I free'd a stuck piston, now what?

[Jason in TX]

Hey all. I recently purchased a "running chassis" from a guy that street rodded a 1934 Ford. It was in a high end car collection prior to his purchasing the car, and a concourse winner. When he bought the car, he drove it and it blew a head gasket. He drained the milky oil, put new oil in, changed the head gasket and then parked it.

When I went to look at it, the engine was stuck, but everything else operated very well, and I took a chance on it.

I pulled the passenger head, found rust, cleaned out the rust that I could see. I used lots of Marvel Mystery Oil and Gibbs and managed to free the siezed piston ring(s) from the cylinder wall. It now turns over very smoothly, and is not scratching the cylinder bore.


1) Should I get a new head gasket and bolt the head back on and fire it up?

2) Should I pull the piston and brush off the rings and put the single piston back and fire it up?

3) Should I re-ring this one piston with some NOS Ford rings that I got at Hershey? (yeah, I read modern Hastings rings are better than these ancient rings, but I'm guessing that the pistons might all have old rings. Maybe not.)

4)Do I re-ring the entire engine even though 7 cylinders are probably fine?

Pictures. Everyone loves pictures.

[V8COOPMAN]

Hmmmmm......Frankly, I don't see where the head gasket is blown. If it actually is "blown", you need to find out why it blew. If it is NOT blown, it may be possible you have a cracked cylinder or some such, passing water to that cylinder. You lucked-out in that the last time the engine ran, that piston stopped up top! DD

[Jason in TX]

The aluminum heads are a little corroded from electrolysis around the water passage openings. I think some water weeped past the head gasket into the bore.

I'll correct that.

Wondering what I should do with this piston.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Jason in TX

Wondering what I should do with this piston.

I think I'd go ahead and pull the one piston, scuff the glaze and replace the rings. Sounds like cheap insurance. At least you can take a peek at any un-seen damage. DD

[jimTN]

I would redo that one cyl, get some steel gaskets, use copper coat on both sides, torque the heads, run it, torque it and change the oil again. Those composition gaskets are a pain and prone IMHO to problems. I just went thru almost the same thing except it was the pan rail plugs that leaked into the oil for 20 yrs of storage. I went one step further and had the heads milled.

[Seth Swoboda]

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Nice purchase. Now you have your choice of body to install!

[Jason in TX]

Indeed! It's going to be a 3 window.

[rotorwrench]

I do single cylinder repairs on the helicopters now and then but they are made separate so it's a lot easier. It never seems to affect performance at all. I usually run straight mineral oil in them for the first 50-hours to aid in break in then go right back to the regular stuff. I don't think it matters all that much on a car engine though since they are water cooled.

At least pulling it will eliminate any unforeseen problems.

[tubman]

I'm just an "8BA guy", but looking at your pictures shows me why I don't use sealer on my head gaskets. I use composition head gaskets (Fel-Pro and Victor) and just a coat of regular grease on both sides. If that doesn't seal, you have other problems.. You'll have a real fun time cleaning those gasket remnants from the block, especially with the studs in place. Things may be different with early engines, but flat surfaces with proper preparation really doesn't need all of that gook. I learned this lesson many years ago.

Looks like an excellent score; do it right, even if it takes a little extra time and money. You would think these "Streetrodders" would have a little more sense; the world isn't all suede interiors and graphic paint.

[SofaKing]

If it were mine, I’d want to know why the top of an aluminum piston has rust on top in a pattern that suggests there was water in the cylinder? I see also rust on a couple valve faces. Since I would be doing the work and I know things that sit get filled with rubbish, bug's nests and mouse turds, I’d tear it down, clean, inspect and use those NOS rings lying around with a new gasket set and be on my way. It is never going to be easier than it is right now. The engine is accessible with no new paint to chip and I am guessing you don’t expect to be driving it in the next few weeks. The reasons for cleaning and inspecting out-weigh the reasons for a quick-and-dirty. IMHO. Nice score by the way

[flatjack9]

Right on, tubman.

[chap52]

Cleaning off that old head gasket is not a problem. I use one of those cone shaped wire wheels on a cordless drill. Then the ol' shop vacuum to clean up the debris.
Then I would pull the piston and change the rings. It they look worn might be a great time to change them all while everything is so easy to access. I also use the Fel Pro gaskets with a light coating of grease on both surfaces as "tubman" suggested.

[ct1932ford]

I would sell the entire thing to me!

[cas3]

lets see the body!

[Ol' Ron]

What are your plans for the engine/car. If you plan on driving it as it as an original old Ford, I'd take it a part and check everything. If it's OK you have a winner, If it's not, you still area winner because you can fix the problems before you get it all together.. Plan ahead!!

[Jason in TX]

The body

[V8COOPMAN]

Oh hell, you ain't just "dreamin' ".......you've already got a REALLY COOL 3-window body filling the space! That body looks wonderful AS-IS! DD

[Jason in TX]

Yeah. It was an old channeled hotrod. it had 1958 LA Times news papers stuffed in the doors and a street address from San Bernardino written on the overhead wooden bows. The floors are now back in it, lower patch panels put in. The 1933 cowl was replaced with a '34 cowl, so it's going to have a 34 hood and grill shell. I've got a beautiful rechromed original grill for it.

The last guy put a roof insert in it. I didn't love it at first, but its growing on me. I have the roof insert channel and could put it back.

This was the car in the late 1970s, early 80s

[cas3]

nice mild chop, i like em like that. great looking project, keep us informed

[jetmek]

hey man Id pull it down... check for a bent rod while youre at it in case someone tried to spin it over with water in it...ill bet the pickup screen is sludged up too...