Bit of advice re. not checking B 4 winter arrives

[opelitis1]

Heard a story yesterday, re. not checking the temperature at which one's anti-freeze quits working.
Fellow had a high dollar 565 BBC with water in it from racing and did not bother to check the above..
He wasn't a happy camper, eh!
Take the time out and check or have it checked.  Guys with electric water pumps, run the pump for a bit and then get your known-good reading guage in there and adjust appropriately..  This happens I am sure more than people admit to..
T.   

[tom]

Dad did it yearts ago. fter I replaced his motor in June, told him drive for a week to make sure there were no leaks, then flush and add antifreeze. Got to replace the motor again before year end,

[68Zproject]

Had a 50 Buick I ran water in and forgot to drain it in winter.  Took a few years before it got cold enough to finally pop out the freeze plugs.  I guess they did what they were supposed to.

[JohnZ]

Had a 50 Buick I ran water in and forgot to drain it in winter.  Took a few years before it got cold enough to finally pop out the freeze plugs.  I guess they did what they were supposed to.

You were lucky. Although they're commonly called "freeze plugs", that's not what they're for; those openings are to provide an exit path for the core sand at the foundry when the mold is opened and hits the "shake-out" table to get rid of the mold and core sand.

[68Zproject]

You were lucky.

Yep.  I ddin't really care at the time as I traded an old dirt bike for it that I couldn't sell.  But I've kept it and it still runs today.

[opelitis1]

Gonna pull heads tomorrow on the engine.. Popped out the block plug on each side and water came out which is not what was supposed to be in engine.. Undid the pan bolt and the dreaded, water, prior to oil greeted me..   Undid the oil oil filter and nice oil was in there..  Now, here we go, how could water get into the oil pan w/o showing in the filter??  Carb was off engine, and valve spring pressurte was let off by backing off the rockers.. If engine was unwittingly sprayed with water having an open intake manifold, same question...  Engine had not run in a couple of years and had maybe 600 miles since rebuild and guy swears he took of valve spring pressure.  Looks like there is a rust line in the plenum of the cast iron intake of about 3/8ths to 1/2 inch on the driver's side i.e. cyls. 1 3 5 and 7..  When I pulled out the plugs and turned the engine over water came from 3 and 5..  Heads are coming off tomorrow a.m.  Any thoughts and could the engine be kabloohey??  Engine was '69 350 Chevelle unit 2bbl with 250 hp..
Dis ain't pretty, eh?? But keeping all me fingers a crossed!! 
T.

[opelitis1]

Well the next chapter..  Block is a '69 T0111 HD suffix coded unit.. Went in garage and for whtaever reason, nobody saying it was their fault, water got into a cast iron intake and somehow reached the pan even thouth the valve spring pressures were taken off..
Intake manifold ports rusted big time and also plenum had a rust line of 3/8 to 1/2 inch..
There was some water (rust) in the bores that is cleaning up.. Gonna take the slugs out on Thursd. and check rings and lands and see what is going on there.. Oil pump screen had a bit of rust on it.. Other than that I might have gotten lucky to some extent as I was a figuring cracked block etc..
Supposedly this is a suffix code for a '69 Camaro or Chevelle???   Came with 441 units 3916313 cast intake  and 2bbl Rochester 7029114..
Maybe this is a '69 Camaro engine 'cause of the HD suffix code???
T.

[JohnZ]

Maybe this is a '69 Camaro engine 'cause of the HD suffix code???
T.

"HD" was an L-65 (350/250hp) with a TH-350 in '69 Camaros.

[opelitis1]

Mebbee I am getting a change of luck with this unit.. Bert and I discussed the 2bbl carb that I have here..  There is a Canadian 2 bbl cast iron intake that was on this engine.
Number is 3916313 which apparently the stock car guys like..  Tomorrow the pistons come out to check the skirts and clean 'em up and also ring lands and ring side clearance. Also having a go at the ring end gaps to see where we stand..  Engine has 151 cam in it with #882 heads and unfortunately the slugs are dished a 4 valve reliefs adorn the rods..
Possibly changing the cam out to much earlier closing intake sequence or will advance cam 4 degrees and give me a lot better low end to make up for the lack of decent compression..  Will get back!!!
T.

[opelitis1]

Well here we go.. Driver's side pistons 1  and 7 on first look have rings pretty well jammed into the lands.  The other 2 meaning 3 and 5 have rings that can be pushed around the piston with not much effort.  Pistons 2 4 6 8 just have to be cleaned up.. Wrist pins on all are moveable like they should be.. Rod bearings look good except 1 which has a bit of a coppery hue a showing on the lower bearing.. The  other rod bearings look great..
Now here is the friggin' stickler, on a couple of bores, there is a blackening esp on the driver's side which has the problem.. Might take a pic or two if someone would'nt mind a helping on this possible problem.. Ring ridge was cut, looks like Bubba got in there and had a time of it..  Also pic(s) will show what I mean..  Pistons were new 4.030 dish with reliefs and after the decision is made on which way to go will be cleaned and re-ringed..
Thinking about going 040 and having to buy slugs if I can't find someone with a set locally.
How is this for luck?? Engine sat in garage under a leaky part of the roof and moisture was right dead centre with the cast iron plenum.. I made a note last year that I could not get to my yearly habit of spraying 4 times in the bores whilst rotating the pistons through their cycle.. Skirts look, great piston heads are no problem to clean, the only thing bothering me is the blackish marring in a couple of driver's side bores..  Will take pics next week and at the same time try'n figure out the amount of "cone" I have in the various bores before I go and get her up to 4.040..
Block is a '69 010 unit and I woulda been real disappointed if it cracked.  Hate to say it gennemen, but, it looks like it was yours truly not taking the time to spray in the cylinders on the driver's side and at least cover the unit with a tarp or some sort of cover.. If'n I could kick me own butt, you'd hear the smack down South..
Merci for reading along with me on this egg-sucking lazyiness..
T.

[opelitis1]

Been a bit cool up here and in an un-heated garage - frigging cold esp. on the tootsies, eh..
Well pistons are at home now and giving them a good cleaning and inspection.. On every piston just below the first comp. ring, there is a diagonal slash cut in the metal maybe  2-3 inches long.  Pistons 1 and 6 have the top 2 compression rings stuck in ring lands.. Trying PB Blaster to get through but easy does it I guess.  Bearings are 020 Clevite 77 units that have a bit of copper showing on 2 on lower rod bearing shells.. Could smell "burn" on two of the lower body shells.. Marks in the cylinders have to be a mixture of engine oil, spray can mixture when storing engines and, the water that dripped into the intake down the runners and past the open intake valves esp. 1 and 6 and then into the cylinders making its way down around the rings until coming to  rest in the pan..  Discoloration on the cylinder walls and the pistons correllate..  Not great luck I guess, but my stupidity for not throwing a tarp or large bag over the engine or someone needed the tarp.
 
Will see how many pistons I can save, at least 6, or them all and get a new set of rings and rod bearings so far.  Maybe mains also ..  Looks like the ring facings are  starting to separate from the ring body..  Will offer up some pics of the damaged parts..
Engine is '69 Camaro with 151 cam and early '72 333882 76cc chamber heads - I know I know the compression has to be low 8.1 or 8.2 to 1  with having 4 valve relief dished slugs..
On the rebuild, I will get compression up to mid 8s or low 9s with different heads, would prefer not to change pistons as they are new - maybe 600 miles on 'em..
Take care gennemen, and if you would be good enough to add your 2 pennies, any advice will be well thought out and appreciated..
Oh yeah, Have a Great Christmas and a verrry healthy New Year!!
T.

[dkelly]

Heard a story yesterday, re. not checking the temperature at which one's anti-freeze quits working.
Fellow had a high dollar 565 BBC with water in it from racing and did not bother to check the above..
He wasn't a happy camper, eh!
Take the time out and check or have it checked.  Guys with electric water pumps, run the pump for a bit and then get your known-good reading guage in there and adjust appropriately..  This happens I am sure more than people admit to..
T.   

[KurtS]

I'd just toss in some flat pistons, new rings, new bearing and call the short block done. Jegs sells those part for cheap.
New heads could wake up that engine, esp with the CR bump. Higher CR = more efficiency and power.

[opelitis1]

Yup, I agree Kurt.. First I think it safe that the block be pressure checked as there was "milk" in the oil.  If that checks out, then I'll start a digging around for some flattop pistons as the compression with the dish 4 valve relief units and the 76cc heads must've been 8 or 8.2:1 and whatwith the 151 cam, not too smart, eh??
T.