The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Started after 3 years - BUT !!!!!!!!!

Hello
I'm new to your forum, hope to learn alot and have some fun too.

I have a 1950 3100 original 216. I've had it about 6 years and just now am getting to the point of doing something with it. I would start it every couple of weeks the first three years I had it; let it run a little bit then shut her down. Never have had it on the road and licensed.
About three years ago, was the last time it ran, until yesterday.
I drained the gas tank, put fresh gas in it. Replaced the plugs. Squirted some oil in the cylinders, cranked it over a few times, with the coil wire off.
Then put the coil wire on, cranked over but wouldn't fire. Readjusted the points.
Cranked her over and she fired up. I let her run about 15 minutes. She was smoking out the exhaust quite a bit, and also, sounded like some one was tapping on the side cover of the engine. Thing is I don't remember seeing it smoke that bad or make much noise all the other times it had run (3 years previous).
My question is do you think the smoking and noise are caused because the truck sat so long without running and do you think with more running it will quiet down as the engine gets lubricated or do you think there is some major problem ?

Welcome. First take off the valve cover and start it. Make sure there is oil around the rockers. If not you have a clogged passage somewhere. This could maybe be fixed with running an external line. If the oiling is ok then adjust the valves and check for bent or broken push rods.

The smoking might just be from the oil you squirted into the cylinders. Or a stuck ring that might get better when run or soaked in oil.

Buckeye: I agree with Tony, also welcome. You squirted oil down into the cylinders that sits on top, spark fires has to burn oil off, takes awhile to get rid of it!! Also sounds like a tappet hammer. Take piece of garden hose stick it to your ear and to valve cover, listen for sound if its loud then start there. Saves time and gasket. popcorn The Truth is Out There

You could also have a stuck valves (stem). Check this out when you have the valve cover off as suggested by Tony M. WD-40 at the top of the valve guides might help (in my case, it took several spritzes over several days to loosen up a few valve stems on a working engine that had been resting for 4 years).

Tim

You can safely run the engine without a valve cover to check for noise and valve problems, it shouldn't spray too much oil around.

If it gives a smooth idle, it doesn't have a stuck valve or bent pushrod. If this is not the case, then I would be suspecting something like that. A stuck oil ring assembly is a possibilty on the cause of the smoke. There are a host of cures to try including synthetic oil.

Buckeye,, Welcome to the Stovebolt

You squirted oil in the cylinders I understand that but did you not expect it to smoke after that

Run it for a while and use a little ATF dribble it down the carb throat slowly. it may bog down a little and smoke a lot but the ATF will lube the upper valve stems close to the head of the valve.
you will need to rev the engine a little while dribbling the ATF in the carb. let it run 15 to 20 minutes longer to let the smoke clear out.

First off: Thanks for all the "Welcomes"

Second: Found the noise problem. Took the valve cover off last night (two bent push rods). Replaced the push rods, (runs much quieter).
Smoke has subsided, so evidently, it was from the oil that I squirted in the cylinders.

Yeah, Yeah, Mechainiac I did expect it to smoke a little after squirting oil in the cylinders, but I still expected to be able to see the neighbors house (which I didn't until last night) ha ha

I do apprecaite everyones help. I'm going to start a couple of new posts, with more questions I have. Hope it don't seem like I'm flooding the airways; Just trying to learn from you guys.
Thanks again