Belvedere666

I'm a rookie here. Just picked up a '50 special deluxe with the original straight 6, and it's sitting in my parent's driveway until i can get my garage cleaned out. i had a guy come out and switch it out from 6 volt to 12 volt. finished it yesterday. i get a call from my father today saying that it looks like there may be water in the oil. i had that happen to one of my 318 '67 belvederes. i took it some garage and 800 dollars later i had a great running car. i'm not a "car guy" in the traditional sense. i've just been learning as i go along. i guess i just want to hear opinions on rebuild vs. engine swap. my uncle has an identical car that he had the engine rebuilt in, like 8 years ago and it's just been sitting in his garage. i could snag it from him for 1600 bucks if a rebuild will end uo costing me more, but then i have to have someone swap it out since i don't have the equipment or the know how. what do you guys think? again, i'm a rookie and all my father knows is "it's not a chevy 350", so he's no help.

78D200

Welcome!


Have you or anyone else run the motor while the water and oil were mixed? Other guys on here have a lot more knowledge than I but if you have not run it, I think you can drain it, remove the oil, clean everything to keep it from rusting, reinstall the pan, fill her back up with the right amount of oil and go. (Please correct me if I am wrong)

TVLynn

Does the oil look like a milkshake. Being 60 years old the head gasket probably needs replacement If the water and oil have been mixed for a long time ? I would flush the motor and replace the bearings.
If not ? Change the oil & Get a qt of motor flush. Run it easy for ? read directions. Then change it again.
light amount of water could just be condensation

Belvedere666

my father ran the engine then noticed it. so it's safe to say, it HAS been run while it's been milky. it's like a light gray color. it's not chocolaty. how easy is a head gasket job?
i've been told that i may need a machinist to mill the head and it's going to be costly.

78D200

You would only need to machine the heads if they are corroded or warped.

Replacing the head gaskets is not a hard job to do, just time consuming. Label everything that you remove with tape so you know where it goes, take pics of the accessory brackets and anything else as you remove them and put all small loose parts in a plastic bag and label them.

Belvedere666

update:
a few days ago i got around to removing the head. turns out there was a bolt broken off in the block and the person that replaced the head gasket the last time just faked it out with some JB Weld. the gasket was warped out of shape where the bolt was. finally got the bolt out by, having a neighbor with a torch come over, and weld a nut to the broken stem and turn it out. replacing the gasket tomorrow or monday and hoping for the best.
does anyone here happen to have a 50 special deluxe that they might be parting out?
i just need a few trim pieces and and a trunk lock mechanism/catch.

Belvedere666

so i got the head back on and there's still some water in the oil. i filled her up and let her run a little. haven't used the motor flush yet.. just wanted to know if i was getting a good seal. engine starts up strong and has a lot of power. i'm going to put the flush in, run it for a bit and then drain again, as recommended by TVlynn. thanks. wish me luck.

moe7404

i found an oil bath air cleaner mod. the oil is replaced by a reg air filter. easy to do.

http://www.indfloorcoating-repair.co...storation.html

Belvedere666

i had seen this mod once before and wasn't sure where i found it. thanks!
i'm going to hold off on it until i get a replacement one so if i butcher the mod i still have a back up.