Well, after many years of slumber, my 64 was ready to go out on the streets,changed oil and filter last week had about 1 mile on the last oil change. I have taken it down the block before but never out of sight of the friendly confines of my house. So today all doors accounted for, fenders on, all glass and doors operational no current tags though. 5:15 AM decided a run around the neighborhood was in order. I opened the garage door and slid in behind the wheel, I put the Hurst into neutral and pushed in the clutch, turned the key and she fired right off. The dual flowmasters gurgled and I let her idle for a minute or two, I hit the gas a few times, suweeet put her in 1st and rolled out of the garage and down the street I was, shifted to second real easy and rolled along and then a smooth shift to 3rd. So here we roll up to the intersection, down shift to 1st and hook a right, I get on her a bit and shift to 2nd and then clatter clatter clatter, WTF I back off and she is pissed , I push in the clutch and pull off to the side of the road and a lifter on the right side is not happy, I am thinkin you gotta be kiddin me. How can this happen, the polar Ice caps must have shifted or something.

 

heck I broke a valve spring shutting the engine off. not once but twice in one month. seems with all my old cars the only time something doesnt break is when they sit in the garage. but hey warranties are for light weights.

 

Dammed right.

 

I thought it was just me . Did you you us all the new oil additives for a hydo cam? or do you have a roller it looks like you have done some mod work to it

 

Hi Mark,
I did not realize you were on the board!
Sure thing, I will come over and take a look at it.
They may be tempermental, but they have short memories.
Jim

 

Well, I know how it goes, coming back from Homecoming yesterday (220 mile round trip), and when I was about 5 miles from home it seemed to lose some power, getting rough at stoplights, like it was running on seven cylinders. Let it cool down in the driveway for a couple of hours and restarted it, oh oh, not good, doesn't sound like a lifter, too deep of a sound, rod bearing? I will drop it off at 8 am, after work (3rd shift), that blows, I have/had? a buyer for the car, will keep him posted on it, and what repairs that will be done.

 

We took a look, and it seems that he has a couple of lifters that are bleeding down once it warms up. As heat builds, there are a couple of rockers that just start ratatatting.
Springs look good,
Rocker arms look good,
Bridges look good.
Good oil pressure. All the time.
Cold idle, it is still quiet.
Noisy one has a bit of play, gets worse once it gets a bit of heat.
Mark, call me when you want to swap the lifters out.
BTW, this wagon looks cool. I like the direction of this car project.
Jim

 

If the rockers and valves are good then at least it is only some lifters. Just sort of a PITA. Keep us posted.

 

Much thanks Jim, fellow Oldsmobiler willing to share his experience is mastercard "priceless".

 

Mark,
Take a peek...


I hope you like the way the dash pad turned out, I know mine would not have looked this good.
Funny, some of the studs were a larger size on your unit.

I know, the steering wheel is pathetic, now.
Jim