360 LA getting oil in #3 cylinder.

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tinman2 said:
My brother in law recently bought this 74 Duster 360 auto from my neighbor who only had it 3 or 4 months. Now I am hoping I didn't lead him to make a huge mistake.
It has plenty of vibration that seems to come and go at different speeds or throttle pressure. Pretty new plugs #1, 4, 3, 6, 7 are black soot covered. Plugs #8 and 5 are light beige. Plug #3 is black crusty. There is some oil smoke coming out driver's side exhaust. Trying to figure out where oil could be coming from. I turned the engine over 2 or 3 rounds trying to see if all the rockers were moving but I did not measure movement. Bought an inspection camera today to look in the cylinders. And #3 cylinder has at least ⅜ inch of oil on top of a clean aluminum piston. I don't think that was left in there after driving it. All other piston tops are sooty black. Does LA 360 oil rockers through passages in block and head? If so, could oil be leaking into cylinder at head gasket from me turning engine over by hand?

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Think about where oil could get in the cylinder.
1: valve guides
2: a stuck open PCV valve
3: rings.
The easiest and least expensive is a PCV valve. Removed it should rattle when shaken. Connected and with the engine running, put your thumb over the air hole. It should click as it seats and unseats.
Rings will wash around the outside diameter of the piston crown.
Guides you can rock back and forth in the direction of intake to exhaust manifolds.
A cylinder leakdown test would be another syarting point after the PCV valve check.
I had a 1969 Chev 1/2 truck with a 292 six, that fouled #5 plug. One guide was worn on that cylinder. Eventually got a reman head, rings and bearings.
tinman2 said:
My brother in law recently bought this 74 Duster 360 auto from my neighbor who only had it 3 or 4 months. Now I am hoping I didn't lead him to make a huge mistake.
It has plenty of vibration that seems to come and go at different speeds or throttle pressure. Pretty new plugs #1, 4, 3, 6, 7 are black soot covered. Plugs #8 and 5 are light beige. Plug #3 is black crusty. There is some oil smoke coming out driver's side exhaust. Trying to figure out where oil could be coming from. I turned the engine over 2 or 3 rounds trying to see if all the rockers were moving but I did not measure movement. Bought an inspection camera today to look in the cylinders. And #3 cylinder has at least ⅜ inch of oil on top of a clean aluminum piston. I don't think that was left in there after driving it. All other piston tops are sooty black. Does LA 360 oil rockers through passages in block and head? If so, could oil be leaking into cylinder at head gasket from me turning engine over by hand?

View attachment 1716045382
Click to expand...
 
Just an update and thanks to all who responded. I got to spend lots of quality time with my 93 year old Dad this past week. Mom called me Friday at 8:22pm and said "Come now" and she quickly hung up the phone. I was there in 5 minutes. We think he had a stroke. He was taken to Hospice Saturday afternoon and he passed at 4:11am today.
So after we get back to a somewhat normal routine, I will resume this project.

Again, thanks to all, Carl
 
tinman2 said:
Just an update and thanks to all who responded. I got to spend lots of quality time with my 93 year old Dad this past week. Mom called me Friday at 8:22pm and said "Come now" and she quickly hung up the phone. I was there in 5 minutes. We think he had a stroke. He was taken to Hospice Saturday afternoon and he passed at 4:11am today.
So after we get back to a somewhat normal routine, I will resume this project.

Again, thanks to all, Carl
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Sorry for your loss.
 
Awful sorry for your loss. Losing parents is maybe the hardest thing ever.
 
Hey guys,
Thanks for all the prayers and kind words. We took care of a lot of things that needed attention and got Mom settled in at her house. I am only 5 minutes away from her and see her every day now.
Carl
 
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I just now started working on the Duster again. I drained the coolant, removed
an AC bracket that attached to the intake , all hoses, temp sending unit, distributor, and 12 intake manifold bolts. AC compressor blocks most of front of intake and there isn't much room to get to the rear of intake. My SBM books say remove bolts, then remove intake. Yeah, right! I'm sure this is the best place to get advice and tips to pry off this glued down intake without breaking something. Thanks in advance.

20230227_170751.jpg
 
tinman2 said:
I just now started working on the Duster again. I drained the coolant, removed
an AC bracket that attached to the intake , all hoses, temp sending unit, distributor, and 12 intake manifold bolts. AC compressor blocks most of front of intake and there isn't much room to get to the rear of intake. My SBM books say remove bolts, then remove intake. Yeah, right! I'm sure this is the best place to get advice and tips to pry off this glued down intake without breaking something. Thanks in advance.

View attachment 1716056669
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All intakes can be stinkers to break loose. The '70s were the worst with the big AC compressor and all the emissions hoses crap. Usually there is a bit of a "tab" at the sides of the manifold to pry on, or tap a screw driver under one front corner on the china rail. That should break it loose.
See those tabs in line with the #1 and #2 intake ports. Those you can pry on.
 
Sometimes you can also get a prybar under the bypass hose nipple at the front and pry up on that, but be careful and do it gently.
 
Ok. Tapping a screwdriver under the intake at the china rail got it started. There's a little gap in the gasket near the end cylinders' exhaust pushrod that I got a screwdriver started and it's coming up slowly but surely. Taking my time to work it up a little at a time.
 
tinman2 said:
Ok. Tapping a screwdriver under the intake at the china rail got it started. There's a little gap in the gasket near the end cylinders' exhaust pushrod that I got a screwdriver started and it's coming up slowly but surely. Taking my time to work it up a little at a time.
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If it's really difficult, STOP and make DAMN SURE you got all the bolts.
 
Probably too soon to tell but may be

20230227_202024.jpg
something going on with the head gasket behind #3 intake pushrod. It's right beside the oil passage through the block to the head. Looks like the gasket may have separated just to the left of the pushrod and it looks bent just to the right of the pushrod. The head gasket doesn't look like that any where else on both heads.
 
I knew I could count on you guys. Thanks.
On to the next ordeal (for me and my arthritis) getting the headers out of the way so I can get to the head bolts. Hope I don't have to take the motor mount loose. Wishful thinking.

20230227_203525.jpg
May be Wednesday before I start that.
 
tinman2 said:
I knew I could count on you guys. Thanks.
On to the next ordeal (for me and my arthritis) getting the headers out of the way so I can get to the head bolts. Hope I don't have to take the motor mount loose. Wishful thinking.

View attachment 1716056734May be Wednesday before I start that.
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Yes, that neighbor Arthur Rightass is a pain at the most inconvenient times.
 
tinman2 said:
Probably too soon to tell but may be

View attachment 1716056722 something going on with the head gasket behind #3 intake pushrod. It's right beside the oil passage through the block to the head. Looks like the gasket may have separated just to the left of the pushrod and it looks bent just to the right of the pushrod. The head gasket doesn't look like that any where else on both heads.
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As far as I can see.. it looks like it pushed it out. Blown head gasket. That's your whooshing sound .
 
Tapping on the intake with a rubber mallet all over the place will sometime loosen them up. Works on cylinder heads also.
 
Jadaharabi said:
Once you clean the block and head surface check them for flatness with a straight edge and a feeler gauge.
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One of my best friends started his career with a Nascar team, worked for a race engine shop doing cylinder heads, and later started his own business. He has all the equipment for that once I get it apart.
 
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