Here’s today Herbie the old truck update. I think I’ll call this one the good, the bad, and the odd!
Let’s start with the good.
I started the day making some templates of the oil pan gasket, and valve cover gasket in case I every need to make some.
With the oil pan cleaned painted and ready to go I sprayed the gasket with a some copper coat for a little extra protection, and so hopefully it would stay in place while I get the pan in place. I’m not sure if this is a common practice or not but I tie a little sewing string through to bolt holes to help keep the gasket in place too.
I slipped the pan into place and started the bolt. Once they are started I know my gasket is in the right place so I can cut my strings and put the last few in.
I attached the pickup tube with new seal to the pump. Ford recommends some thread sealer on the threads where the pick up goes through the pan. With that all loosely assembled
I ran up all the pan bolts.
Speaking of tools we don’t use anymore I dug out the old speed wrench for this job!
I got everything tight and put a new oil filter in and the filled it with 10W30 high mileage oil with a zinc additive for our run test. This is where I know I could never be a professional mechanic. Besides being way to slow, I get very nervous when it’s time to start something up after I’ve been in it. I usually check everything 10 times, stop and think if I’ve done everything I was suppose too and then check it all again!
I decided to crank the engine over with the coil wire disconnected so the engine could build oil pressure befor it started. That plan work well.
Now let’s throw in some of the bad!
First item.
I had one last look at the bottom end before I put the pan on. Everything seems fine to me, except for the timing chain.
I don’t know how much play a Ford 272 from 1955 is supposed to have but is really seem excessive to me.
What do I do about it? I thought about it for awhile and here’s what I came up with.
The engine runs fine, makes no noise, and runs at a relatively low RPM compared to modern engines. If I go after the timing set I might as well figure on an engine rebuild.
Having considered all this I decided to run it! At least for now and see where it goes.
Second item.
When I cranked the engine to build oil pressure it didn’t take lone to drain the battery dead.
I pulled the battery out and put the charger on it.
The cable connections were of course loose and dirty, with a terribly rusty ground!
Enough of that! Back to the good!
With the battery charged and clean, good connections it’s time to crank it up.
The engine immediately stated as soon as I bumped the key! And I’ve got oil pressure, I see my fresh oil on the rocker arms!
A quick check underneath and no leaks!
A couple more gaskets, and a couple of nuts and it looks like a complete engine again.
With that I fired it back up and drove it out of the shop. Things seem to be functioning as they should at this point!
And now for the odd
When I went into the shop yesterday I noticed brake fluid under the truck.
It’s coming from the passenger rear drum. That’s one of the cylinders I “reconditioned”. I wasn’t happy seeing that, but what can you do.
Well I checked it today and it’s not leaking. I drove the truck back and forth in front of the shop and I have brakes and no leaks! How does a wheel cylinder just spring a leak and then stop?
it’s been my experience that once they start leaking they don’t stop. One of you will have to explain this to me! I guess I’ll keep an eye on it and see if it start leaking again.
Next step will be the high idle run test. I’ll be checking these items.
Points dwell
Timing
Charging system
Cooling system
Another question for you guys, what am I not thinking of that I need to look at under the hood? I got to be forgetting something!
Before I do any of that I gotta clean up the shop, I made a heck of a mess again!
