Hot Rods Time definitely gets away from you. Roadster off the road 1477 days

I've owned my Roadster for 35 plus years. When I lived in California I drove it a lot. I didn't accumulate a lot of miles, but I'd drive it a lot. The longest trip was from San Francisco Bay Area to Portland Oregon, and back. Then I moved to the Midwest. Not very good Roadster weather. I would drive it once and awhile. Longest trip being to the HAMB drags a few times, and back, about 3 hours one way. Well it started to leak oil, not much, just a light spray on the windshield if the hood was off, or on the firewall if the hood was on. I couldn't find the leak. It didn't put a puddle on the ground, just a few drips. I didn't worry to much about it, until the last time I drove it. The windshield was covered. I still couldn't find the source of the oil. The motor wasn't covered. it still didn't leave big puddles. The motor is a 2.0 Ford 4 cyl. It has a belt driven oil pump, I'm thinking that might be the source of the oil. My plan was to pull the motor, and install all new seals and gaskets. I removed the radiator, and that's all I've done, that was 1477 days ago. That's 4 years and 17 days. It seems like just yesterday I parked it. I miss it. It needs to get fixed, soon. I have excuses for it sitting so long, but it's time for the excuses to stop, and the work to start. I have 4 jobs here on other peoples cars to finish, and a shop to organize, but it's happening soon. Here's a picture of the windshield when I parked it 1477 days ago. I'm glad I sit below the windshield. I wouldn't have needed hair gel for awhile if I wasn't below the windshield.
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That's a lot of oil. You really need an oil wiper.

 

That looks like a beautiful roadster. I hope you get it apart and back together so that you can enjoy it this summer.

 

Great roadster.

 

If you clean the engine then spray all the oil related areas with dye check developer
You may see the leak without ruining the engine
Engine must be cleaned very well
Blow the engine off with compressed air

if you don’t see any traces of a leak and have to run it
Remove the fan, you shouldn’t need to run it long

 

Well at least you know it didn’t get rusty while parked!

 

I'm suspect of the breathers, cut a sock up an slip over, See how much oil on short drive..

 

As mentioned, they have dyes for diagnosing now. Since it's coming out, I'd guess it will get the full kit of seals. Do it once type of thing.

 

All I see are air breathers attached to the valve cover, no PVC or any other method of expelling the built up crank case gases. Add in a little engine wear and the built up pressure has to go someplace, the breathers on the valve cover are the easiest pressure relief point on the motor. The motor is spitting out an oil mist, and the wind and fan are sending the mist to the first thing it contacts, the windshield, or the firewall if there is a hood.

I suspect a quick run on the highway, followed with a quick stop and a wipe around the bottom of the cover breathers will show you an oil presence.
Adding a PVC valve, or a road draft tube that dumps under the car, or spliced into a header pipe should remove the oil coating from the windshield or the firewall. I would also clean (or change) all the cover air breathers to be sure air can pass through them.
You have to have a way to get fresh air into the crankcase, then back out to solve the oil push. As is, you have a way to get air in, but it has to exit the same way.

 

Thanks for the replies. GENE-KONING, there is a road draft tube on the side of the block, under the carbs. The breathers have been on the car for a long time before the oil showed up. I did put old socks around the breathers and put new foam in them. Also I had the head rebuilt, new rings, new bearings, new gaskets and the oil didn't show up until many miles later. I just need to get my head back into it and figure it out. There were a lot of life things that caused the car to sit for this long. Those problems are now not a problem anymore.

 

I had a motor that would push oil out at higher highway speeds. A plugged up air breather was the cause of mine.
Maybe you need to put a baffle between the oil source and the breathers. The road draft tube could be partially blocked too.

 

Well today I pushed the Roadster outside for the first time in probably four years. I wiped it down to get the dust off it. It's cleaning up really well. I haven't started to clean the dust off the chrome, or clean the interior yet. I'll start on that tomorrow. I cleaned up in the shop a little, still a lot more to do in the shop. I pushed it back in, put the battery charger on it, and did some more stuff in the shop. I checked the battery and it's starting to take a charge. I put some gas in it, and checked the oil, the oil was a little low, so I topped it off. Right before I closed up shop to go into the house I hit the power button and had power, so I hit the starter button and it cranked over, I let it turn over until it had oil pressure, and when it got fuel pressure it tried to fire. I checked everything over and was happy with what I saw, I pumped the gas, hit the starter button, and she fired right up. I let it idle for a few minutes, and nothing was leaking, I was worried about the carbs leaking, but so far they are not leaking. It sounds great, and idles perfect. The radiator isn't in it so I didn't let it run very long. Tomorrow I will start cleaning the chrome, and maybe the interior. Oh, and the best thing is I think I know where all the oil is coming from. These engines have a belt driven overhead cam, and from what I can see right now is the oil is coming out the front cam seal behind the cam gear. Should be an easy fix. It surprising how dirty a car can get that has had an expensive car cover on it. I'm disappointed I've let it sit so long, but The wife's health problems really have put a damper on things, and having other cars to drive filled the void of the Roadster not being available. At least I still have it. And the wife's health is much better.

 

That’s great news!

 

a VERY easy 'like' for this one!

 

Car looks great and glad to hear your wife's health is better.

 

Glad to hear your wife is doing better.

I hope you can get the leaking seal replaced soon.
We want to see your smile while you go down the road.

 

Glad both the wife and car are on the mend, people always come first. Good Luck

 

All the best for your dear wife and your cool Roadster.

 

Thanks. I always seem to get a late start. Today I made it to the shop somewhere around lunch time. I guess I work second shift. I stayed in the shop until 7pm. Had to come in and eat with the wife. I pulled the valve/cam cover and cleaned it up. I replaced the gasket. pulled the sparkplugs, brought the motor up to top dead center, removed the cam belt, removed the cam pulley, and replaced the cam seal. Put the pulley back on, installed the cam belt making sure all three pulleys were still in time. checked valve lash, checked compression, readings are ok, a little more variance than I like, but not major. Put cam cover back on and fired the motor. It started right up again. It sounds great, and idles with a nice lope, it has a very old racing cam in it. I noticed a little oil from one of the MOON breathers where it bolts to the valve cover, so I pulled the cam cover again, removed the breathers, and resealed them. I also made a shield to go on the inside of the valve cover to stop any oil that might want to get in there. Once that was back together I put the water pump pulley, fan, and belt on. I cleaned the radiator out, it amazing how much can get caught in the radiator fins. I straightened some fins, and then painted it black again. The radiator should go back in tomorrow, as well as the coolant. Then hopefully I can finish cleaning the car up and take it for a rip. I just hope the brakes work like they should, and the calipers aren't sticking, and the clutch disk isn't stuck to the flywheel. I've had both of those problems in the past when it's sat for awhile.

 

Today I ran some errands in my off topic VW glass body Dune Buggy, visited with some old work buddy's, the wife wanted McDonalds for lunch, so off to McDonalds I go. It was actually pretty good. Made it to the shop about 3pm. By 6pm the Roadster was done. I took it for a rip, and man does it feel good to have it running and driving again. I feel like a dumbass for letting it sit so long, when about 3 days of work was all it took to fix the oil leak, and get it back together. But I had reasons. And in all that time I wasn't not working on cars. I accomplished a lot in that time. Now it's time for a deep clean of the car and shop. I sat in the shop until about 8:30 tonight. The old Roadster is like driving a street legal Go Kart! It's fast, it's loud, it's really low, and it handles great. The thing idles rough because of the cam, low RPM's it stumbles until you bring the R's up, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Four and a half years sitting, and the Roadster runs and drives like it's never sat at all. I hope everyone had a great day.

 

That is all wonderful news, about your wife, and the roadster both. Now go enjoy them both!

 

I have always enjoyed your car and I am glad you are able to enjoy it again. Hopefully our paths will cross again soon. Your car was part of the inspiration for a yard art project I just finished.

 

Just the medicine ya needed! I’ll be keeping an eye open for it

 

That’s a great looking motor!

 

I'm pretty sure a few of us are going to the SPAM drags August 16, Probably won't have the car though. I like the yard art. There's enough there to get a good start on a nice little car.

 

I wonder if I can run it at the SPAM drags without a rollbar? I might message Carl and ask. There might be 3 or 4 of us going in one car, so I'd probably tow it down if I could run it.

 

The yard art car was made from junk or stuff I made one off. I made the grille, the fiberglass hood and side panels. The bolt holes were elongated in the two wheels I used. The tires tread had separated. The windshield parts and the lights are rusty. The body was bad as there were voids between the gel coat and the fiberglass. These were parts that were extra parts of the stuff I gathered to make the cycle car I am working on currently.

The Spam Drags are a fun nostalgia race. I enjoy going but it is not the HAMB Drags. Last year there were few HAMB members attending. I think the Springfield swap meet is the next weekend this year. For some reason the dates of the Streetrod Nationals, Bonneville, Spam Drags and the Springfield swap meet are not falling into place like they have in the past.

 

I noticed the dates were different. We use to do the swapmeet on Friday, go to Joplin Friday night at the hotel, do the HAMB drags Saturday, back to the hotel Saturday night, up early Sunday and go back to the swapmeet. I don't understand why the SPAM drags don't have the same draw as the HAMB drags. Same damn thing. Ryan needs to bring back the HAMB drags. Now we just drive down Saturday for the drags and go back home.

 

Spent most of the day polishing. Spent most of the time on the side exhaust. DA sanded it, scotch Brited it polished it with a high speed buffer. About 4 hours on the exhaust. You can see how black it was in that one picture. Lots of work. I cleaned up the front suspension first. Then the exhaust. I've been outside all day.

 

It makes me so happy whenever a rod gets (back) on the road.