Engine: One thing leads to another

[Jerry Forrester]

Frosty has had a overheating problem since I started driving him last October. Not bad, the temp gauge would go the upper edge of the normal range and sometimes a little more. Running with the AC on would cause the gauge to go on up into the hot range.
I thought I would try a new water pump and thermostat.
One thing leads to another.
I have every thing between the front bumper and crank pulley removed.
The water manifold and the heads have been removed. Gawd, I hope I can get him back together before I work my way all the way to the back bumper.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Read it with a digital pyrometer....right at the thermostat housing.
Confirm it is really running hot.

[Flashback]

Are you serious? I'm gonna ask a question or two, did you check the water pump to water manifold clearance ? And did you remove the core plugs and clean, REALLY, the heads are off ? You being the teacher and me the student, don't take this wrong.

[Jerry Forrester]

Read it with a digital pyrometer....right at the thermostat housing.
Confirm it is really running hot.

Did, it was.

[Jerry Forrester]

Are you serious? I'm gonna ask a question or two, did you check the water pump to water manifold clearance ? And did you remove the core plugs and clean, REALLY, the heads are off ? You being the teacher and me the student, don't take this wrong.

Since I was under the hood I thought I may as well install new valve guide seals. He tended to smoke on start up.
Finished up the passenger side, buttoned it up and moved to the driver's side. Finished # 1 cylinder, moved on to #3. Had air pressure in the cylinder from a shop air hose. got the valve spring off and turned to get the seal from the table behind me. Bumped the air hose coupler with my elbow. Lost air pressure in the cylinder. Valve dropped all the way into the cylinder. Nothing to do but pull the head.
Pulled the head and found most all the water passages between the head and block almost blocked, a couple were completly blocked. I thought the passenger side probably looked the same way. Pulled that head and found all the passages open. But I did find one broken head bolt and 3 head bolts that were streched so much that it took only about 10 lbs. of torque to loosen them. The pass. head must have been off at some time cause of the streched and broken bolts I found, plus one of the bolts had a 5/8" head. Studebaker headbolts are 11/16".
I will check the clearance for the water pump upon reassemble.
I flushed, scraped and gouged out the water jackets and replaced the core plugs last October.
My back hurts from leaning over those fenders for two days.

Since I'm here, maybe I should go ahead and pull the engine so I can install new core plugs on the back of the block. Naw, I don't think so.

[warrlaw1]

Every little upgrade and it's like a new ride. Keep going, Jerry. BTW the rear bumper on my car was one of the last things I installed. It looks great, thank you very much.

[Jerry Forrester]

Got the broken head bolt out this morning. Dang, that thang was rusted in there tight. What a bitch! No damage to the block threads.
Here's what things looked like when I left it last night.

[Jerry Forrester]

Got Frosty put back together Friday.
Worked non-stop from 10am till 10pm.
Then I took a hundred mile test drive to check everything out.
Everything was okay with the exception of the fan rubbing the top of the fan shroud when I stand in it. I know the cause of this. I have new front motor mounts and worn out rear mounts. This is also the reason i had to adjust the shift linkage a couple of times. I will rectify that problem next week when I get the new mounts from Fairborn.
Went to a 500 car cruise in Saturday afternoon. That was another 100 mile test. Everything still AOK.

[R_David]

Where does the temperature gauge sit now? No creeping up even with the A/C on?

[Jerry Forrester]

Where does the temperature gauge sit now? No creeping up even with the A/C on?

Runs on the top end of the normal line. But doesn't go over to the hot mark. I can live with that.