Time to rebuild?
I'm wondering if I need to start planning a rebuild. SlantSixDan says yes in my post about this on slantsix.org and I don't doubt he's right, but I thought I'd start a new post here since there are some smart folks here who don't frequent the .org side. This is a bone stock 1974 225 with 82K miles. Before I got it 2.5 years ago, it had 79K miles and had sat for 8 years in a garage. It does have a new carburetor.
As soon as I bought the car I noticed a raw fuel smell in the garage after parking. I finally found that a fuel/oil mixture is getting into my air cleaner via the crankcase breather, and occasionally dripping over the inside lip of the air cleaner onto the carb and manifolds. That suggests blowby pressurizing the crankcase beyond what the PCV valve can suck out, also fuel washing down the cylinders getting into the oil. Here's a list of possibly helpful information.
I'm wondering if I need to start planning a rebuild. SlantSixDan says yes in my post about this on slantsix.org and I don't doubt he's right, but I thought I'd start a new post here since there are some smart folks here who don't frequent the .org side. This is a bone stock 1974 225 with 82K miles. Before I got it 2.5 years ago, it had 79K miles and had sat for 8 years in a garage. It does have a new carburetor.
As soon as I bought the car I noticed a raw fuel smell in the garage after parking. I finally found that a fuel/oil mixture is getting into my air cleaner via the crankcase breather, and occasionally dripping over the inside lip of the air cleaner onto the carb and manifolds. That suggests blowby pressurizing the crankcase beyond what the PCV valve can suck out, also fuel washing down the cylinders getting into the oil. Here's a list of possibly helpful information.
- The PCV valve is new and works the same as the old one: video showing vacuum at the breather at idle
- Compression test (I did it myself): all cylinders were 130-140 psi
- Leakdown test (took to mechanic): best cylinder was 22%, two were at 40%, others were 30-35%
- I'm not burning oil that I know of (nothing visible from exhaust)
- Oil dipstick smells like gas
- Fuel pump was changed a year ago (attempting to fix the problem of fuel getting into oil)
- Most of my trips are 6 miles each way to work.
- I don't feel the need for more power.
- The vision for this car is a daily driver with emphasis on economy and cleanliness.
- My son (18, heading to college in the fall) is interested in helping rebuild it.
- Money is definitely a consideration but I can spend a thousand or more if necessary.