Greetz All,
My goal is to restore stock performance to my L-46, 1969 Corvette, Coupe. 350HP/370TQ (was it?) and enough vacuum to operate wiper door, headlights and brakes.
Full disclosure... my 1969 Corvette has a turd of an engine. Not a four-bolt. Not numbers matching. 882 heads. It has a new, nondescript GM replacement cam. I think I can hear a bad lifter tick with an automotive stethoscope (which is odd considering the new cam and lifters are new). The valve guides seem a bit worn; at least IMHO based on a vacuum reading and the puffs of blue smoke at start up. I suppose it could be the oil seals…
On the plus side… it has a good idle, stays cool, good compression reading and good oil pressure.
In my pursuit of a head and cam swap feasibility study… I am considering dropping the pan for a closer look.
I do have an oil leak which I think is coming from the rear main seal. Not a huge leak... but just on the edge of annoying. I have a replacement seal and I am debating whether to install it or not.
Either way , this would be an opportunity to examine the bearings, crank and cylinders. I have dropped the pan in the past and found that the cylinders and pistons look ok... No skirt scouring. Crosshatch still in cylinders. It looked clean. For what it’s worth, I did notice that at least one connecting rod nut was a different color. That made me uncomfortable.
If I drop the pan again and the rear cap, I may be opening a can of worms. If I find that the bearings look awful that might bother me even more than living with the oil drip. I might also screw up replacing the oil seal and wind up having to pull the engine… which I certainly don’t want to do till the cruising season is over.
Thoughts ?
MTIADC3
My goal is to restore stock performance to my L-46, 1969 Corvette, Coupe. 350HP/370TQ (was it?) and enough vacuum to operate wiper door, headlights and brakes.
Full disclosure... my 1969 Corvette has a turd of an engine. Not a four-bolt. Not numbers matching. 882 heads. It has a new, nondescript GM replacement cam. I think I can hear a bad lifter tick with an automotive stethoscope (which is odd considering the new cam and lifters are new). The valve guides seem a bit worn; at least IMHO based on a vacuum reading and the puffs of blue smoke at start up. I suppose it could be the oil seals…
On the plus side… it has a good idle, stays cool, good compression reading and good oil pressure.
In my pursuit of a head and cam swap feasibility study… I am considering dropping the pan for a closer look.
I do have an oil leak which I think is coming from the rear main seal. Not a huge leak... but just on the edge of annoying. I have a replacement seal and I am debating whether to install it or not.
Either way , this would be an opportunity to examine the bearings, crank and cylinders. I have dropped the pan in the past and found that the cylinders and pistons look ok... No skirt scouring. Crosshatch still in cylinders. It looked clean. For what it’s worth, I did notice that at least one connecting rod nut was a different color. That made me uncomfortable.
If I drop the pan again and the rear cap, I may be opening a can of worms. If I find that the bearings look awful that might bother me even more than living with the oil drip. I might also screw up replacing the oil seal and wind up having to pull the engine… which I certainly don’t want to do till the cruising season is over.
Thoughts ?
MTIADC3