Hi where do i start. I live in the UK and i have bought my first classic American car a 1960 Ford Thunderbird 352ci around 5 weeks ago. The car has been neglected over the last few years and so requires some serious restoration. I have made a start on the engine and engine bay hopeing to have it on the road for the summer. The first thing i started was an engine service where the sump plug would not tighten up when the oil was drained so i ended up removing the sump and re tapping a larger thread hole to take a new plug and washer. I have also done lots of other work which i will go into later or ill be here for a week. The main thing that has happened is that i changed the distributer for a new HEI distibutor from the states thats where my problems started. The new distributor ended up having a nicked wire inside caught during the manufacturing process so i could not get a spark an auto electrition took a look to find it when we removed the whole thing for investigation the shaft came out with it from the oil pump. We enetually got it sorted and back in place sorted the timing out ect took it for a run but it was not right it seemd to me missing and loosing power, anyway i took it for around a mile took it back home to see iff the timing had moved when tightening the bolt or something it had moved slighhtley but not much redone it checked the gaps on the new plugs then took it out again still not right so i went home when it started making what i can oly descibe as a high pitched screeming noise like fan belt sqeeling or somewthing witha small amount of smoke or steam coming out from under the bonnet. Thes creeming got worse when i pulled up on the drive so a couple of friends came around who are into hot rods and know what they are on about but even these guys are not 100% sure they seem to think it is a broken oil pump or no pressure causing a failure of the bottom end by the way i know very little about cars and engines i can do the basics but am learing all of the time. The oil pressure light was broken when doing the engine bay i fitted a new oil pressure sender on the top of the filter with a new cable ready to wire in at the weekend with some brand new smiths classic gauges that is another story. So i am left with this the guys seem to think the engine has been running dry they have told me to take the sump pan back off and remove the first two bottom crankshaft shells which i have done the shells internal face is a slight copper colour which i am told shows they are broken? the thing is when i took them off they were coated in oil. There was evidence of metal in the newly drained oil but very little. i dont want to start stripping the engine if it is not required. The chaps think i need a new bottom end and an oil pump not entirley sure what that means but they will help me. Low oil pressure? broken oil pump, squeeling? by the way we removed all belts and it was none of these still sqeeling when turning the engine over, broken bottom end? non of the above?
Can anyone advise please any advice or help will be greatley appreciated. Ive got loads more to go into and share when i get the time
Thanks
Barry Wilkinson, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Can anyone advise please any advice or help will be greatley appreciated. Ive got loads more to go into and share when i get the time
Thanks
Barry Wilkinson, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
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