I've bought AC DELCO Blue filters for my Cutlass for 5 years with Zero issues.

I can drive her for 4000KM and and oil is still crystal clean.

In fact i have a fram filter sitting on my bench at home, i just havn't been able to bring myself to use it.

 

here we go...i pulled the intake and heads yesterday...found some timing chain stuff in the oil pan (..as expected).

what do you guys think about the cylinder walls...rehone?

oh..and i guess i found the reason why the engine ran too hot...look at all the crud in the cooling system

 

more

 

some more

 

aaaannd..more

 

the heads..

 

last one..

 

Looks like an engine with miles on it. Wasn't too filthy, so that's a good thing. Whats the plan?

 

Your photos are good. The notch on the top (edge) of the piston confirms the compression ratio. To me it looks like an engine which had its oil changed properly, may have been running just a bit on the "rich" side, and needs something done for its cooling system passages. While you have it open, it would be good to measure the bore above and just below the ridge (at least longitudinally and transversely) if there is one, and check the head and block mating surfaces for trueness. Of course be vigilant for any irregularities. You don't need to do anything necessarily with the cylinder if there is nothing irregular. Having the engine out of the vehicle is a good opportunity to do work which would otherwise be difficult to access. If the cam's timing gear is original, it probably should be changed to an improved version. You can also check for valve stem/guide wear and assure valve and seat condition before reassembly. If I'm remembering correctly, the "E" heads just preceeded the switch to the heads which were intended to accommodate the unleaded fuel. I have however seen many of the older heads operate successfully on unleaded fuels. I've seen so much of your project, I feel like a participant. Please keep us posted.

 

As the others have said, that looks like an unusually clean engine, with the exception of the coolant passages.

I wouldn't mess with it too much. As long as the cylinder bores aren't too worn, your compression was good, and you didn't blow any smoke, I'd leave well enough alone.
Those coolant passages need cleaning, and you should remember that the thickness of your new head gaskets will determine your new compression ratio.

- Eric

 

Here's an afterthought. You could remove that small amount of carbon from the tops of some of the pistons, just in case it had anything to do with the dieseling which you experienced. Try to keep it from getting in between the topside of the piston and the cylinder wall. Similarly, it would be good to clean up the area in the heads around the valves for the same reason. I know this may seem like basic good housekeeping, but I have seen some not do it.

 

thx for your thoughts..

the plan is to mount a pair of these :

www.ebay.com/itm/BERNARD-MONDELLO-PROCOMP-OLDS-OLDSMOBILE-ALUMINUM-400-455-HEADS-PREMIUM-PKG-/270857613669

..new gaskets, bolts and screws, balancer, oil pump, new timing chain, new lifters, push-rods and new cam..maybe new converter with higher stall speed...that's it

don't plan to disassemble the bottom end

 

any ideas how to clean the coolant passages?

i guess its easier to do this when heads and intake are on the engine...complete flush

my radiator is brand new and i don't want to hook it up until that cooling system is free of crud...same for the ebrock heads.

 

I don't know what the "right" way is to clean the coolant passages, other than to disassemble the block and have it boiled, but I have removed the heads, rotated the block 45°, so that one head surface is horizontal, used a heavy-duty industrial tape (solvent-resistant, used for silk-screens) to cover and seal the water pump flange to that bank, then filled up that side's coolant passages with concentrated hydrochloric acid {"swimming pool acid") and let it sit.
If you do this a few times, i should come out very clean, then rinse well with water, then do the same on the other side.
If you do this, you have to make absolutely certain that you don't get any acid in the cylinder bores, on the camshaft, or any of the bearings.

Like I said, not the "right" way, but it has worked for me.

- Eric

 

ok thank you...

i decided to do it "right" ... means hot tanking after removing the pistons, timing gears and crankshaft...and this also means re-hone and re-bore

 

Always better to do it right.

Sounds like the MAWs will be kicking in any time now...

- Eric

 

..same old story

 

i hear that... i'm on the verge of pulling my engine to replace one bolt

 

some progress...

 

main bearings...need to grind them? or just polish?

 

I'd say it's time for a new sprocket.

Though I guess you could get a few more kilometers out of that one .



Those bearings look really nice to me, but the true question is what they feel like and how they measure.

- Eric

 

mains and rod journal bearings...

 

some more...wirebrushed manifold...note the crack in the passenger side manifold

 

Are you sure that that's a crack and not a casting defect?

If it's a crack, it should be weldable with MIG or TIG. I've done it, and I don't know what I'm doing.

Those rod bearing shells look more corroded than worn, and it's on the bottom (no-load) side, too.
Did this car sit somewhere for a long time?

I wonder what others think of those bearings.

- Eric

 

yeah its a crack...you can also see it on the inside..

that car sat for about 8 years afaik...

 

Easy enough to weld.

How do those lower rod bearing shells feel? Are those little pits in the metal, or are they something else, like little bits of embedded metal?
Do the upper shells have the same pattern, or not?
Are the bearings worn, as though material was wiped or smeared away?
Any scratches or scoring?
How do the rod journals on the crank look?

- Eric

 

Well I think we found your idling problem.
Am I the only one that sees a wiped cam lobe in photo #5 of post #42 there?
I saved the "giving the engine the finger" photo, who among us has not felt like that at some point?

 

Well, I didn't see it, back on September 29th, but, yeah, now that you mention it, it's all shiny, instead of having the usual partially-worn look of a normal lobe.

- Eric

 

gonna check this next weekend..as far as i remember i could'nt feel the pits..but some had only one or two deeper scratches

..gonna let the engine shop do the measure-work, so they will tell me if the crank needs grinding..anyway..i'll use new bearings, rods and pistons

 

Rod bearings look no good to me ..worn

 

If you have some plastigauge it would be interesting to see what it reads also the bimetal on the bearing looks pretty warn....from what i see

 

This looks like an open vacuum connection to me.....

torointake_zps2a9ea674.jpg

 

yeah thats right..but i plugged this right on the intake..that hose is for cruise control

 

crankshaft bearings...

 

connecting rods upper shells...

 

more...

 

engine is going to the machine shop today...here's the plan:

- cleaning and inspection
- taking measurements for boresize
- bore / hone
- install new bearings for crankshaft and camshaft
- install new oversize pistons and rings + connecting rods
- polish or grind crankshaft (whatever the measurements say)
- install crankshaft
- balance rotating assembly

any thoughts on this?

 

have the rods checked out shot peened etc...and why is your license plate blacked out??

 

I think that pretty much covers it.

Maybe magnafluxing to check for cracks, if that's not part of the general check-out procedure.

C'mon, look at that car - It's clearly underage!

- Eric

 

...and a company car