oil filler cap

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Tadams

Tadams
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Ok guys this is my first complete restoration. I have the /6 running. I have replaced the plugs, wires, dist cap and rotor button. I put a used carb on the car and it will sit and idle with a small occasional miss and if you give it the gas a little smoke. none at idle. The car hasn't run in maybe 8 years so I may be ok without a total rebuild, I hope. Oil pressure runs about 25 to 30lbs at idle. About 60 lbs when you first start the car. My question is the pvc vave seems clean and rattles when you shake it, but the oil filler cap has some blow by. It drops a small amount of oil from the cap. The wire mesh around the cap looks full of dirty oil. Would it make any difference to soak and clean the cap, or replace it. Or am I looking at a set of rings. Right now I''m out of work with an injury and can't do a great deal of work so I'm doing the little things.
Thanks for your help.
One of these days you just might look up and see a 65 barracuda in your mirrow.
Thanks,
Tommy
 
If the car has sat that long it`s probably rings that are stuck but in all likelyhood the valve stem seals are shot too. Try a quart of Rislone in it and see if that doesn`t help some. You`ll probably have to replace the valve stem seals as well as most all the rubber parts on the engine.
 
Thanks for the tip. My 6 is also having some blowback. Is the valve stem seal replacement a big job?
 
Thanks for the tip. My 6 is also having some blowback. Is the valve stem seal replacement a big job?

Hello, no it`s not that bad but you`ll need something to pressurize the cylinder (to hold the valves up while the retainers and keepers are off) and a tool to compress the valve spring (to remove the retainers) but replacing the valve stem seals will only reduce the oil consumption some, if you have had a lot of blow-by then you`ll probably need piston rings.
 
thanks Long Gone. You guys seem to always have the answers and I truly thank you for your help. I thought that just maybe it would be simple. My car is going to be awhile before it will be on the road so I just keep finding more things to do. thanks again
Tommy
 
thanks Long Gone. You guys seem to always have the answers and I truly thank you for your help. I thought that just maybe it would be simple. My car is going to be awhile before it will be on the road so I just keep finding more things to do. thanks again
Tommy

You`re welcome Tadams. Well you`ve got good oil pressure and if the valve stem seals don`t come apart and get stuck in the oil pick-up screen then I say drive it. Those slant 6 engines are amazingly hardy engines, just keep an eye on the oil pressure. :thumblef:
 
Thanks I just started it again and let it run for about 20 min. and the oil pressure was actually higher. It ran around 30lbs at idle and was close to 60lbs when I first started it. When I first got the car it smoked even at idle but doesn't do that anymore. Maybe by the time the body and interior is complete it want be to tired to run.
thanks again
Tommy
 
Sounds like the smoke from the breather cap may have been steam from the condensation in the crankcase. IMO it would be easier to replace the breather than to clean an old one.

You may want to get the engine up to correct operating temperature, then change the oil and filter. It'll get rid of a lot of the junk in the pan and give you a baseline for evaluating the condition of the engine.
 
The oil breather cap is an early version of crankcase air filter . In other words it should inhale if needed. Any exhale is supposed to go through the pcv valve.
I've seen new pcv valves attached to a dead vacuum line. The vacuum port at carb base fills with carbon deposits first , then the clog can grow on out the interior of the hose. Take that hose off, lay it on the ground and beat on it with a hammer. If you can now dump chunks of crap out of it, replace it. It may crack anyway if its 40 years old.
Now to clean the vacuum port. Twist a drill bit (1/4" I think) into the metal tube then pull it straight out. Wipe the carbon crap from the drills flutes and repeat. You can spary some parts cleaner in it if you want but the more deposits that get sucked in at start up the more likely you fowl a spark plug.
By the way... the mesh material inside the breather cap is fiberglass. Disturb it and it will become tiny whiskers of debrie going into the engine.
Best to buy a new one. I have one that is vented, chrome and marked OIL on my commando engine. I took it apart and replaced the element with the newer crankcase filter material.
 
thanks for all of the input. For more info the oil looks new as well as the filter. The plugs are not covered in oil. When I first started the car I had a problem getting it to run so I pulled the plugs to replace them and the 5 and 6 cyl plugs looked wet with water so I thought the head gasket was shot. The oil doesn't show any sign of water. I'm not loosing any water from the radiator and they look dry now. maybe condensation from sitting in Fla. I took the hose from the pvc valve and blew it out with air and it didn't seem to have any restrictions. The carb doesn't seem to have any carbon buildup. I tried RedFish's idea with the drill bit and it came out clean. I haven't added anything to the oil yet to clean the engine and change the oil as was suggested. Maybe I can try that tomorow, but I've been working on the body while we have had temp in the upper 70's the last couple of days.
Thanks again for all of the ideas. Hey, why don't all of you guys just ride to the Carolinas. I'll bet we could get it corrected in no time.
Tommy
 
Tommy
Slants are pretty bulit proof. Dont add anything yet I dont think you need to.
I believe it just needs to be run. Alot of slants that sit need to be run awhile before further evaluation. What you have discribed about the smoke on startup and now none is very common on an engine that has sat. Ive run engines for years without replacing anything (except consumables & normal maint items).
What ever you do dont turn your carb in for a reman (they are most likely going to be junk) rebuild it your self or take it to a shop that rebuilds them.
Pm me if you need more info.
Frank
 
Thanks Frank,
I rebuilt the carb and it was full of gunk. I never could get it to run very well with it so I bought a used one and the car runs good. It will start and idle where before you had to feather the gas to keep it going. It also takes the gas well so we are going in the right direction. I am just concerned about when you step on it is when it smokes and the blow by. If you remove the oil filler cap or the pcv cap it will smoke from either of them. Perhaps just letting the engine sit and run is the best thing for it . It no longer smokes at idle like it did at first. thanks for your input.
Tommy
 
If you decide to change valve stem seals, it is not necessary to pressurize the cylinders. You remove a spark plug, feed white, cloth-type clothesline into the cylinder until you have the cylinder pretty well full of line.
Then turn the crank by hand, wrench, or fan, so the piston comes up and squarshes all that clothesline into a wad at the top, holding the valves in their seats. I once watched a man who used the pressurized cylinder method and he was having a hard time getting the retainers to let go. He had to do
some banging, and the spring compressor let go. When it did, the valve dropped right down to where there was no chance of getting it out.
He had to pull the head, and it sort of ruined his weekend, if you know what I mean
 
Replace the valve seals ! Cheap and no big deal for small fingers.
 
I know this is an old thread so this might not even matter now. If you have stuck rings you might be able to unstick them by just driving the car. I had a car that had been parked for about 2 years. When I got it running I had to drive it about 150 miles to where I was living. It burned over a quart of oil in the first 50 to 80 miles & then it was fine after that. I think the rings had been stuck & the driving loosened them up.

Ask me how I unstuck a clutch disk that had stuck to the flywheel on the same car.
 
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