HOWE-TO
On Oil, Gas, and Finding Used Parts
Drinking to Excess
Q: I have a 1964 Plymouth Valiant with a
273-cubic-inch V- 8. I had the V- 8 rebuilt by
a shop that has been in town for 30 years
and is known as the best. The 273’s block
was cracked, so they used a 1986 Dodge
truck 318 bare block, although everything
else was taken
from the 1964
273.
The engine
has 10,000
miles on it now.
It uses oil, but it
doesn’t smoke
and the plugs
burn light
gray like they
should. Around
town, I can get
400 miles out
HOWE-TO of a quart of
oil, but on the
Jim Howe highway, tow-
ing my small
boat, it uses
one quart ev-
jimhowe@hemmings.com
ery 250 miles.
This engine has
a well in the
head around the intake exhaust crossover
that fills with oil, and when I clean it out,
it refills. The engine doesn’t leak, and the
carburetor isn’t set too rich; the engine has
no blow-by, although a little white smoke
comes out when I unhook the PCV.
John Wenhold
Via the Internet
Jim is ready to help solve your
mechanical problems. Just send
your questions to
A: That is a significant amount of oil
usage, that’s for sure. You didn’t mention
if this correlation has existed from the
beginning of the rebuild, but I’ll assume
it has.
The oil showing up on the intake is a
bit strange, but I am wondering if there
is not some issue with the crankcase
breathing system on your engine that
might cause this. You may possibly have
too much blow-by, which is overpowering that system; poorly seated rings are
a real possibility here.
Also, the intake valve seals may be
missing or improperly established—it
wouldn’t be the first time, and any of us
can and do goof up occasionally!
80 HEMMINGS MOTOR NEWS • JUNE 2009
But I do lean towards poorly seated
rings in this case, as it would cause excessive oil consumption, especially under a
load like hauling a trailer. This may not
be showing up on your plugs, because on
new engines or rebuilds we tend to clean,
if not change, plugs more frequently, and
traveling will help burn off deposits anyway. The blow-by won’t show up much
at idle either. Try having someone open
the throttle wide momentarily when the
engine is good and hot while you watch
the uncapped oil filler. You’ll most likely
notice a significant increase in blow-by
exiting the engine.
Crafty Carburetion
Q: I am writing regarding a Ford 292-
cubic-inch V- 8 that is an aftermarket installation in my 1955 Chris Craft runabout. The
engine’s fuel pump has its bowl mounted
above the pump so the whole assembly appears to be mounted upside down
on the block, compared to the “normal”
mounting with the bowl below the pump.
In searching parts lists, I find that there are
a few pumps that do mount in this inverted
manner.
When the boat sits unused for three or
four days, the sediment bowl becomes
empty, and I have to prime the engine two
or three times through the carb to get the
bowl to fill and the engine to run.
Because of the inverted bowl position,
I thought the fuel might be running back
down the supply line. I installed a check
valve, but there was no change in the condition.
I’ve checked my oil to see if fuel was leak-
ing from the pump into the engine, but
there was no trace or smell of gas in the oil.
Where should I look next?
Jim Edgar
Via the Internet
A: The hard starting is probably caused
more by the lack of gas in the carburetor
than in the fuel pump bowl. I think this
style of pump is more prone to appear to
have no gas in it because air is trapped in
the glass bowl, which is the high point of
the fuel pump. I suspect that the gas may
be evaporating from the carburetor due
to the high heat conditions of the hard-working 292. Engines work much harder
in boats and planes than they do in auto-
mobiles.
You might try an auxiliary electric fuel
pump. This would allow you to see if the
system does in fact leak under pressure,
and you should also be able to locate a
possible leak more easily. You may discover that you have an internal leak in
the carb.
Track Down a Tranny
Q: Last year I bought a two-wheel-drive
1995 Geo Tracker with a five-speed manual
transmission. The truck now has 136,000
miles on it, and the transmission is very
noisy, with the synchros on their last legs;
the previous owners must not have been
very kind to it. The dealer wants $3, 200 for
a new transmission, which is more than the
truck is worth. Any idea where I can get a
rebuilt transmission for less money?
Jon Hendren
San Luis Obispo, California
A: I have found a source for used parts
that has worked extremely well for me,
Jon: www.car-part.com is a very easy to
use and fast-downloading site for used
and some new parts from around the
country. I like that you can pick your
price, and the range will amaze you. You
can pick your location, as I prefer the
clean, rust-free parts from the dry areas
of the country. Used body parts and
mechanical parts also are much easier to
work with, and used rust-free body parts
are frequently cheaper and fit better than
reproduction stuff.
Another plus of this website is that
these guys are used to shipping their
parts; in fact, most of the stuff they
advertise will be shipped somewhere.
I had the front clip from a New Beetle
shipped halfway across the country, and
I was still way ahead, despite the shipping cost.
These guys seem to be accurate in their
description of the part’s condition, too.
They don’t want to ship something and
have a hassle from the credit company
if you don’t like your parts. Most sellers
seem willing to e-mail photos too, if you
wish. Having said all this, I’m sure there
are exceptions, but give the site a look,
and I think you’ll be surprised.
