Mopar Guy With a Ford Question

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RPMagoo

Just An Old Motorhead
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Don't Crucify Me. --- I'm a Mopar Guy, Forever, but, I recently, bought a 64 Falcon Sprint, with a 302, solid lifter, motor in it. --- It's a motor with less than 5,000 miles on it -- The oil pressure is 5 - 10 psi, at idle, and 20+ at cruising speed (2,000+ RPM). This is low, in My opinion. So, I changed the oil, and found a grayish gob on the, magnetic, drain plug. After all of the oil was in the catch container, I put a magnet in the oil, and it jumped to the bottom. I put My fingers to the bottom of the oil, and came out with the same grayish gob. The substance, for comparison, looks, and feels like Never Seize Compound, obviously it isn't. -- There no appearance of orange looking material (bearings) and no knock in the motor, at any RPM. -- I'm wondering if it's eating the cam (Comp Cams Solid Lifter).. -- Regardless of where the substance (metal) is coming from, it must be throughout the motor, and I need to tear it down and determine the source of the problem, and repair, as needed. --- Comments ? --- Thanks
 
if there is that much in the oil, i would want to see what is in the filter
 
if there is that much in the oil, i would want to see what is in the filter --
-- I cut the filter apart, and spread out the folds. -- Same gray substance -- no metal pieces -- but is magnetic.
 
Pull the pan and see if the gray goop is plugging up the pickup screen...

Pulling the pan is a very smart idea!
While down check the pump gear and pull a bearing cap or two. Check the bearings for wear. Cheap bearings will leave a grayish muck..... as they come apart. Look carefully in the bottom of the oil pan for metal chips or stuff. Sounds like the goo may just be plugging the pick up. But easy check while apart. Good luck... traitor... lol! Just had to do that.

Also check for a bad or clogged PCV of it has one.
 
I put My fingers to the bottom of the oil, and came out with the same grayish gob. The substance, for comparison, looks, and feels like Never Seize Compound, obviously it isn't.

Is it possible the engine builder used Anti-Seize Lubricant for assembly lube? Some of it is copper and some is silver.

Oil pressure seems awfully low for a fresh build though.
 
In my opinion that engine had sat for a long time without running, they never changed the oil or cleaned the pan ever and you now have the goo, kinda like syphalis. haha! On a serious note, I had a similar issue with an Olds years ago. Pulled the pan, clean it out and cleaned the oil pick up off. After I did mine it ran fine and no more problems. I was running a risk that I was going to make a bad situation worse but all was fine.
 
Time to tear it down.It will only get more expensive the longer you run it. I had a flathead V8 in a 50 F1 pick up that did this .it had 5 or 10 lbs at idle and 20 at best when running.It ran for years like that then one day it started rattling .I dumped 90 w gear oil in it and it ran for another year and a half.It still was running when I sold it. This was in the late 70's and I was already into my slants by then.Once the Ford was gone It was always a MOPAR for me
 
Without seeing it, it could also be moisture.... seen grey goo from that as well as brownish. The idea of the screen been plugged seems like a pretty good candidate.

Check oil pressure with a 2nd gauge IMHO.
 
I'm betting the cam is coming apart. Pull it and fix it now. It's really easy to get the pan off the engine when it's upside down on the engine stand. Not so easy in the car. Is this car red by chance?
 
The key point here is the gray goo is magnetic meaning it has iron/steel in it. Copper, silver, anti-seize etc. none of that stuff is magnetic. I'd be pulling that thing apart personally.
 
How thick was the oil that came out, was it thin like 0W-20 or like 20W-50
I would put in 20W50 and run it and see how the pressure is then drain it and see what is in it. If the pressure is good put 20 miles on it and change the oil a couple times, if it is clean and no noises from the engine, run it.
 
How thick was the oil that came out, was it thin like 0W-20 or like 20W-50
I would put in 20W50 and run it and see how the pressure is then drain it and see what is in it. If the pressure is good put 20 miles on it and change the oil a couple times, if it is clean and no noises from the engine, run it.

I would try that too, after pulling the oil pan and cleaning out all the gray goo
 
How thick was the oil that came out, was it thin like 0W-20 or like 20W-50
I would put in 20W50 and run it and see how the pressure is then drain it and see what is in it. If the pressure is good put 20 miles on it and change the oil a couple times, if it is clean and no noises from the engine, run it.
-- It was 20-50. That's what the previous owner told Me.
 
-- Without seeing it, it could also be moisture.... seen grey goo from that as well as brownish. The idea of the screen been plugged seems like a pretty good candidate. Check oil pressure with a 2nd gauge IMHO. --
-- Moisture - magnetic ?
 
Back in the 70's Ford issued a TSB regarding the use of 10W40 engine oils.

It seems that the additive of the era that made the oil a "40 wt" was good for at least one thing ... sludge. In many cases the oil pickup would get plugged and the bearings would fail.

It happened to my '79 T-bird and '77 F150.

Ford recommended dropping the pan, cleaning it and the pickup, and refilling with 10w30 oil.

Another thing... the leaded fuels of yesterday would leave a grey sludge in the oil pan... a result of a rich fuel mixture that was normal for start/stop driving with a cold engine.

I'd pull the pan, clean or replace the oil pickup, clean the pan and pull a couple rod caps and a main cap to check for wear. Replace bearings and oil pump as needed.
 
It may be eating the thrust bearing. Have someone watch the harmonic balancer/bottom pulleys and see if they move forward and back while u rev it up and down. Kim
 
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