New Owner

[1930artdeco]

Well, I have now purchased my second Town Sedan. My first is a 1930 and now I have just bought a 1957 Fairlane 500 Town Sedan. She is not the prettiest right now to look at, and she has some mechanical issues. BUT, she only has 32K original miles and a nice power set up with a 312 and 3 sp, O/D. The interior is still in pretty good shape, but the biggest plus is that she spent her life in Fresno! So there is just surface rust in all of the usual places that I can see.


The first thing up is to degrease the inside of the engine as the valve galley has LOTS of caked on grease. What is the best way to degrease it and what should I use?


Thanks,


Mike

 

[1930artdeco]

Here is the valve galley and the car.

 

[frnkeore]

That slug, is Horrible to get off!!

I'm building a Aug '57 dated, '58 361 Edsel engine, with the same kind of slug. I disassembled it and had it hot tanked TWICE and there was still some hard slug, inside the block, especially the oil gallery's. I spent about 3 more hours scraping slug out of small areas and wire brushing the galley's. Your oil screen will be almost, completely clogged, too.

Best bet, it to tare it down and go through it. But, if your wanting to drive it, before that, pull the pan and make sure the oil screen is open, Soak the heads and valley, with grease remover then use a solvent gun to wash as much off as you can, with the pan, still off. Get the crank case area, that way, too.

Blow it all down with air, replace the filter. Buckle all up and run it. Replace the filter again, after 50 miles of mostly freeway driving.

DO NOT use detergent oil, it will only keep loosening the slug and clog things up.

It's a VERY messy job but, may get you at least a few months of run time if, the rings are still ok.

BTW, make sure that the rockers are getting oil, If not, the heads will have to come off and the passages cleaned, including into the block.

I used to be a mechanic (62-70) and I put outside oilers on the Y8's and I block 6's but, I don't thing they make those any more.

 

[mercman from oz]

These are great looking old Fords. Great choice.
With a bit of hard work, your 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Town Sedan could look like this.

 

[darrell]

as was said already drive as is it may go for years or rebuild it.hot tanking is the only real fix.

 

[KULTULZ]

... whew ...

Does the engine run? She is dry as a bone.

 

[1930artdeco]

She turns over with the starter, so at least nothing appears broken. I think the plan right now is to clean and lube the living $(8&)$?!?!&; out of the engine and then lube everything else. Then fire her up to see how she runs. Work the brakes over to make her safe to drive and just get her on the road.

Mike

 

[Hot Rod Reverend]

I agree with KULTULZ, that looks extremely dry. And that sludgey, cakey residue from the old paraffin-based oil is going to be a problem. You may get things running of course but you will never be happy with the results of cleaning no matter what you use. And once that cakey stuff releases in chunks from the engine internals you can expect clogged up oil passages. My take would be to yank the engine and completely disassemble/inspect to see where you stand - you MIGHT get away with a cleaning and go from there. It is what it is.

 

[miker98038]

I hate to pile on, but I'm afraid you really need to have a look inside it. A 312 has some value, and mainly in the crankshaft. You really don't want to gall it bad enough it won't turn for new bearings. You might try dropping the pan and seeing how it looks, then pulling the rockers. Replace and fill the pan and try priming it. See if you get oil to the heads. You'll probably have to turn the engine over (oil to the heads from the center cam bearing, depends on which "method" Ford used on those motors). If you get oil up there it's a good sign. Even then, I'd pull the heads and look close at those passages.

Here's a link to a recent discussion on cam fit, oiling etc. the last page in particular.

http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic155047.aspx

A nice original like you've got is worth the effort.

 

[dmsfrr]

I hate to pile on, but I'm afraid you really need to have a look inside it. A 312 has some value, and mainly in the crankshaft. You really don't want to gall it bad enough it won't turn for new bearings. . . . See if you get oil to the heads. You'll probably have to turn the engine over (oil to the heads from the center cam bearing, depends on which "method" Ford used on those motors). If you get oil up there it's a good sign. Even then, I'd pull the heads and look close at those passages.
. . .

There's a shallow oil passage groove in the underside of each head that gets clogged very easily, it supplies oil to the rocker arms.

 

[frnkeore]

The FE's have a similar oil path, in mine, the block gallery, that goes to the shallow groove, was completely pluged, even after the two hot tank dips. the first one was a full day and a 1/2, the second over 24 hours.

It sat for many years, before I bought it.

Any of that slug that you don't get off, will go to the pan and detergent oil, will get it there MUCH faster.

I'm with Hot Rod Reverend. take it all apart, hot tank it, if the cylinders aren't wore more than .006, put new bearings and rings in it and it will be good for many years.

 

[dmsfrr]

... the block gallery, that goes to the shallow groove, was completely pluged, even after the two hot tank dips. the first one was a full day and a 1/2, the second over 24 hours. ...

Y-block, photo 1. The oil passage up thru the block from the center cam bearing. There is a matching oil hole on the other side of the engine block. Diameter = 5/16 inch.

Photo 2. Oil passage thru the head and rocker arm stands to the rocker arm shaft.
Diameter = 1/4 inch.

 

[5851a]

I hate to pile on, but I'm afraid you really need to have a look inside it. A 312 has some value, and mainly in the crankshaft. You really don't want to gall it bad enough it won't turn for new bearings. You might try dropping the pan and seeing how it looks, then pulling the rockers. Replace and fill the pan and try priming it. See if you get oil to the heads. You'll probably have to turn the engine over (oil to the heads from the center cam bearing, depends on which "method" Ford used on those motors). If you get oil up there it's a good sign. Even then, I'd pull the heads and look close at those passages.

Here's a link to a recent discussion on cam fit, oiling etc. the last page in particular.

http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic155047.aspx

A nice original like you've got is worth the effort.

I agree, with that low of miles you may be able to tear down and clean with some new gaskets and seals, would be a shame to have that crud plug an oil pickup tube and ruin it. Could be a lot of deposits in cooling system after 60 plus years.

 

[dmsfrr]

I agree, with that low of miles you may be able to tear down and clean with some new gaskets and seals, would be a shame to have that crud plug an oil pickup tube and ruin it. Could be a lot of deposits in cooling system after 60 plus years.

I recently sent a good running not smoking 312 to the local machine shop. It was pretty dirty on the outside, fairly clean on the inside and had sat for several years. The previous owner got it running and said it needed a new oil pressure sensor, the Oil light flickered and tended to stay on under 1000 rpm.
But I wanted to be sure it was in good shape and not have to pull it out again.
The round baffle on the oil pickup tube in the pan was sitting in sludge and it couldn't pick up enough oil, almost trashed the crankshaft, they had to cut it a fair amount.

 

[1930artdeco]

Update: car fell through due to title issues. So off to the next one. Thank you all for your advice in the matter.

Mike