I'm new to the board but I've been reading now for awhile. I've got a 32 Ford 5 window my father hot rodded in the 50's. The car sat for 40 years without a motor. About 8 years ago I had a 59A flathead built for the car: bored and stroked 5/16 x 5/16, ported and relieved, Edelbrock heads, Offenhauser regular dual manifold with two Stromberg 97's, Potvin 3/4 race cam, and Red's headers. The engine was run on a stand and the cam broken in before I picked it up from the builder. The car itself has 46 Merc hydraulic brakes, a 39 Ford transmission, and the stock 32 rear end. Unfortunately, the engine sat in the car for the last 8 years without being run while I did some other things on the car (re-built the hydraulic brakes, re-wired the car, etc), started a family, and restored our old house. I'm back to working on the car but now have a problem: the engine runs and seems to run well except it sounds like I have a sticking valve. I spoke to the builder. He said sitting for years could cause a valve or valves to stick but that I should drive the car and see if it loosens up. What are your thoughts? I'm a little concerned about damaging the cam by running it but it beats tearing the engine down. How long can I run it without damaging the cam and how long before I should give up and open up the engine? Anything I can add to the oil that might help in loosening the valve? Thanks for your help.
Welcome to the Hamb! We really don't answer questions on cars without pictures! If your really concerned, You could remove the head and very gently tap the valve after pouring some cleaner like Marvel Mystery Oil down it. But if it was my engine, I would just try some Marvel in the fuel tank and pour some down the carb. Add some to your oil too. This stuff does work and is not snake oil.
Two schools of thought here. It's common for flathead valves to stick and there's two ways to deal with it. Often just driving it will free it up or give it a bit of an Italian tune up. The other way is to pull the head off so you can get some WD40 etc on the valve and gently tap it back in while turning it over by hand. I agree with Petejoe though, if it was my engine and I was really concerned I'd definitely be trying putting some photos of it on here
You might want to just pull the intake manifold and have someone turn it over with the starter and see which valve is sticking ; if any, without going through changing head gaskets and retorquing the studs.
We drug home a 42 Ford that sat for 21 years. It was a parts car that came with a coupe. Just for shits and giggles we tried to get it running. There was one cylinder with a sticky valve that did't want to free up. I pulled the plug and used a plastic spray bottle filled with ATF. Using the stream setting I was able to squirt it on the valve stem through the spark plug hole. Along thin screw driver provided enough extra force to snap the valve back on the seat. I had to repeat this a few times before the valve stem freed up and the engine smoothed right out. You can't pry too hard on the valve in case it is up on the cam but it didn't take a whole lot to get the valve to snap shut. It will be a lot easier on a Deuce. I was leaning over that fat 42 fender making it hard to see. It worked for me and it doesn't require a lot of disassembly to try.
IMHO Blown49 has the right idea and the simplest fix, just pull the intake and find which valve is sticking and if you can't free it up by lubing it then pull the head and replace the valve. Sometimes they just get a bit bent and are easy to replace. You could spend a lot of time screwing around with it or just fix it. Check all the other valves at the same time.
Thanks for the advice so far. I'll try to post photos as soon as I get it out of the garage and running. How risky (in terms of camshaft damage) is driving it rather than yanking the head or intake manifold and trying to free the valve by hand? Also, a compression check should tell me which valve is stuck, correct? Thanks.
You can see the valve fine through the plug hole. Just pull the plugs and watch as someone turns over engine from crank bolt or with starting handle if car still has that. Try cycling it by hand with a good shot of penetrating oil...push shut (gently and on center, you can bend them easily), turn over engine to open, repeat closing with a probe. If you cannot close it by hand, I'd consider further messing a danger to engine and I'd pull the head and remove that valve assembly for a good cleaning. If it is easy to push down, repeat cycling it with lots of penetrant until you are thoroughly bored, then dump too much MMO into tank and into sump and go for a drive.
Marvel Mystery Oil Is the best..........Really. Nothing even comes close. I agree with Bruce. I have had the same thing happen on several flatties, MMO worked every time. I've only had to pull one head.
The FH geometry allows the oil to run out pretty quickly at rest...you can get sticking valves in a couple of months sitting idle. Usually it's no big deal, but if you can't move one fairly easily, take the unit out and clean it properly rather than risking damage.
start engine, remove carb. filter, bring up rpms and pour marvel mystery oil down carb...the whole thing, enough that it wants to die. It will smoke more than a cheech and chong movie, so do it at night, or when neighbors arent home.
Using the old screwdriver-stethoscope test, I determined the sticking valve to be in the rear cylinder on the passenger side. I pulled the plug, squirted some Marvel Mystery oil at the valves and replaced the plug. Fired up the engine and it was quiet for about 10 seconds, then the noise started again. Tried the same procedure with the same result a second time. I sprayed (liberally) some more MMO at at the valves a third time and I am going to let it sit over night before I fire it up again. I think I'll drive the car around for 30-40 minutes to try to get the oil temp up and see if the valve loosens up. I also dumped a quart of MMO into the crankcase. Anyway, that's the plan, unless somebody thinks it's a bad idea. Any additional thoughts? Thanks again.
At least you know it's a lubrication problem from sitting and not a bent valve or other expensive problem.
Yes, for direct application during actual sticking I would use a thin penetrant like Kroil. Use MMO after it is beginning to function and you're running it.
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