lot of things, but didn't like many others. Good things were only one spot of rust through in the floor (about 1" by 3"), fairly solid bed, excellent door hinges (NO SAG...THE FIRST I'VE SEEN LIKE THAT!!!).
It had several problems beginning to sprout up, and many that were inflicted on it by the PO. To start, spliced wiring
and a rattle-can paint job that left all of the original lower trim semi-gloss black, and the original upper trim and grille shell bright white. Not that I would cry over ruining the lower trim...I don't like it and wouldn't keep it anyway. A lot of problems can hide behind it, and I'm sure the owner wouldn't appreciate me prying it off to see. The tailgate was from a '71 and was beaten to heck, and the inner bed had a bedliner, but it was cut out in several places and underneath it was full of WET leaves, pecans, etc. The cowling was full of wet leaves and pecan shells as well. Really didn't look like it had been stored in a carport, that's for sure.
There was loads of aftermarket junk screwed/ bolted on, and I grimaced at the thought of all the bodywork that would have to be done just to fill in all of the holes left by that mess. Clearance lights, push bumper, grab handles, etc. I guess the PO wanted a Super Duty.
He sure tried to make it look like one!
Engine, brake, and steering problems, of course, not withstanding.
Not gonna go into that.
It'll make someone a decent truck if they need a project, but I don't need another one- especially one that has already had "magic" worked on it by someone else.
On the way there, though, I saw a positively gorgeous dent that was two tone white and Carolina blue...white tonneau cover...short bed...and it was under cover!! Lucky son of a gun there!
I liked a lot of things, but didn't like many others. Good things were only one spot of rust through in the floor (about 1" by 3"), fairly solid bed, excellent door hinges (NO SAG...THE FIRST I'VE SEEN LIKE THAT!!!).
It had several problems beginning to sprout up, and many that were inflicted on it by the PO. To start, spliced wiring
and a rattle-can paint job that left all of the original lower trim semi-gloss black, and the original upper trim and grille shell bright white. Not that I would cry over ruining the lower trim...I don't like it and wouldn't keep it anyway. A lot of problems can hide behind it, and I'm sure the owner wouldn't appreciate me prying it off to see. The tailgate was from a '71 and was beaten to heck, and the inner bed had a bedliner, but it was cut out in several places and underneath it was full of WET leaves, pecans, etc. The cowling was full of wet leaves and pecan shells as well. Really didn't look like it had been stored in a carport, that's for sure.There was loads of aftermarket junk screwed/ bolted on, and I grimaced at the thought of all the bodywork that would have to be done just to fill in all of the holes left by that mess. Clearance lights, push bumper, grab handles, etc. I guess the PO wanted a Super Duty.
He sure tried to make it look like one! Engine, brake, and steering problems, of course, not withstanding.
Not gonna go into that.It'll make someone a decent truck if they need a project, but I don't need another one- especially one that has already had "magic" worked on it by someone else.
On the way there, though, I saw a positively gorgeous dent that was two tone white and Carolina blue...white tonneau cover...short bed...and it was under cover!! Lucky son of a gun there!
