An Easter (weekend) Miracle

Posted by Jim L. in OR On 2012/4/8 19:10:42

Hi All,

The last several months have been unexpectedly busy for me but I have been following along - especially threads regarding valve clatter.

Last week our refrigerator gave indications that it was breathing it's last so Friday found me needing to drive around to look at replacements. Since it was a pretty nice day, I decided to take my '51 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan as it gets "peckish" when not run fairly regularly. Starting it up produced the usual clatter but I have keep hoping that someday all that will be gone. I did note the thread about the correct positioning of the oil tube brass "T" fitting and mine had the restrictor going the wrong way. Correcting that didn't make a whole lot of difference in the noise though. Anyway, after looking at several likely refrigerator candidates, I headed home.

Then, I pulled into the garage.

At first all I could take in was that something was "different" - but I couldn't figure out what. Then it came to me: The only sound coming from the engine was a very soft "ticking" sound! I drove it yesterday and today and ticking is all there was to hear!

I've no idea what changed except that maybe changing the orifice so that the increased pressure might have dislodged a "plug of crud" so that the lifters actually got the amount of oil they needed. No matter what, I was dumbstruck.

I had planned spending the coming week replacing the hydraulic lifters with the solid lifters from a spare 288 engine I have. Now, I plan to do an oil and filter change so maybe the lifters will stay silent.

On other news, '55 Patrician's still in the shop as my mechanic got real busy again. I hope to have it out the the National Collector Car Day this summer.

While I was out driving the '51 this weekend and stopped behind a couple of cars at a stop light, I saw another '51 - a Mint Green Club Sedan go by the other way. The driver was wearing a Fedora appropriate to the car. When the light finally changed, I tried to catch up to him but I lost him.

So does anyone in the Portland, OR area have a light green club sedan that they were driving Friday afternoon? I've looked in the Owner Registry under '51s but didn't find any "suspects".

More news as it happens,

Jim L. in OR