Vintage Mustang Forums banner

1966 Project untouched in 21 years.

9K views 95 replies 17 participants last post by  Trixler 
#1 ·
I bought a 66 off the webs. The origional owner passed away in the 90s with no family. The neighbor got the car and let it sit for 20 years in a swampy field. I decided to buy it for $780 as it was my dream car or turned in to a nightmare car. Im currently learning body work as every thing except the roof as of now needs cut welded or replaced. Being only 21 my knowledge is limited and Im stumped on this engine issue. The car sat 20 years NONE road but he said he started it up and tried to move it eh 8 years ago then again 5 years before i bought it. the motor was rebuilt and has no more than 20k since. I tested the rings pressue with the guage and they were tight. I was able to get it running and driving no noises but then a little tap started over the next 500 miles and developed in to this.
When this happened i had the head rebuilt, new valves, springs,rockers, and lifters with new push rods. I reassembled the engine and still making the noise running or not. It also knocked faster when the revs increase.(Its now on a stand with no plugs in it, when i turn it over with a wrench theres NO KNOCK.) Im out of ideas. i was hoping someone had thoughts before i tear it down for rebuild. oil pressure was good also
 
#3 · (Edited)
Welcome to VMF.
Something is obviously hitting something else as the engine rotates. Did you notice any problems with the flywheel/flexplate when you removed the engine? Remove the oil pan, turn the crank and see if you can find anything.

And throwing parts at it in hopes of fixing it without doing any diagnostics is the best way I know of to go broke in a hurry.
 
#7 ·
Yes its an automatic, no the engine and transmission are now separated, the trans was rebuilt and torque converter trashed after this video because it was leaking out of every hole. The transmission leaked out almost all of its fluid while sitting in the field.(could it be the transmission knocking?) Upon inspection of the flex plate the weight shows no signs of striking something but the welds mounting the ring gear to the plate have hit something and the tops have been knocked off shinny. Ill drop the oil pan after class to check bearings and piston condition.The cylinder walls were not damaged in any manor when i had the heads off. The cam was not rusty. The only reason I had replaced parts was the trusty mechanic and family friend thought it was a lifter failed. What you cant see in the video is the sound is coming from the rear center of the engine.
 
#9 ·
Here's my $.02. I think you can eliminate the bottom end and or flexplate. It is in the top end/valvetrain somewhere.

I came to this conclusion because in the video, the knock happens when the distributor rotor is pointing at 3 o'clock every rotation.

If the knock was happening in the lower rotating assembly, it would be happening at 3 and 9 o'clock.

If it were mine, I would take off the valve covers and crank it again like you did in the video. I bet you will see your problem.
 
#10 ·
Connect a remote start (about $17 at auto parts store) and crank engine while under the car and look.
Chock the wheels, wear safety glasses, throw a rim under the car in case the jack or jack stands fail (I've seen it happen before).
Maybe warped flex plate, loose flex plate bolts, mating surface to crank not clear of debris?
Good luck
 

Attachments

#11 ·
Heres better pics. The flex plate bolts are all tight and these are the only marks on the wheel. I have noticed that i have 69 302 heads and heres the rebuild plate if anyone knows info on it.
 

Attachments

#13 ·
I cant start it because the engine is on the stand. scrapman Where in the Valve train should i look? A bad lifter? also how can i check a warped flex plate and what could have hit those welds to make them shine with out hitting the weight. I have to replace the radiator support bracket on the front of the car and the lower radiator supports are rusted through also there are bit hole needing patched in the frame rails before i can put the engine back in the car.
 
#22 ·
It could be a warped flex plate from the shiny spots on the flex plate welds; but wouldn't the knock happen more than once per revolution of the distributor if it was hitting the block or the torque converter?

The crank has two revolutions for every one of the distributor.

At the end of the first video, you hear the knock exactly when the rotor is pointing at 3 o'clock. I would take the valve covers off, spin the engine so that the rotor is at 3 o'clock and closely inspect everything the cam/lifters/pushrods/valves are doing at that position. Did you by chance look at the cam lobes when the lifters were out?
 
#14 ·
PetesPonies I dont know it was thrown out over a year ago and i have a new one on the rebuilt trans sitting off to the side. I havent had time with college to get active on a forum before. The engine and trans were removed sept. of 2015 and put on a stand.
 
#29 ·
Yes. The cam lobes were fine. No pits or wear the peaks were normal. The entire valve train has been replaced so i dont think its that. Even the old lifter bottoms were good but i put new ones in and had the valves professionally adjusted. Turning the crank over by a wrench didnt knock even when it was in the car on the trans. But turning it by the starter as in the video it did. Also what would hit the welds but not the weight on the flex plate. They are facing the engine not the torque converter so i cant see any petrusions
 
G
#32 ·
If it was determined that the knock was one half the engine RPM, then that is my mistake. To correctly determine this, you need a running engine and a timing light. You point the light at the underside of the hood and the knock can be compared.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top