Re: Reality Check Weekend

[farna@xxxxxxx]

On April 18, 2005 JOE B FULTON wrote:

> The corrosion is higher on the body than what you are
> describing...more into the corner where the inner
> fender and the cowl meet and into the passenger side
> door post.  I haven't removed the passenger fender yet
> and probed with a screwdriver, but I can see rust
> holes when I look forward through the passenger door
> hinge openings.

Hmmm... sounds more like the drains in the upper fender gussets got stopped up and rusted back. This still isn't the main support area, but does reinforce the front rails some. Nothing to worry to much about, but definitely needs repairing. It will only get worse if not dealt with now. I recommend anyone with an old AMC they intend to keep take the front fenders off for at least a good cleaning and painting under there! Spray on undercoating after paint is a great idea too. I've even seen some people brush on bed liner. 

 
> > I'd have to see pics of yours to really know how bad
> > it is though.
> 
> I'll get some help from my sons and build a little web
> site to show pictures..soon I hope.

Go to http://groups.msn.com/amcsforever2   You can start an album for free there. Mine is "Farna's Ramblers", on the second page I think. The site was originally started for listers here to have a free place to post pics (anyone is welcome to -- you don't have to participate in the message forum there, which has very little traffic). 

> 
> > The 195.6: If the valves are the problem, replace
> > them.
> 
> The machinist only knew of Egge Machine as a source
> for valves and suspected that they would be expensive.
>  Since I'm postponing further work on the car, I'll
> have time to shop around. Yes, new exhaust seats, at
> least, were planned.  The head was magnafluxed and
> passed inspection already.

That's a good sign! Once a valve is pulled measure it. Something should be close enough to fit. Don't worry about stem diameter -- if smaller bronze guides just need to be installed. New valves from another make along with guides might be as much as 195.6 vlaves from Egge (try Kanter as well though), but the guides in the original head are probably worn anyway. 

> 
> > The ticking sound might not be a rod knock! Unless
> > you KNOW it's coming from the bottom end check the
> > valves first.
> 
> Well, with the engine running it sounds and feels
> like something is hitting the oil pan.  There is also
> brazing on the pan, where a whole was probably patched
> previously. It's been awhile since I've been around
> solid lifters but I think I can recognize the lifter
> noise. One thing, though, when I was getting the
> engine disconnected and ready to pull I discovered two
> of the bell housing bolts were only finger tight and
> one was missing entirely.  The two larger bolts at the
> bottom of the bell housing were tight though.  One
> starter bolt was loose also.

Probably is a rod end cap coming loose. The rods and crank are forged steel, so I doubt there is any damage that can't be fixed by a bearing and turning the crank. You can get at least 0.040" rod bearings for it, and you might still be able to get 0.060" under bearings. Sounds like a lot, but that's a pretty hefty steel crank in that thing! The tranny bolts shouldn't make any difference. 
> 
> I also have a 196 aluminum engine which I can inspect
> and see if it's worth installing.  There's some
> external corrosion of the steel freeze plugs so I
> don't know what to expect when I pull the head.  It
> has hydraulic lifters though, how fashionable of AMC?

It has hydraulic lifters because it HAD to! Aluminum expands a lot more than cast iron, so there would have to be a lot of slack in a cold valve train with solid lifters. The head is iron, and should fit a normal iron 195.6. The head is a little wider than an iron 195.6 head though, so an iron block style head doesn't seal very well and shouldn't be used on an aluminum block. Check the aluminum engine for compression before going any further with it. Just pull the plugs, squirt some oil in, and turn it by hand with the plugs out. You won't build full compression with it cold and hand spun 5-6 times, but you should be able to get uniform compression across all cylinders with no more than 10-15 psi difference between adjacent cylinders, 20-30 psi range across all. That will indicate the head gasket isn't blown and the cylinders are all lined up. The cast iron cylinders are cast into the die-cast (permanent nold) aluminum block. There is no support for the top of the cylinders !
 except the head gasket contact area. It is critical that the head be retorqued every 5,000 miles or once a year if the car is driven much, every other year even if it is driven only a few hundred miles a year. Even the iron head engine needs retorqueing every 8-10K miles -- I did it every other year when I was driving a 195.6 daily (5-7K a year average). It's just more important with teh aluminum engine. It doesn't matter what type head gasket either! A "no retorque" head gasket (all modern ones are) means you don't have to retorque after running the engine an hour or so or few hundred miles after installing. It doesn't mean it will never need retorquing -- that's got a lot to do with the engine design. 

One last thing -- ALWAYS use some kind of sealer on a 195.6 (OHV and L-head) gasket! The "no sealer required" types DO need it! I'ver tried a couple times on different engines -- all blew after a few hundred miles. They will all seep a little on the right side (only about 1/4" sealing surface, but that's the valve side, so no compression) no matter what, but sealer helps. Use a brush on shellac (something like "Indian Head" brand) or spray on copper or aluminum sealer. 

> 
> For the present, the wagon will be relegated to a yard
> ornament, hopefully to return to the roads someday.
> 
> Joe Fulton
> Salinas, CA

Sure hope it does! Those are some unusual cars and are often overlooked. I want a couple in rough shape but on different ends. I want to make a stretch limo from a 58-62 big car! 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .


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