Bruce the FWD

[1300dolly]

I would be suprissed if the head need a skim, it takes a hell of a lot to warp one of them but just in case it does need doing take it to a machine shop BEFORE you reassemble it they will check the warpiness for a price of a pint or less and save you lots of time in the longrun!

[JPB]

/\/\/\ WHS+1, once you've tightened the head down, that's a gasket you can't use again, so check the head. Maybe you could also check in rudimentary fashion for cylinder leakage via the rings by measuring out an identical volume of oil onto each piston crown with the pistons all at the same level, then come back after a night and see whether the oil has all vanished in the two that had the poor compressions.
Not much point in fitting the head yet if there are piston troubles, fingers crossed for you that there won't be and that it's all HG-related.

[1300dolly]

I done the leakage test on Sarahs car and in pot three the oil disappeared quicker than i could pour it in, piston twos oil vaished over two days, number one went in a few days and four stood its ground, before the strip down all that I thought was wrong was the top end and not piston related as it seemed to run okay.
if all the oil holds in all four you can use that to measure the true CC of the engine as well.

[Pauldaf44]

If it has piston trouble it will majorly pee me off seeing as this car was sold as having had an engine rebuild within 20k. Hopefully it wont but I will check.

[Spunkymonkey]

Piston problems are unlikely, Paul. Certainly, last time I heard it running, there was no suggestion of wear there so if there are problems they've developed in the past 5 months or so.

That can happen - you can happily wear out a set of rings in well under 20k with persistent over-fuelling or lots of running on choke because it washes all the oil off the bores. Plus, like any stressed metal bits, rings / piston lands do "just break" occasionally - but it isn't exactly common!

[james_r_lucas]

This is what i'm using with my electronic ignition system i built

http://uk.farnell.com/lcr-components/pc ... dp/9520341

Works perfectly, and i have a few spares, i can post one for £1 plus postage (you'll find it's 1p cheaper than getting them from above, by the time you've added VAT )

I'm guessing you've already checked you have compression and everything?

If you have, crank the engine for a few seconds, then see if the bridge in the carburettor is damp with fuel. That way you know that fuel is being drawn up and in. Other than that, i'm not sure

[Pauldaf44]

Got the head off today which proved interesting and seem to have some bad news

The Internals are badly coked up. About a 1mm of carbon on the piston crowns and valves. The cylinders are lightly scored and there are definate signs of oil ingress.
Now the pistons are holding oil but No3 seems down on compression. So may need the rings doing. This is not serious enough to prevent firing though.

The exhaust valves on 2 and 3 are so coked that they do not shut properly.
I think the valve stem oil seals on 3 and 4 have gone.
And all but 2 of the valves could be opened by hand and removed without the aid of spring compressors.

So im going to need

Valve seals and springs.
Ive a mind to change the valves for hardened ones but it depends on the price are they the same as herald 13/60 ones?

I have used cellulose thinners and removed most of the carbon and as the oil is to be changed anyway. The bores have been filled to decarbonise the rings. Might mean I dont have to change them.

photos of head later of block. The cylinder head gasket has signs of burning but no splits.

[Spunkymonkey]

Valve seals don't exist - they were never fitted to these, although you can fit Ford Pinto ones if you want.

Those valve springs are supposed to be removed by hand without a compressor, so wouldn't worry there. It's only the ones held with collets (rather than a key-plate) that need a compressor.

Hardened valves are no use at all without a hardened seat - in fact they can make recession worse against a soft seat, so I really wouldn't bother.

Exhaust valves failing to shut needs investigating but can be caused simply by lots of running on choke / without the engine warming enough to burn it off. That is also very likely to be the cause of the compression loss. Be 100% certain that they're closing ok and have a continuous seat before reassembling or you will burn them out in very few miles!


Oh, and that level of coking up on the valve heads is fairly normal - again especially if it's done a lot of local running around without a chance to burn it off - so wouldn't worry about it at all. Similarly for some signs of oil - it's fairly likely that some got in while you were splitting the head rather than while it was running (if it was running at the time you'd have burnt oil not liquid)

Don't rely just on thinners to get the crud off - cheap plastic rulers make excellent scrapers. But do NOT leave any carbon between the pistons and the bores. Two pistons to the top of their stroke and pack the gap between psiton and cylinder with grease. Then scrape the carbon off, then use a feeler gauge to carefully dig the grease out. Turn the engine 90 degrees and wipe those two bores out with clean rag. Then do the other two.

[Pauldaf44]

Signs of oil where burnt oily residue in the past the exhaust valves. If you stick your fingers into the holes. on 1 and 2 you get a dry soot and on 3 and 4 its damp and oily, so oil was getting in somewhere. My first thought was valves as oil is not escaping past the pistons.

One test I did was to make a seal over the cylinder with my hand and turn the crank. I could feel less pressure from no 3 than the others, it also made a fairly loud swishing sound whilst performing the test. Whilst the heads off Im decoking and generally cleaning up everything thats in sight. The head is going to get a coat of high temp paint before it goes back on and I will brush paint the block. Out of interest how hot will the exhaust get? The paint I have is rated to 500c will that be suitable for the manifolds?

[Spunkymonkey]

Out of interest how hot will the exhaust get? The paint I have is rated to 500c will that be suitable for the manifolds?

Only if you love the smell of burning paint in the morning. It'd work on the inlet (but probably look crud compared to clean alloy) but on the exhaust I'd give it one half-decent run if you're lucky.

Edited to add: That's not bad carbon, btw. Needs shifting but pretty normal build-up for a few 10k miles

[Pauldaf44]

OK have checked the head and we have 5 thou of warp between 2 and 3. So the head is being skimmed as we speak. The machine shop are also going to grind the valves and seats to remove pitting and then I will lap them in with valve paste. The charge for this lot is £45 and by the end the head should be as good as new. I dont think thats a bad price but I keep eyeing up a recon unleaded herald head the Paddocks have got for £125. I cant convert the one ive got for that

[Pauldaf44]

Right machine shop put 2 skims on the head and ground the valves and seats. It seems a nice job and the car now has good compression on all 4 cylinders. It has been thourighly decoked and cleaned and repainted on the outside. I haven't fired it up yet as im yet to static time change oil, coolant and mount up the water pump and new rad. Hopefully it will start and run on all 4 again tomorrow. Wish me luck

[Spunkymonkey]

Never mind wishing, I'll guarantee you luck - though whether it's good or bad depends on how well you've reassembled it

[1300dolly]

And the survey said...............

[JPB]

And the survey said...............