Another 76 Brazilian Hardtop

"The painter did outstanding job on the paint.
You engine problem looks to me was a combination of problems.

The milkshake color in the oil pan is antifreeze or water, you either blew a head gasket, intake gasket or have a cracked head, block or intake manifold.

The scratches in the cylinders indicate to me that the cylinder walls accumulated moisture when it was out of the car, which is noticably by the rust on the top of the cylinders. This caused the rings to scratch the cylinder walls.

Just an observation, how did the motor run before you took it out of the car? "

Thanks sireland67!

Yes, I guess it was more than one problem...or one led to another, and that was my fault, because of the time it took me to take an action.

On the pics you can see some surface rust running down from the heads, on the lifter valley...guess that was due to water "seeping" through the heads and block, though the gasket wasn't actually blown.
My guess is that the previous mechanic reused the old gaskets.


When we put that engine to sleep, we drained all the water from the block and radiator, started it for a few seconds, maybe a couple of minutes, and than poured oil right through the carb, to "protect" it.
BUT, as I spent before that almost two years starting that engine only in the driveway, and sometimes only once in a whole month, I may have misnoticed the symptoms of the water entering the cilinders and oil galleys.

That engine ran perfectly before the car was parked, but it sat for four years completely dry, than it was put to run, ran for two years on the driveway, than we noticed that problems, put it to sleep again and it sat for another 4 years.
I believe the rust on the walls happened while I was still starting the engine, before noticing there was water seeping through.



"I don't know how I've missed this thread - you are doing great work and the car looks fantastic. "


Thank you 65 Dartman!

I haven't done it all by myself, actually most of the "big work" was outsourced, but I'm taking good care of the small do's.

Hope it all pays of at the and, making a nice driving and looking machine.