Three quarts a week!

Bucky · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Spokane, WA

I've been driving one of my newly a aquired Things for the past two months. When I bought it, it had been sitting for 19 years. O.K., maybe moved a time or two, but not started or driven. I had to do several things to make it go, brakes, all the cylinders, several different bearings, shocks, steering dampener, steering box, repadded og seats, anyways the list goes on. The amazing thing is the engine. I changed the oil, did a good tune up, but not much else. I put 3000+ on the old engine and burned alot of oil. wasn't that bad at first, maybe a quart a week. It got progessively worse. This past week I went through 3 quarts. On friday while driving up a hill I noticed a subtle change in the feel and sound of the engine. so I pulled the engine that night. That sucker fits tight, ain't nothing like pull an engine from a Kombi, more like Trying to stuff a cat in a toilet. I did get it out and pulled the heads and jugs today. #4 was a mess. The oil ring was broken apart. The 2nd compression ring had broke in a couple spots, but was still all in the grove. Both the wriste pin clips were MIA. Things did not look good. I don't think it was a good Idea, but I did it anyway. I pulled out a pair of used heads and a used set of cylinders and pistons I had form a engine I'm in middle of rebuilding. They have just over 10,000 miles on them, so in good shape. I'm going to replace them with new ones anyway. My thought was even if the lower end can last just a few weeks until I get the rebuild done, it would be worth it. I honded the cylinder and cleaned the pistons up a bit with emrey cloth. while the engine was apart I cleaned everything up a bit, not too much, It probably won't last that long so a little dirt shouldn't matter. I still managed to get some of the grim of the case and tin and the important parts. It took all day, so I haven't got a chance to get it back in a car yet. I was thinking of putting it in the van do to the cooler weather and rain (not so great in the Thing).

Well Let me hear what you think about the operation. Do you think I have a chance at it running? For how long? What about it pushing the bus around, the Thing is smaller?

Thanks for your time.
Alot to talk about and little to say.

Bucky · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Spokane, WA

I put the engine in the van today. It seems to run fine. No strange noises and no more smoke. It feels like it has alittle more power. It also feels like the pressure plate isn't hitting the throwout bearing just right. I guess I'll pull it again tomorrow morning and check it out. Its so easy to pull out of a van (pre 67 anyway). So now I can begin to do a few things to the thing. I'll cover it all in a forum.

Troy Hobbs · Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Posts: 766

should run fine bus or thing , many used part engines have lasted a long time , I would pull the engine and make sure the preasure plate is the same style as the throw out bearing ! , your thing should have a collar type throwout bearing which uses a preasure plate without a center ring , the bus should have the old style throwout bearing that needs a preasure plate with a center ring , doesn't matter if they are a three arm type or a diaphram ,you can't mix the two , that part interchanges and can be ringed or without . TROY

Bucky · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Spokane, WA

What the hell was I thinking not checking the throwouts and pressure plates. I did drive it today and it run fine other than the clutch not feeling just right when depressed. I hope I haven't damaged anything. I'll pull the engine and change the pressure plate. Thanks troy.

Troy Hobbs · Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Posts: 766

No problem , it seems a lot of people over look that . TROY

Bucky · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Spokane, WA

Sure enough, of course it was the wrong pressure plate. Duh, there's a difference between a 67 swing axle(van) and a 74 IRS(Thing). Feels great now, runs and drives great. R and R'ing the engine in a pre 67 van is so easy and fast. The whole thing took me 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Troy Hobbs · Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Posts: 766

Glad that was the problem , and you were able to fix it quickly ! TROY

Bucky · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Spokane, WA

See you at the meeting tonight Troy, and anyone else who's going and reading this.

Bucky · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Spokane, WA

Well I've been driving the van. I've put 260 miles on it and all seems well. I was going to pull the engine this weekend and retorque the heads and try to fix the two pushrod tubes that developed leaks. Anything else I should do, or check? Should I wait and put a few more miles on it before I retorque?

Bucky · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Spokane, WA

I've got about 400 miles on the frankinengine. I gave the leaking pushrod tubes a little twist last week. It fixed one, but not the other. My question is, do I need to remove the head and redo that side to fix that leak, the right way? thanks for any help. At this point pulling the engine has become weekly maintenance.

Troy Hobbs · Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Posts: 766

unless you use a spring loaded or threaded tube , you will have to pull the head to change the stock tube . TROY

Bucky · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Spokane, WA

I've tried the threaded tubes in the past and I seem to remember they leak as well?

Bucky · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Spokane, WA

I took it out once again. Stripped it down, pulled the head. I cleaned the push rod tube seals. I got out some spare tubes that looked in better shape and used those. put it all back together. Now, my point is It didn't really look like it was leaking from the tube seals. The oil cooler seals weren't leaking. There was a good amount of oil on top of the head around the spark plugs and intake. I'm worried that maybe I have a cracked head. But how can a crack head leak oil. I did check the head for cracks and couldn't find any. Any way, I took it for a test drive. It ran great. I drove it around for about 15-20 minutes, when I got home I didn't see any major oil leaks, but I guess I'll know more after I put a longer drive under its belt.

Bucky · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Spokane, WA

Oh by the way, I'm sorry mark I meant to ask if you might want to come check out the procedure and totally spaced it. I'll let you know about the engine assembly for sure.

Bucky · Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 62 Location: Spokane, WA

I drove the van more last night. I checked for oil this morning and It leaks the same as before. It seems to be coming from around #3. The spark plug gets oil on it and it drips down onto the push rod tubes and then the heat exchanger. I guess it [url]wouldn't[/url] be coming from the seat between the head and cylinder. The only thing I can think it might be is a cracked head, or blow by on #3 and it's pushing the pressure past the spark plug threads. Oh I also changed out the valve cover and new gasket, just to rule that out. Any Ideas what this might be.