Take heads off for rebuild

[Ian Arnold]

Compression test 15 years ago was good. Not a lot of miles since then. Summer car.

Last year had a oil pressure issue. Found an aluminum flake had stuck open oil pressure relief valve. (Low pressure at low revs). Fixed, but got noisy lifter. This year, pop off valve cover on passenger side and find broken lifter rod(in pic) and seized lifter. So no valve movement No. 4 cylinder. 

Question is....during compression test, add oil to cylinder and get 5-10 psi increase, meaning good pistons??

I have done timing chain and water pump, so formiliar with double oil ring pain in butt cooling connector. 

Any issues, ?? Trying to keep this project reasonable, instead of sending engine out.....

[Ian Arnold]

Screw it. I'm pulling the engine. Do it right or not at all. Argh. There goes that mexican vacation.

[Dennis P. DiBari]

Hi Ian,

     I think you are doing the right thing.  Don't want to take chances, as I read your last posts.  You want good compression in all eight cylinders and new push rods and lifters.  Good luck with this.

Dennis DiBari,  NY

[Jason Edge]

As they say "better safe than sorry". I rebuilt the bottom end (block) of my 64 Coupe de Ville in 2012 and it wasn't that bad.  The trickiest part for me was the oil rings. They are some finicky things.   I did end up with a defective (bit short) lifter but eventually figured it out. I took my time and documented as I went along and it fired right up as it should. I probably took 3 months and was in no hurry on that project when made it go well. 

[Ian Arnold]

Question. My front cover has heavy scoring inside oil pump. (Will create low oil pressure issue, I think.)

What are my options. Can't seem to find replacement cover.

Will a 1964 cover fit?

Can I get slightly bigger gears and bore it out?(I know a guy in a shop....)

FYI Engine is out and starting to strip it down , no noticeable issue yet. Still has good cross hatch in cylinders.

[Jason Edge]

1964 front engine cover will absolutely fit a 1963, but you need to used the 1964 gears which are slightly larger.  Because of the slightly larger gears some feel the 64 cover is a slight upgrade over the 1963 front cover, and many 1964 covers have been installed on 1963 engines over the years.

Just a couple of side notes:
- The 1963 &  1964 oil pressure specs are exactly the same. The oil pressure relief valve starts to open at 30 to 35 psi on both models. 

- Average idle PSI should be 10 psi for both years. 

- This tells me there is not much difference actually. Perhaps the engine might reach the 30-35 psi threshold a tad faster with 64 gears but probably not significantly faster. Perhaps fired up  the engine hits the average 10psi idle psi a tad faster, but if they were really that much more efficient I would expect the idle psi might be a bit higher for the 64 429 but as stated in the shop manual it is not.

- 2nd and this is twofold: Minor to even moderate scouring is usually not a big deal. Oil is thick and takes some significant scratching, to really affect oil pressure to the point it cannot keep you at about 10psi at idle or build up to the 30-35 psi before the oil pressure relief valve opens. Also If you remove your front cover and reinstall after a rebuild it should be basically the same as before. If it was good before, it should be good after.  

- 3rd, you can make 2 basic improvements without replacing the cover:
     -->Plane the oil pump cover pefectly smooth. The gears spinning millions of times over 60 years can sometimes wear a slight groove. Plane it down smooth a belt or other flat sander and you decrease that clearance area.
     --> Replaced the gears. While you will see some scouring on the front engine cover oil pump cavity walls, you will see minor scouring on the end of the oil pump gear teeth. Maybe like a phonograph record or rougher. The ends of the gears also wear down a tad. Replace the gears with a new gear set and that eliminated that space.   You will also gear a new oil pressure relief valve which can weaken over time allowing the oil pressure valve to open before it should have. Maybe  with a weak spring it is opening at 25-35 psi instead of the expected 30-35 psi.

. 

[Ian Arnold]

heavy scoring

[Ian Arnold]

suspect they jammed 1964 gears in it. wear on main gear shaft. sloppy and worn

[Jason Edge]

Yes that is very bad scoring. I have heard of having them resleeved but have no experience myself. At least at 64 429 cover is an option... just use the 429 gears.

[Ian Arnold]

Yep. Put me on list please

[Russ Austin]

Ian, The thread starts out as a 64 engine, but you are looking for a 63 front engine cover? I have some 63 front engine covers if needed. 

[Russ Austin]

Ian, I have a good 64 front engine cover for you. Please send me an email to [e-mail]