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Re: help non lbc- but car related

To: Dean Dashwood <ddashwoo@ect.enron.com>
Subject: Re: help non lbc- but car related
From: Joe Curry <spitlist@gte.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 06:59:47 -0700
Patrick,
This reminds me of a problem I had with my mother's Mercury Comet back
in the 60's.  Water in the oil.

I pulled the heads and checked the gaskets and they were fine.  While I
had them off, I took them to a machine shop to have them checked for
level.  They were fine but the machinist said he could tell me without
looking what the problem was.  And he did!

It seems that Ford in their infinite wisdom made the timing chain cover
out of pot metal.  This is the piece where the water pump mounts and
becomes the place where all that pressure is forced upon.  Guess what,
Erosion took place and washed a hole in the cover, pumping water
directly into the oil system.  It seems that was a common problem on the
260 V8.

That may not be the case here but it is certainly worth checking out.

Regards,
Joe

Dean Dashwood wrote:
> 
> Patrick,
> 
> I'm not familiar with this engine - but from your description, you've got 
>water
> in the oil pan *and* the cylinders - if the only cause was a crack, I'd say it
> would have to be a fairly big crack!  Strip that thing down and see what it
> looks like inside - it sounds like it needs to be stripped down anyway, so
> nothing to loose...
> 
> Dean
> --------------
> 
> Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 18:48:44 -0500
> From: "Patrick Bowen" <pabowen@mediaone.net>
> Subject: help non lbc- but car related
> 
> I am working on a GMC S-15 with a 4.3 liter v-6 for a friend and am having
> some trouble finding the exact problem.  The engine runs awful (104,000
> miles) makes clanging noises while starting up.  It wasn't starting for them
> but I have had no trouble.  The engine seams to be a basket case, I
> performed compression tests and the best I can figure the rings are going
> and the valves are leaking more oil than the Exxon Valdez.  The compression
> tests came up at 150, 145, 130, 150, 150, 120 with the two low compression
> pistons being on opposite corners of the engine so there is no relation.
> The sump is full of water and the radiator void of the same.  When pulling
> the plug on the piston that showed 120 it was rusted in there pretty good
> (in fact in broke on the way out) .  Obviously there is a water leak, It
> does not seam like it is a head gasket though, to me the compression tests
> would show a much more drastic change, would it not??  I am thinking that
> the problem is not with the head gasket but is instead a cracked head or
> block.  My question is would this make sense, I do not want to recommend
> scrapping an engine (in this case it would be the car) if all that is wrong
> is a head gasket.  Can anyone reassure me on this, does anyone have any
> particular experience with this engine.  By the way it is a 1988 truck.
> 
> Thanks alot
> Patrick Bowen

-- 
"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."
 -- Dave Weinbaum in National Enquirer

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