Engine: Newbie with M5 6 Cylinder Question / Advice needed please

[bb48M5]

[BobGlasscock]

Can't help you at all. Welcome to the club and enjoy your ringside seat to the festivities next year.

[Tom Bredehoft]

The carbon deposits on your piston head are far better than many. Having said that, the water jackets of Studebaker engines are subject to buildup and you have seen, and will benefit from a through cleaning. This includes removing the soft plugs and cleaning out the gunk with mechanical means, garden rake, hoe, high pressure washer, whatever you can get in there.

Welcome to the world of caring about old cars, it's well worth the effort.

[56PHawk]

After getting as much of the gunk/rust out of the engine as you can you may think about do a good flushing to remove any residual "floaters". I saw a restoration program once that flushed the engine in both directions. Makes a certain amount of sense. Flush until everything runs clear. Just a thought.

Rog

[nvonada]

Obviously we can't tell everything from your pictures but nothing I see there looks bad. If it were me I would run it a while and see what I had. If the engine is shot you are out a set of gaskets and a weekend to pull the engine. If the engine is good you avoid the chance of an incompetent machinist screwiing it up and save a bunch of $$$.

By the way I did a "gasket rebuild" on my engine as well. Leaks a lot less and I feel better knowing nothing too horrible is going on in there.
http://stude.vonadatech.com/wp/engin...l-and-cleanup/

Nathan

[Flashback]

Welcome, to the nut house. You say your engine ran fine. How much did you run it? Neither of the pictures you show would scare me. Dosen't look that bad. If you have ran the engine enough to tell how bad it smokes, if it does. And, checked the oil pressure, then I would pull the freeze, expansion, core, or whatever plugs, flush the block with a pressure washer. This works good with engine upside down. Replace all the seals and gaskets and go for it. The further you go, the deeper it gets. Good luck.

[Jeff P]

welcome! I'm also in Colorado Springs and working on m5's and m15. Give me a call 491-0040.

[bb48M5]

Thanks to all

welcome! I'm also in Colorado Springs and working on m5's and m15. Give me a call 491-0040.

Thanks guys. Will try the flush with the pressure washer and press with plan for gaskets/seals only.

Nathan--already used your site a lot to get to this point and will use it extensivly for the gasket work. Great resource you have put together and I really appreaciate it.

Jeff--will give you a ring! Thanks for touching base.

R,
Brian