Re: How bad do my pistons look?

Posted by Ross On 2019/12/18 10:28:11

Looks like a thousand other slightly tired Packard eights, so you can rest easy on that. Your compression readings are not bad at all except for cylinder 2 and I suggest pulling the valves out of that one for a look. Could be the the exhaust valve is starting to leak.

Sadly I don't see anything that would account for the sudden appearance of noise. No grooves in the cylinder walls?

When the car overheated, how hot did it get? Boil-over is not normally going to cause damage. Did the oil light ever come on?

A memory from oh 44 years ago is that when the head gasket on my '50 Super gave way between two cylinders it actually chirped sharply under load. Scared me to death.

Think I would recommend cleaning the top of the engine really well with a wire wheel on a right angle grinder, likewise the head. Clean it all out really well and put some oil around the pistons. Turn it over with the starter and listen if possible. Observe valve action.

Then clean up your old gasket with some scotchbrite and spray a heavy coat of aluminum paint on both sides. Slap everything back together and try it.

Yes, do the oxalic acid. Those calk and rust flakes love to lay on top to your radiator tubes and plug them.