Re: Broke down.

Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2008/9/29 0:57:01

Now, Eric, if you'd just 'splain what the Mark I Chevy BB was, I could stop holding my breath.

mikec,

You're getting a lot of expert advice and seem to be getting closer to the problem. Pulling a valve cover (or head on a flathead) can help pin down a noise real quick. Sometimes, on an engine that makes a funny noise, you can quickly narrow it down to a little thing like a broken piston! I hope that isn't the case for you, but it's amazing what can go wrong and a strong engine will keep going undaunted... for a little while.

Some of the guys mentioned another quick way to assess damage and see how far you have to go... take off the oil pan.

I think that on any old car, one of the best first steps before a lot of mechanical work is to pull the oil plan and check for sludge build-up etc. You'll feel so much better after you know you're putting clean oil in a clean pan. Also, I would pull the pan BEFORE pouring in ATF, MM or other engine-cleaning solvents. That way you don't overload the oiling system with crud that possibly won't flush out of the oil passages.

If the pan hasn't been off for a while, have a putty knife handy for scraping it!

P.S. When you pull those plug wires one at a time--an excellent idea--be sure to listen for an RPM drop (there SHOULD be one) as well as an affect on the noise.