Does this mean my engine is junk? I remember reading about it a long time ago but can't find it in the search. It runs and I can drive it but I just noticed some water bubbling up around one of the sparkplugs. I can't remember if that means I have a cracked block, head, or warped head, bad head gasket? I was thinking cracked block but hoping for the best. Would you guys still drive it anyways? Is it fixable? Thanks
It dosen't mean you have a big problem. It can be a blown head gasket, cracked head or cracked block, or maybe a small hole in the combustion chamber. Put a can of stop leak in the radiator, should take care it. If it dosen't then you more than likely have a blown head gasket.--TV
Might be just me but...I wouldn't use stop leak!!!!!! It's gotta be the head, remove it and check for cracks.
I think it would have to be a head too. I am having a hard time trying to imagine how a bad head gasket would leak around a spark plug?? Am I missing something?
No I haven't tried penicilin yet. That may be the ticket! Upon closer inspection I think the water is dripping from the coolant hose that comes out of the top of the head. It looks like it is pooling around the sparkplug and there must be a small air leak around the sparkplug that is giving that bubbling. Thanks guys but I think I got it figured out. For some reason I was thinking that I read somwhere that water around the sparkplug was a sign of a cracked block. Guess not. That sucka sure is slow though. I need some go fast goodies. Can someone tell me the difference between a truck flathead and a car flathead? The previous owner told me he thought the engine in it was from a truck. I have heard the waterpumps were better with the truck (ball bearings) but it looks as if it has rebuilt waterpumps anyways so I am not sure if they were for a car or not. Any other differences. Its an 8BA.
You have to determine if coolant is getting into your combustion chamber. If it is, you will have exhaust gases in your cooling system, If this is the case, you will have a busted head gasket (with an underlying cause), a cracked block, or a cracked head. If there are no gases in the cooling system, I can only imagine a crack in your head which is allowing coolant to seep out in the area of the plug threads.
Now just how would a cracked block get coolant to come out around a spark plug? Think about it, the head bolts to the block. And there can be loss into a combustion chamber with no evidence of it in the coolant. One cause would be a leak above the intake valve. Rare but I have seen it. And if you want fast then why are you running a flatty? A healthy stock 283 chevy will outrun a hot rodded flatty. At the going prices just a muliple carb setup and aluminum heads is going to set you back a grand. Don't get me wrong, I have a flatty for my A project but not because I intend to burn up the road with it.
Now just how would a cracked block get coolant to come out around a spark plug? Head bolts to block and forms combustion chamber with cylinderand piston. Crack in block is from water jacket to cylinder. Water seeks path of least resistance. Water gets in cylinder. Cylinder pressure forces water out around 50 year old worn out threads in spark plug hole.
To willowbilly3 Forgot to add, I am with you on the flathead issue. I have to explain to people every day why I am using a flathead to power my AV8. They will never get it.
Damn, calm down. I was thinking that I read that coolant pooling around the sparkplug was a sign of a cracked block. That is why I came here and asked. I didn't assume anything. I could, however, imagine water getting in to the combustion chamber and pushing through the threads on the sparkplug. Upon further inspection when I let it sit a while longer after being pressurized I saw where the water was really coming from. It is coming from the coolant line. And no, I am not trying to tear up the streets with my flathead. It does need some oomph though. I know I am not going to get loads of horsepower from it but I would like to wake it up. I was asking a simple question about the difference between the car motor and the truck motor.
car and truck are basically the same engine and IMHO, your concern regarding cracked block coolant coming up around the spark plugs is not "out there" at all...not likely but possible with a huge crack and really worn spark plug threads I suppose. Glad it isn't that anyway. I never liked the hokey ass distributor arrangement the 8-BA's had. If you didn't have the correct carb mounted, the vacuum advance/retard system didnt' work right and the engine will heat, run sluggish etc etc. I really like the conversion to a GM HEI distributor with a common vacuum advance system. It works with multiple carbs too where the stocker setup is thoroughly confused. High compression heads or just milling the stock heads helps too, not to mention a "3/4 race" cam swap. With those modifications, 130-140 hp isn't too much to expect from your 8-BA.
Yeah, I was going to start with headers and a dual exhaust. Mine is too quiet anyways. I thought about milling the heads and making them more similar to the "Denver" heads. They used these at altitude to make up for some of the sluggisness I am suffering from. Didn't know that about the distributor. Is there anything else that would work? I don't know if I like the idea of having a modern and huge distributor on my car. Hell, I am still 6 volt. I might go to 12 volt but I want to at least keep the generator. I want it to be a period vehicle set in the mid to late fifties. Eventually when money permits I will do an intake setup. So, were the horsepower, compression ratios and cams the same between car and truck?
[ QUOTE ] Who makes an HEI? [/ QUOTE ] You need to do the conversion yourself. To my knowledge, no one is doing this commerically. Most of the flathead books talk about converting Chevy distributors for use in the 49-53 flathead - all of that will work with an HEI as well.
I had the same bubbling around the spark plug When I first started my motor, it was the same problem you had , leaking radiator hose leaking down to head. But you need to address the fact that air is coming out around the plug, you may be losing compression if it is leaking. I agree about the distributor, if you want to stay old timey try to find the mallory dual point, I found one pretty easy. there are alot of guys running these motors, they can be fun.
[ QUOTE ] Can someone tell me the difference between a truck flathead and a car flathead? The previous owner told me he thought the engine in it was from a truck. I have heard the waterpumps were better with the truck (ball bearings) but it looks as if it has rebuilt waterpumps anyways so I am not sure if they were for a car or not. Any other differences. Its an 8BA. [/ QUOTE ] Some truck engins came stock relieved, some were thicker, some have a different angle to the cylinder. The early ones have a larger key stone shaped center water port to the head. pogo
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