I replaced my battery yesterday. Starting, especially hot, was a little labored and after eight years, I figured it was due.
With everything buttoned up and a few shots of starting fluid in the carb, I turned the key. After a few seconds, it sounded like she was about to grab. Instead, there was a bang and everything stopped turning.
I tried the key a couple more times, but the starter would only strain. I could see the fan move slightly, then bounce back when the key was off.
Today, I pulled the starter. It was a little worn, with a few teeth chipped, but it otherwise appeared sound. At first, I assumed something inside it had jammed; I figured I could replace it and hope for the best.
Before making a run to the auto parts store, I thought to pull the spark plugs and turn the motor over by hand–just to be sure. When I pulled the plug for the #1 cylinder, it came out wet. At first, I thought it was oil fouled, but the liquid was coolant. And the cylinder was completely full of it.
The last time I drove the car, in February, I put about a gallon and a half of coolant in it before starting. It ran fine. Apparently, though, the early warning signs were there.
An internet search didn’t turn up much for “coolant in cylinder,” but what I found suggests a cracked block, a fatal condition. I’ll have to give the future of this car some thought, but today it certainly feels like the end of a chapter.
It could just be a head gasket. That could also cause coolant in a cylinder.
Just a thought maybe a cracked head or head gasket. Sure would like to hear the outcome good luck
Gasket, cracked head or block–those appear to be the three possibilities. A cracked block would be difficult; good blocks are hard to source and would almost certainly require some re-working to bring up to spec. The only issue with pulling the head to inspect is the tight space in the garage. I’ll need to get the car out into the driveway where I can remove the hood and deploy an engine hoist to help with the heavy lifting. The holiday season is a busy time for me in my business, so this won’t likely happen until next year. Also, from a purely emotional standpoint, it really sucks to pull apart an engine only 500 miles after it was assembled.
That’s a ball buster, so sorry to hear that because I know she’s been part of your family for a long time. I just took off a set of heads that were freshly rebuilt for a set of Edelbrock Aluminum heads, If I can help you get your baby back on the road let me know…
Mitch