Larry W

I agree with not re-using lock washers, but I'd be anul-retentive enough to use the drill press trick to remove the markings. If my car is being judged, I need every advantage I can get. I had heard of fasteners being re-plated with Cadmium, but I would inquire to several quality platers as to what you desire, and evaluate their opinions.

Now that you have the front cover off, I would check to see if you have adequate lubrication coming to the front of the engine, by removing the distributor and rotating the oil pump drive shaft in the proper direction. But before you do that, I would look more closely at the front cover. Is one of the water pump bolts too long or in the wrong location that it's rubbing on the timing chain or gear? How about the bolts that fasten the front motor mount support plate to the front cover, is one of those too long and rubbing? What about the timing pointer pin? Did it get bent and now rubs on the harmonic balancer? Last but not least, is the oil slinger installed correctly? Scrutinize very closely anything that isn't perfect and let us know what you find.

An old trick to use if your annoyed about people inquiring if a vehicle is for sale when it isn't, is to place a "For Sale" in it with a rediculously high firm price. This usually ends any discussion before it starts. Or, I don't know if the vehicle has legal tags on it, but perhaps there's a local ordinance that prohibits an unmoved vehicle from sitting around, unless it's for sale. Lastly, and most likely, the guy is just an a---ole who gets his kicks out of b--chin' at people who ask about his car.

Count me in!

I hope they didn't use the Cadilac 4100's!

1965 Chevy Impala four door hardtop, Artesian Turquoise, with a 325 hp 396cid, and Powerglide transmission in August of 1969.

I recall seeing a '69 or '70 Oldsmobile Eighty eight, two door hardtop on the south side of Milwaukee (Mitchell Street), sometime in the seventies or early eighties. I had to look inside to verify that it was a stick shift and saw three pedals, and that it had been converted to a floor shift with the original shift lever removed from the column. I assume the linkage had worn out and this was the only practical fix. The car appeared to be bone stock, right down to the hubcaps and was supposedly owned by some old guy.

You could always try to find someone who has a six volt battery and try to borrow it.

If you can replace the bearings without damaging them, I'd reuse them. Why not?

If you haven't ever done anything with cars before, I suggest leaving your project to a professional. It's defiantly not as easy as it looks like on television. I've seen way too many people, with the same intention as yours, take a car apart and then look around and see the mess they've created and realize that they are way in over their head with expenses and work to be done, and just give up and try to sell of the car in parts to try to recoup their losses, which never happens, and end up destroying a car, and loosing a lot of money. At least read some books on the subject before going any further. I can't remember the title, but one by Matt Joseph comes to mind, and there are many others.

Reading your thread rang a bell with me, as I recall several years back I spotted a '53 Buick for sale and when I inquired about it with my usual "What's all wrong with it?", the seller replied that the only major thing was that it had no reverse. I past on it as I already have too many irons in the fire, but now I suspect that this must have been somewhat of a common condition with these cars, and I'm as curious as you to discover the cause. Good Luck!

This is no help, but reading your thread reminded me of a movie I watched not too long ago called "World's Fastest Indian", where the guy in the movie actually cast a replacement piston that he needed. Hopefully, you won't have to go to that extreme, but wouldn't it be cool to have the ability to do so? if you haven't seen it, perhaps you can rent it and watch it while waiting for parts to fix your Franklin! Good Luck.

Yeah, I think it's 1/6 th of a yardstick.

Just a thought, but I wonder if a worn part in the front suspension on either side might be causing your condition. Perhaps a control arm bushing could be worn, and when you apply the brakes, it shifts position enough to cause it to pull to one side. Upon acceleration, it shifts back into proper position and you go straight. This may be accompanied by a slight click or snapping sound. It might be worth a thorough investigation.

Welcome Dan, You've definitely come to the right spot! First of all, thank "Her" and give her a great big kiss for suggesting the you pursue this endeavor. I'm also sixty and can't wait 'til I can retire as I'm already spread pretty thin as far as projects go. I'm sure you'll find a wealth of information here from like minded individuals, as well as other sources, such as fire apparatus museums like the excellent one we have here in nearby Ypsilanti MI. Good Luck and Best Wishes! Larry W

. That's only covering one odor with another stronger one.

LOL,LOL,LOL!

I have the same job staring at me with my '57 DeSoto. The engine is complete, but locked up tight. Every chemical you can think of has been poured down the carb throat and left to soak for years. I figure one of three scenarios has occurred. Either the coolant leaked out, and the engine ran hot to the point of welding a piston to the cylinder wall, or the oil level became depleted to the point that either a rod or crank bearing seized to the crankshaft, or a head gasket let go, and leaked coolant into a cylinder and seized. The way I plan to tackle the problem is to unbolt the motor mounts and raise the engine as high as I can (without wrecking anything) to facilitate removal of the oil pan. Then I'll remove one rod cap and examine the bearing surface to see if it's scored. If it looks okay, I'll lightly tap on the connecting rod to see if it moves. This will tell me if the piston is free to move within the cylinder. If it moves, I'll put a little assembly grease on the bearing cap, and reinstall it, and move on to the next one until I've done all eight. Once that's done, I'll do the same to the main bearing caps. Between each bearing cap removal, I'll lightly pry on the ring gear to see if the crank turns in either direction. After all that, I should have a pretty good idea as to why the engine won't turn, and then devise an appropriate plan of further action. Good Luck to both of us!

Although I agree that the person who assembled the engine is responsible for the repair, putting myself in your shoes, I wouldn't feel comfortable turning my engine back over to someone who now probably has a chip on his shoulder. If I didn't have the expertise to resolve the problem myself, I'd find someone who does, and after the problem is gone I would pursue damages, in the form of labor paid thus far and additional expenses incurred, in small claims court. Good luck! Looking forward to watching you on Court TV!

That's exactly what I was thinking. I can't remember now, but I think that oil slinger only installs one correct way. Defiantly worth checking into. Consult your shop manual, and let us know what you find. PS, a good machinist doesn't necessarily qualify as a good mechanic!

My second car was a '65 Mustang coupe with a 289 CID and 2bbl carb. The air filter housing and valve covers were painted gold, and the block and heads were black.

We love to look at photographs!

Yeah, and it would be woth so much more $$$ when he's done.

Great plan! If the Ford engine makes the car drivable, use it until the Hupmobile engine is ready to go. Then, make the swap and sell the running Ford engine to a Ford guy. Good Luck, Best Wishes. Larry W

. Is this the car that actress Jane Mansfield was killed in? As I recall, it was a mid sixties Buick 225.