It's alive.

[swokrams]

Here is a pic of the water jacket. This stuff smells like it is living. The black is typical of the goop that grows in the Chesapeake Bay. It is under the green fuzzy stuff.

The inside of the oil pan looks clean (see the reversing gear pic).

I loosened the head bolts, but I just can;t seem to get the courage to whack it hard enough to loosen it. I tried prying with a 2x4 under the thermostat flange and levering against the flywheel housing. Used a 14 oz hammer on a piece of wood to tap around it. I might leave this sucker on.

[tenders]

You don't need to believe me but once you coax the head off, loosening the gasket's bond by driving a flexible paint scraper between the head and the block in as many places as you can get to, you'll see it's probably cleaner, twice as interesting, and half as scary as it is underneath the valve cover.

Actually, why am I trying to talk you into this? I can tell you're a curious sort. There's no way you're going to let the weekend go by without getting that sucker off. It's going to bug you when you wake up in the morning, I just know it.

[NorfolkRagbagger]

2 recommendations

Job ONE for getting the bolts off - small wire brush to get the crude from around the base of the hex, and PB Blaster! Sequence: Squirt PB Blaster - brush - squirt - brush - squirt - wait 15 minutes and your going to be surprised how well they come loose.

My innerds looked like yours too. Scoop what you can, dry inside as well as possible, then wet vac out the loose stuff. You will not get everything unless you pull the engine and take it to a quarter car wash - I didn't, and all is well. A very small tipped flat screwdriver helps to get the hard to reach places and corners. Another tip - don't wait until is 92 degrees outside!

Stick around this forum and you'll be fine.

When you need to fiddle with the reverse gear, get the video from this site - it's one of my prized possessions!

[swokrams]

Tenders, you were right. Here are the pics.
Norfolk, I lucked out big time. I only had to remove one stud.
Pics follow.

Cylinder #1 seems especially wet with gasoline and also cleaner.
I think this engine is running too rich or too cold. I will get a new and smaller jet for the carb. I already have a fix for the thermostat.

My neighbor, who used to rebuild engines for the Navy, says that the journals are worn. He detects this by turning the output shaft and comparing the play when the pistons are full up or down with the play when they are all even halfway up the cylinder.

Also, there is a definite place when the turning of the shaft makes a clunk sound. I think I have sometimes heard this when running. It is only in one spot and happens on every turn (so it isn't valves). I may try to record it and post it.

Steve