Last Friday my parents brought down my 65 coupe with a 200 ci inline 6 from Northern OH down to Virginia Beach for me. I was told the car ran great as it did the last time I saw it a year ago. I don't know when the engine was last rebuilt or it it ever has. Currently the car is not running smooth and it wants to die when left to idle in park or in drive.
Its a stock 200 inline 6, C4 auto transmission car with the stock 1100 autolite and load-o-matic distributor. It runs decent on the highway at 70 mph but wants to die at stop lights. The engine has a few problems so im trying to decide what to do with it. Im keeping the inline 6 and would like the clean up the engine bay and maintain the stock appearance. When the engine ran good, about a year ago, I never felt that I needed more power or anything it was smooth and reliable.
-The oil was a bit low still on the dipstick though. I presume that the valve stem seals are bad. Additionally the valve cover is leaking everywhere.
-Warm Compression #’s (psi)
#1 - 195
#2 - 190
#3 - 180
#4 - 195
#5 - 190
#6 - 195
-From my limited experience spark plugs are hard to read. I always assume that there is more than one problem or potential causes. But plugs 1-4 were a bit white so I assume its running lean while 5-6 were black and seemed oil fowled. Judging by the compression numbers I assume that the valve stem seals are bad. The # 6 plug had oil on the plug threads indicating the valve cover gasket leak mentioned previously. Im pretty sure #6 wasn’t firing at all maybe #5 wasn’t either.
-The engine diesels a lot I presume from carbon build up the valves and piston tops.
- The point gap was 34 thousands or bigger so I cleaned them up and set the gap to 24
- last time I checked the timing was at 14 deg, 12 was too little.
- I don’t have vacuum data atm moment.
-Major exhaust leak at the manifold to head. A shop welded the manifold making it worse when they could have just asked me for a new one. I have three spares all in good shape
-Carb was rebuilt last year but is coverd in soot and is almost black now due to the exhaust leak. Maybe the idle passages are clogged as well.
-Oil looks clean not milky
-Oil pressure gauge reads just below half and is constant. (5 gage cluster)
-Temp gage reads middle but I always hear sounds (maybe boiling) from the radiator when I turn the engine off.
So any ideas where to start. I have a rebuilt head and everything that goes with it. A rebuilt carb, a new manifold, heater hoses, spark plugs the whole 9 yards. I just dont have a new long block. So do I pull the engine clean/inspect the bottom end and call it good due to the exceptional compression numbers or do I get a spare long block built and essentially build a whole new engine to put in the car and swap them?
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![802832]( "802832")
Its a stock 200 inline 6, C4 auto transmission car with the stock 1100 autolite and load-o-matic distributor. It runs decent on the highway at 70 mph but wants to die at stop lights. The engine has a few problems so im trying to decide what to do with it. Im keeping the inline 6 and would like the clean up the engine bay and maintain the stock appearance. When the engine ran good, about a year ago, I never felt that I needed more power or anything it was smooth and reliable.
-The oil was a bit low still on the dipstick though. I presume that the valve stem seals are bad. Additionally the valve cover is leaking everywhere.
-Warm Compression #’s (psi)
#1 - 195
#2 - 190
#3 - 180
#4 - 195
#5 - 190
#6 - 195
-From my limited experience spark plugs are hard to read. I always assume that there is more than one problem or potential causes. But plugs 1-4 were a bit white so I assume its running lean while 5-6 were black and seemed oil fowled. Judging by the compression numbers I assume that the valve stem seals are bad. The # 6 plug had oil on the plug threads indicating the valve cover gasket leak mentioned previously. Im pretty sure #6 wasn’t firing at all maybe #5 wasn’t either.
-The engine diesels a lot I presume from carbon build up the valves and piston tops.
- The point gap was 34 thousands or bigger so I cleaned them up and set the gap to 24
- last time I checked the timing was at 14 deg, 12 was too little.
- I don’t have vacuum data atm moment.
-Major exhaust leak at the manifold to head. A shop welded the manifold making it worse when they could have just asked me for a new one. I have three spares all in good shape
-Carb was rebuilt last year but is coverd in soot and is almost black now due to the exhaust leak. Maybe the idle passages are clogged as well.
-Oil looks clean not milky
-Oil pressure gauge reads just below half and is constant. (5 gage cluster)
-Temp gage reads middle but I always hear sounds (maybe boiling) from the radiator when I turn the engine off.
So any ideas where to start. I have a rebuilt head and everything that goes with it. A rebuilt carb, a new manifold, heater hoses, spark plugs the whole 9 yards. I just dont have a new long block. So do I pull the engine clean/inspect the bottom end and call it good due to the exceptional compression numbers or do I get a spare long block built and essentially build a whole new engine to put in the car and swap them?
