1964 - coolant in cylinder?

[rivolution]

Hi gang,

 

Thanks again for the help several of you offered on my thread from a few days ago (forums.aaca.org/topic/343198-gunk-on-rear-valves/)

 

 

 

I finally removed the right head this morning, and found that one chamber looks.. dodgy.  The valves, especially the exhaust, are more reddish than in the others and there appears to be traces of corrosion scattered about.  See pics below

My amateur guess is that the hardened seats installed by the rebuilder (rrrRRRrgghhGHGHHG 😡) ran too close to the water jacket, and are now leaking some coolant into the chamber.  (Tom T, I think you alluded to this as a possibility).   But I don't have a valve compressor to open the valve and inspect anything. 

Is there another explanation for this?  Or if it IS water getting past the seat, what can be done about it?  Is there some home-hack for opening valves without the tool?

 

 

thanks again for any help,

Jeff

[XframeFX]

I don't have an answer Jeff except for removing the valves for that or all cylinders and inspecting the casting around the seats.

When the engine ran, was there pressure when you turned the rad cap to the safety?

You might as well strip the heads and have it magna-flux inspected while it's off.

 

I'm watching your your progress closely because I had Cadillac 429 heads done at a machine shop and went for the recommended Exhaust Seats. I then thought I'd get the 401 heads done at the same time back in '91. The Nailhead has run seldom since.

I do recall a rattle when I ran the engine and thought the shop drove the old frost plugs into the casting and left them in the water jacket.

Why do shops apply a procedure regardless of engine types? If hardened seats are not possible, they should've called me. I was also unaware of the high nickel content in the castings back then.

John B.

[1965rivgs]

54 minutes ago, rivolution said:

Hi gang,

 

Thanks again for the help several of you offered on my thread from a few days ago (forums.aaca.org/topic/343198-gunk-on-rear-valves/)

 

 

 

I finally removed the right head this morning, and found that one chamber looks.. dodgy.  The valves, especially the exhaust, are more reddish than in the others and there appears to be traces of corrosion scattered about.  See pics below

My amateur guess is that the hardened seats installed by the rebuilder (rrrRRRrgghhGHGHHG 😡) ran too close to the water jacket, and are now leaking some coolant into the chamber.  (Tom T, I think you alluded to this as a possibility).   But I don't have a valve compressor to open the valve and inspect anything. 

Is there another explanation for this?  Or if it IS water getting past the seat, what can be done about it?  Is there some home-hack for opening valves without the tool?

 

 

thanks again for any help,

Jeff

  Were you losing coolant without any visible leaks? Was the cooling system over-pressurizing? Did you have white smoke from the exhaust after the engine came up to operating temperature? Were you using the engine regularly before you tore it down? The car was running OK until you noticed the carbon buildup on the back of the intakes? Or there were concerns?

  Just a general comment about the visual appearance of valves...generally, if the carb and timing are set up properly, the intakes are a little darker as compared to the exhausts...the lighter the color the hotter the valve is running. The incoming mixture helps cool the intake valve as compared to the exhaust, etc, etc...

Tom M

[rivolution]

thanks Tom,

there wasn't any noticeable white smoke, and no major coolant loss.  It has run fairly strong, but lately as I drove it,  it was getting smellier -- not really exhaust smell, more like burned-oil smell (like when you spill oil on your exhuast manifold), as well as some antifreeze odor. 

This is what led me to inspect it more closely, and I noticed a few spots where coolant was leaking (the rear freeze plug of the head and the water manifold collar) as well as oil leakage from the valve covers and, in at least one spot, down the block from the head gasket seam.

 

So I decided to take off the heads and seal up all of these leaky junctions, and it was only then that I noticed this one cylinder that appears to have corrosion not visible in the other three.

 

I guess I'll take it to the nearby engine shop and see what they can find out. ..

[telriv]

IF there is leakage from the hardened seats you will need a new head. I can't tell you how many heads have been replaced because of this.

Then that starts a new saga. HOPEFULLY not nec.

[60FlatTop]

I have the large C-clamp style, but use one of these if I want to check a head off the car by just sliding the valve open.

 

They are about $20 at most chain stores. Pretty handy.

[telriv]

You could also use a socket, usually 3/4's -7/8ths. deep socket, on top of the retainer & a hammer on top of the socket giving it a healthy wack which will usually dislodge/pop off the locks.