[DeTomaso] Asa Jay's 1985 built 351C Forensics
bill gaino
gaino at earthlink.net
Sat Nov 27 11:05:46 EST 2010
JT wrote Whether, antifreeze would leave that type of residue is beyond my
experience. I would simply be surprised to learn that you could burn that
much oil and have a plug that color. I've never achieved that color plug
while burning oil even when switched over to my 7AL.
Actually, antifreeze or even water in the combustion chamber will clean it like a new metal. Bill 1362
-----Original Message-----
>From: John Taphorn <jtaphorn at kingwoodcable.com>
>Sent: Nov 27, 2010 9:30 AM
>To: Asa Jay Laughton <asajay at asajay.com>, detomaso at realbig.com
>Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Asa Jay's 1985 built 351C Forensics
>
>I initially thought that you must have had a significant oil leak into the
>cylinder. However, I am less confident of that due to the color of the
>plug. The color of the plug is light tan and I would fully expect it to be
>black; even with a CD ignition.
>
>Looking at the gasket between cyls 1 & 2, in the section below where the
>sealing rings come together, is a sign of the gasket erosion. I suspect
>that you may have been leaking antifreeze into the cylinder. Further
>evidence is the rust pitting in the combustion chamber.
>
>Whether, antifreeze would leave that type of residue is beyond my
>experience. I would simply be surprised to learn that you could burn that
>much oil and have a plug that color. I've never achieved that color plug
>while burning oil even when switched over to my 7AL.
>
>JT
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Asa Jay Laughton" <asajay at asajay.com>
>To: <detomaso at realbig.com>
>Sent: Friday, November 26, 2010 11:47 PM
>Subject: [DeTomaso] Asa Jay's 1985 built 351C Forensics
>
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> For those who may not remember, I've had a 351C sitting in my garage for
>> some time now waiting on a forensic analysis. Well, that day started
>> late this afternoon. First a little background.
>>
>> I built this engine while going through Automotive Technologies at
>> Spokane Community College back in 1985. The engine was an original 1973
>> 2V in a Ford Mustang Fastback (similar to the Mach I style but -not- a
>> Mach I). It was a pretty stock rebuild, balanced and sort of
>> blueprinted. It was bored .030 over, used a .010 under crank, a stock
>> spec cam, lifters, pushrods, etc. The heads were reconditioned by the
>> students in the Automotive Machine Shop. I used dished pistons (like
>> those in it to start with), had it all balanced and put it together.
>>
>> It ran great.
>>
>> Within the year I transferred that engine to my present 1971 Mach I
>> Mustang which had just completed bodywork and paint. It was such a
>> pleasure to drive.
>>
>> A few years later, I came into a set of 4V open chamber heads. At the
>> time, I couldn't remember if the pistons were dished or flat top, but I
>> talked myself into thinking they were flat top. I picked up a Ford
>> Motorsport flat tappet camshaft, new lifters, a set of bolt-down roller
>> rockers and found a cast iron 4V intake. I also found a Holley 4V carb
>> from someone.
>>
>> I had the heads done at a local Cylinder Head machine shop and got
>> started on a parts swap. I put the new cam, lifters, pushrods rockers,
>> heads, intake and carb on. I was a bit disappointed by the fact I found
>> dished pistons, but oh well, there I was, broke and needed to get the
>> engine back together by Monday so I could drive to work.
>>
>> It ran sort of great. Sort of, since I could never quite get it to idle
>> very well and it had terrible off-idle (crossover) performance. Once at
>> full throttle it ran like a raped ape but getting it there was a bit
>> tricky. I fooled around with it a bit, ended up swapping the Holley for
>> a Carter AFB and things got a bit better.
>>
>> Eventually, I knew something was wrong and I found a couple of bent
>> pushrods on one side. Turns out I wiped two lobes off the cam and had
>> dished one lifter so bad it had a hole in the middle. In went a new cam
>> and lifters, new pushrods and I tried once again to get all the
>> bolt-down rockers "just right." Have I mentioned I hate bolt-down
>> rockers?
>>
>> It ran good, for a few more years. Eventually I drove it less and less
>> until one day I lost oil pressure. So I stopped, conveniently right at
>> a gas station. I picked up a couple quarts of oil, put them in and
>> drove home with oil pressure again. The trouble was even before that,
>> it had started to pick up a bit of a knock at certain RPMs. It wasn't a
>> real bad knock, it was more of a rattle.
>>
>> It idled fine without noise, but give it just a bit of throttle out of
>> gear and it would start to rattle. A bit more rpm and it would go away
>> again. It just plain didn't sound good, so I stopped driving it and
>> started collecting parts for the rebuild of 2001. That rebuild is
>> documented here:
>> http://www.asajay.com/351rebuild/351rebuild.htm
>> and here:
>> http://www.351c.info/gallery2/v/asajay/351C_Build_2001/
>>
>> In 2001 I finished putting the shiny new engine into the Mach I. It ran
>> great. I drove it on September 11th to my friends funeral, in uniform.
>> I felt like I had resurrected a dream, yet, I still didn't drive it much
>> and then in early 2002 when I got deployed, it sat for for nearly a year
>> before being driven again. The old engine, well, it sat on an engine
>> stand just waiting for something.
>>
>> Today I began the forensics on that old engine. I didn't find any
>> severely bent pushrods or toasted lifters. granted I've not given all
>> the parts a close inspection yet. However, I found something -very-
>> interesting when I took the heads off:
>> http://www.351c.info/gallery2/v/asajay/1985buildforensic/
>> A crapload of carbon build-up on cylinder number 2. I mean a crapload.
>>
>> That's as far as I got tonight. I'll work on getting the pistons and
>> rods out later, then taking a micrometer to everything and reporting on
>> my findings.
>>
>> What do you think?
>>
>> Asa Jay
>>
>> Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
>> & Shelley Marie
>> Spokane, WA
>> ******************************
>> http://www.racingagainstautism.com
>> http://www.teampanteraracing.com
>>
>>
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