fhogeweg

We found another number at the front off the engine: 4G4006709 what would that tell us? thanks again for helping out!

Hi everyone, i am working on a 1960 Buick Invicta convertible with some engine problems. We aren’t sure what kind of engine we are dealing with. The original should be a 401, but how can we tell that there is still the original motor in the car after all those years? we found this number on the engine: 1190451 what else can we try to sort this out before ordering parts and maybe ending up with the wrong ones. Thanks Ferdy

This is a old topic, I know but after some other problems and no time to work on the car, I want to update the last results. The engine still smokes a lot so the Seafoam did not help for this problem. We will be driving the car for a couple of miles in the coming time to see if the problem is getting better or if we need to rebuild the engine. Thanks to all that have helped out. Ferdy

Problem is solved. Installed a reman distributor and the car is running strong again. Thanks to everybody that has replied and helped out! Thanks Ferdy

I know this is a old tread but wanted to explain what was the cause of the problem. Nothing to do with fuel delivery. The problem was in the ignition as we discovered on an other tread. So for as far as we can see right now, the Seafoam does not do any damage. Thanks to all who tried to help out!

Problem is partially solved! Today we changed out the condenser with no result. After that we changed the complete distributor from our other car and it fired right up! But we can't find the problem within the distributor. All looks good, as said before every thing looks ok. Next step will be ordering a remanufactured distributor on RockAuto.com as we need some other parts to. Will be letting you guys know if the problem is 100% solved after the new distributor is in place. For now thanks a lot for helping me out. Thanks Ferdy

Thanks rusty. I was wondering what the second wire on the other end of the resistor was providing because if I disconnected it, it was still turning over. Will do the condenser swap tomorrow.

Thanks Joe. Will be trying that tomorrow. As told we have a good running car with same set up so changing and testing is easy. Also bought a test lamp today so that makes it a bit easier. Will keep you posted about it. Thanks Ferdy

That's right the car has a 12v system but what does the ballast resistor do? On all our 3 59 Ford's it transforms on the resistor from 12v to around 6. The other car even has only 4,6v on runs fine. I think we are missing a small piece here!?

Today we have tried a lot but without any success. Changed the rotor + cap and cables from a good running car and still the same. We do have a weak spark when we put a plug into the coil directly. But on the dist. cap and the plug on a cylinder cable there is a really weak spark once every 5 seconds or so. The coil on a 59 works on 6 volts right? There is a resistor on the firewall that has power from the ignition switch which is 12 voltsand goes to the coil with 6 volts. Already tried to power the resistor directly to the battery positive and still no effect. I also took off the distributor and measured the breaker points. They give a nice break/contact every time the points open and close. Every things looks good and as it should be, but still no good spark. Also jumped the battery just to be sure. A friend told me it could be the voltage regulator is he right? HELP PLEASE!

Thanks RBS and rick. Will be checking Monday. Tomorrow our first club meeting in Belgium. Verzonden vanaf mijn iPad met behulp van Tapatalk

Hello everyone. I have a 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 with a 223 line 6 auto. trans. I have replaced almost everything on the car and it was running fine. Ignition is all new and now failing. There is just a very weak or no spark there anymore. Until now we have tried to, reset the breaker points, replace spark plugs, balance resistor, condenser, coil, wires, ground lead from distributor, rotor, dist. cap. We also jumped the positive wire from ignition switch to positive side from coil by wiring it directly from the battery to the coil. Still no good spark! Can an anyone give us some tips what to check next?

I will do the tests as told above and then do a complete carb rebuilt. Will post my tests here tomorrow.

The car and engine we are talking about is a '59 Ford Fairlane 500 with a 223 L6 all stock. The engine had not run in about 30 years. I have done a complete gasket set including a head gasket and valve stem seals. All new ignition, fuel pump, filters and oil, coolant (and flush the system) and some other stuff. After all work done it was using oil. After another topic we think it the oil scraper rings are stuck and there for I am trying to free up the rings. I think all Seafoam has leaked down the rings before we started again. I have been trying to start today, but it would not start. Only when I give it full throttle it will idle a bit. The spark plugs we put in should be specially made for Ford by Champion and our other '59 Ford with the same engine is running fine on it! Before the Seafoam and missfires it ran really good!

Can it also be that the carb is broken because I had some backfires? I had some back and after fires because of the ignition problem I had. Any help is welcome!

I had some problems with my piston rings witch where stuck and because of that my engine was using oil. It ran pretty strong and work fine besides the oil use. I had the advice to use Seafoam, so I took out the spark plugs and put some Seafoam on the pistons. Re-installed the plugs and left it for about 45 min. After firing up nothing really strange to here or see. But after a couple of minutes it started to explode out of the tailpipe. Found a small problem in the ignition and after that repaired it did not explode no more but still not run good. The problem is on idle as well on higher rpm's. Can this have to do something with the Seafoam? Also added some to my engine oil and changed spark plugs but no result.

Have been working on the Ford tonight. I took out the plugs, did som seafoam on the pistons and leave it for about 30 - 45 min. Also added some to the engine oil and gas tank. It was running real smooth untill I added the seafoam. Now it is really running rough on idle and sometimes even dies. Can did be caused by the seafoam?? That should dissapear after a couple of minutes right? we had it running for almost 30 min. Hope someone can help out on this!

The piston surface was indeed a rough pitted surface but the head on the block (where the gasket lays) was nice and smooth. I have a pic from the head where it was off the car. I cleaned out the carbon on the head and pistons. The inside from the head (next to the valves) was also pitted.

Thanks hchris, Will be putting in some oil treatment and try to loosen up those rings. After I get my license for the car I'm gonna drive it and will post if it gets better. Thanks to all!

Do you guys think that Seafoam will work to loosen those rings? I love over in Europe and can not buy the brands that where mentioned in this tread. I got some Seafoam from a friend of mine. Thanks. And all other ideas are still welcome!!!

Hi texasjohn, My engine does have a road draft tube to vent the crankcase gasses. When the engine is already warm and is just started the gasses come directly from the crankcase the the top of the engine. Cylinders looked very good, not worn or damaged. Have some photos from it will be posting them directly. The 15w-40 should be a gas oil as far as the can reeds. The photo is from the broken head bolt and all cylinders looked the same as this one. As far as we know, the engine came out a good driving car, but thats about 15 years ago when we bought the car. The car was sitting far 15 by the previous owner, so i am not to sure how good it was.

Yep that's right! Will be trying that in the coming week and be doing a leek down test as well as a wet compression test just to be sure. Anyone has some other ideas!? Please let me know. For now thanks to all of you!

Yes did take out the sludge out of the pan. The was quit a bit bit that nothing strange for an old engine right? Could it also be a broken ring? Head is been off twice now and last time a head bolt broke so don't want to take the head off again and risk another problem.

Thanks for the advise rusty. I will be getting the license for the car end of next week (car came from France). Hope the weather works with me for next weekend. But don't really think the gasses are compression gasses. The look blue and smell like real oil burning. As well as my oil level that keeps getting lower!

I did take out all plugs before testing. Did not do the wet test so will be doing that tomorrow. I used 15w-40 oil. Could that cause these problems?