no wonder it always overheated

Horst · Unread post by **Horst** » January 1st, 2010, 10:18 am

Started cleaning my engine block today. This particular engine has only a few miles on it (Barstow MUTT), but always overheated and I had replaced it with a government rebuild.

While the rebuild engine works fine, it never had the power the original engine developed, why, I don't know. So I decided to investigate if I can rebuild the original one.

First thing was removing the freeze plugs. Especially the rear part of the engine was filled with rust. Not a chance for any water to circulate there.

I cleaned it mechanically with a piece of wire, anybody has a good idea how to make it really pretty?

sarmadq · Unread post by **sarmadq** » January 1st, 2010, 11:35 am

Horst,

You can run 'rust converter' through there and then flush it out with water later on. Don't forget to blow dry it later on.

Unread post by **rickf** » January 1st, 2010, 12:01 pm

Inam thinking phosphoric acid to clean out the rust and then a good hot water bath with baking soda to neutralize the acid. Once you have antifreeze in there it will not rust any more. You are going to definitely have to remove the head so you can get to the rest of the passages. You might want to inquire with some local machine shops about boiling out the block, they use a very caustic solution that may also remove the rust. The reason it got that way is because it was in dry storage, dry being the key word. No antifreeze to protect the metal.

Rick

Horst · Unread post by **Horst** » January 1st, 2010, 4:14 pm

yes, I have had pulled the head quite some time ago. The water passages to head were blocked, some partially, some fully, that was the main reason it overheated

Horst · Unread post by **Horst** » January 2nd, 2010, 9:56 am

Actually it cleaned up pretty good. Blowed it out with compressed air and looks good at the freeze plugs. I am still worried about the area between number 2 and 3, as there is no plug I can remove to get access to. (What's behind the data plate?)

Unread post by **rickf** » January 2nd, 2010, 11:19 am

I have seen engine without the plate and I dont remember there being a plug there. Just to clear things up about freeze plugs. They are not there to protect the engine, they got there name because they would pop out when a block froze. Problem is that by that time the block was usually cracked anyway. The reaso those holes are there was to get the sand from the block mold out of the block after casting. A mold for an engine block is made from sand and the iron is poured into the mold. After the steel or iron sets up the block is hammered and the sand breaks up and falls out through the holes. I had a job at a foundry for a while as a mold remover/ casting cleaner. DIRTY, LOUD, NASTY, HOT, job. You have a big ass air hammer that weighs as much as you and you just hammer on the casting until sand stops coming out. The piece is usually on an overhead conveyor so all of the crap lands on you. Did I mention HOT? Did I mention DIRTY?

Rick

Cobra5 · Unread post by **Cobra5** » January 2nd, 2010, 11:35 am

Horst wrote:I am still worried about the area between number 2 and 3, as there is no plug I can remove to get access to. (What's behind the data plate?)

There's nothing behind the data plate and the 34P only calls out for 4 plugs in the block. Normally when guys here rebuild engines they have the blocks dipped in an acid bath. Worth the expense especially after seeing all the crude you have in the block.

raymond · Unread post by **raymond** » January 2nd, 2010, 12:15 pm

That kind of dirt and rust has to be hard on the impellers in the water pump. I would definitely have the block professionally cleaned.

Mr. Recovery · Unread post by **Mr. Recovery** » January 2nd, 2010, 1:25 pm

Horst, I have one motor without the data plate on it and there is a "screw in plug" there. This is the motor from the 4X4 Vega I built back in the mid 70's, I used all the sending units for the Vega in the Mutt motor.

Unread post by **rickf** » January 2nd, 2010, 1:41 pm

I thought I was bad at keeping old junk! Tell me you didn't move that to Fla.!

Rick

Horst · Unread post by **Horst** » January 2nd, 2010, 2:12 pm

Dan, that's interesting and would help to clean it. Likelihood to unscrew that plug on the other hand is probably almost zero. I have another worn block and will investigate there first.

Mr. Recovery · Unread post by **Mr. Recovery** » January 2nd, 2010, 6:00 pm

Now Rick! why would I leave a good running motor ( at time of removal

) up in Baltimore. I just took that photo this morning to post here, I also have all the front and rear suspension parts from that build.

here's a photo of the Vega distributor I adapted to fit the Mutt motor.

Horst, I think it has a flat plug that takes a Allen wrench type tool, I used a hand impact driver like you use on motorcycles.

Ralph Fuller · Unread post by **Ralph Fuller** » January 2nd, 2010, 9:27 pm

What would it cost to have it dipped professionally? That gets my vote, why half-step?

Cobra5 · Unread post by **Cobra5** » January 3rd, 2010, 1:05 am

I guess I'll have to remove the data plate from one of my engines. Is this something that was possibly done to the earlier blocks? Can't find anything in the manuals about a plug but than again I don't have the older books.

svramselaar · Unread post by **svramselaar** » January 3rd, 2010, 9:01 am

hello

Horst you are not the only barstow mutt with this problem

bill yarvis (muttnut )from england has the same problems for a few years ago

i had to tow him a few mile`s to beltring (with the directions help from ken )

we dit soda in the cooling system to clean it without a thermostat

after a few cleanups he dit make to his home adres

the problem with your yanks is you don t use cooling liquid bud antifreeze in the 60/70 all rust

george

no wonder it always overheated

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