Geoff,
I don't know how you could have overheated the engine with it idling and
adding more coolant unless maybe your themostat stuck closed. Did you
inspect the oil for signs of coolant and vice versa? Are you sure this
isn't oil smoke?
You can tell if rings are oversize by the piston tops. The top will be
labeled with a number like .020 or .040, etc. to indicate bore oversize.
You'll need to clean the top of the pistons to see it though. I'm
personally not of the opinion that you can get away with new rings in an
old oil burning A-series engine though. The bores usually wear considerably
by the time you're burning oil and the clyinders will be either
out-of-round or tapered or both. Installing new rings without removing the
ridge at the top of the cylinder can cause the rings to break also.
Reversing the heater lines would not cause the problem.
Gerard
At 8:28 AM -0400 8/25/02, Geoff Branch wrote:
>Having just completed Paul A.'s 5 speed conversion, I filled the radiator with
>coolant and while idling the engine was adding more coolant when LOTS of white
>smoke started blowing out the exhaust. I am guessing I overheated and smoked
>the head gasket. I am hoping that I did not overheat and smoke the head. Now
>the questions:
>
>What head gasket to use? Are the copper ones any better?
>While the head is off, I'll take it to the shop. Should unleaded seats be put
>in ?
>The engine has always burned a fair amount of oil, so I'm thinking I'll
>replace the rings too. How does one tell if rings are oversized?
>
>And most important: What did I do wrong??? Would reversing the lines going
>to the heater have done this?
>
>Geoff Branch
>Nothing runs and it's summer.
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