Excessive posting? ... Interesting.....

[Carl Miller]

I'm in the same boat as you. 302, 307 Olds, 318, 350, and 351. Only ever had a 6 banger once, in a '58 Chevy. Had the inline 6 and a three-on-the-tree. Pulled that and put a 327 and a TH400 trans. Pepped it up a bit.

You must have never driven a "big six". a 292, 301, hell even a 261 is a major improvement over a 216/235.

I second what Justin B. said. You don't know what you're missing until you have a warmed over bigblock under the hood.

As an aside to James; I opened the petcock in the radiator and not a drop of coolant came out. I dug around with an icepick and only pulled out mud. The radiator is pretty plugged up.

 

[jamespowers]

As an aside to James; I opened the petcock in the radiator and not a drop of coolant came out. I dug around with an icepick and only pulled out mud. The radiator is pretty plugged up.

Sounds like a mess. You can backflush the radiator clean fairly easily. The cause of the corrosion is the big problem. You are getting air and pollutants into the sytem some way. Then again, I think you found the overheating problem.
The other causes could be a bad water pump, thermostat, hoses, clogs, etc. I know we can jump the gun sometimes but if you troubleshoot all those and it still overheats then you have a bigger problem---blown head gasket etc.

 

[Carl Miller]

Sounds like a mess. You can backflush the radiator clean fairly easily. The cause of the corrosion is the big problem. You are getting air and pollutants into the sytem some way. Then again, I think you found the overheating problem.
The other causes could be a bad water pump, thermostat, hoses, clogs, etc. I know we can jump the gun sometimes but if you troubleshoot all those and it still overheats then you have a bigger problem---blown head gasket etc.

One of the headgaskets is blown. I pressurized the cooling system and water shot out from between the head and block on the rear cylinder bank. The motor is coming out and getting stripped to the shortblock. Now I have to decide on whether its easier to pull the motor out from the top or remove the entire subframe out the bottom.

 

[jamespowers]

One of the headgaskets is blown. I pressurized the cooling system and water shot out from between the head and block on the rear cylinder bank. The motor is coming out and getting stripped to the shortblock. Now I have to decide on whether its easier to pull the motor out from the top or remove the entire subframe out the bottom.

Oh geez! I hate to be right when it causes that much trouble.
Taking it out from the top is easier. There is a lot of hoses and electrical to get out of the way but removing the suspension just seems way out there to me unless you have a full shop with a car hoist and all the tools to drop the cradle. The top way just requires conventional tools . You can remove the AC pump without discharging it if you are careful too. Just remove both fans and the radiator and the AC compressor will just set on the frame, still charged.
I hope you have an engine leveler to angle it out. It makes it easier. Put it on a stand and it will make timeserting easier.

 

[Carl Miller]

Oh geez! I hate to be right when it causes that much trouble.
Taking it out from the top is easier. There is a lot of hoses and electrical to get out of the way but removing the suspension just seems way out there to me unless you have a full shop with a car hoist and all the tools to drop the cradle. The top way just requires conventional tools . You can remove the AC pump without discharging it if you are careful too. Just remove both fans and the radiator and the AC compressor will just set on the frame, still charged.
I hope you have an engine leveler to angle it out. It makes it easier. Put it on a stand and it will make timeserting easier.

I have all of it. I'm going to pull it out from the top. I can't have the lift tied up that long with a caddy that wont roll as I share the shop with a couple of friends.

I already have the radiator, rad support and cooling fans out. I have an engine swap on a suburban to wrap up first but I'll post up pics of the carnage as soon as i tear into it.

 

[jamespowers]

I have all of it. I'm going to pull it out from the top. I can't have the lift tied up that long with a caddy that wont roll as I share the shop with a couple of friends.

I already have the radiator, rad support and cooling fans out. I have an engine swap on a suburban to wrap up first but I'll post up pics of the carnage as soon as i tear into it.

Well then you have a good set up to work with. You also have a good start.
I'd love to see how it goes. Those damned aluminum blocks.....

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Have not. Mine was a 235, with a cracked block. I'm just not a six-banger guy. An engine bay looks so empty with one in it.

You must have never driven a "big six". a 292, 301, hell even a 261 is a major improvement over a 216/235.

I second what Justin B. said. You don't know what you're missing until you have a warmed over bigblock under the hood.

My dad's first car was a '66 Caprice wagon with a 396 Turbo-Jet and a TH400.

Looking at an Eldorado ragtop with a 500 in it, if the Country Squire sells.

Big blocks are a creature all their own. I highly recommend having one at some point in your life. My favorites are the 396(402) and the 428CJ.

 

[jamespowers]

Have not. Mine was a 235, with a cracked block. I'm just not a six-banger guy. An engine bay looks so empty with one in it.



My dad's first car was a '66 Caprice wagon with a 396 Turbo-Jet and a TH400.

Looking at an Eldorado ragtop with a 500 in it, if the Country Squire sells.

You still want to get that 77 Eldorado eh? I thought you passed on that one or is this a new one?

 

[AtomicEraTom]

That was a red slicktop. This one's a triple white convertible.

You still want to get that 77 Eldorado eh? I thought you passed on that one or is this a new one?

 

[jamespowers]

That was a red slicktop. This one's a triple white convertible.

The red one didn't have the hippie top and you didn't buy it?!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I prefer the vinyl top, but I liked the colors. He just wasn't willing to play ball on the price. Thing had been for sale at the same price for 2 or 3 years.

The red one didn't have the hippie top and you didn't buy it?!

 

[nice hat dude!]

I prefer the vinyl top, but I liked the colors. He just wasn't willing to play ball on the price. Thing had been for sale at the same price for 2 or 3 years.

Don't ya just love it you see something that's been sitting in the weeds for years you go ask about it usually get told it's not for sale then a week later someone else buys it for less than what you'd be willing to pay....just can't win!!

 

[jamespowers]

I prefer the vinyl top, but I liked the colors. He just wasn't willing to play ball on the price. Thing had been for sale at the same price for 2 or 3 years.

What is play ball? $5,000.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I want him to come down 1,000 bucks or so.

 

[jamespowers]

I want him to come down 1,000 bucks or so.

So you want it for like a grand?

 

[AtomicEraTom]

1500. I think that's a fair price, considering I gotta replace the battery, fix the tranny pan gasket, and trailer it, only to bring it home and find out what other problems it's amassed while sitting the 2-3 years I've been seeing it on the Craigslist.

So you want it for like a grand?

 

[jamespowers]

1500. I think that's a fair price, considering I gotta replace the battery, fix the tranny pan gasket, and trailer it, only to bring it home and find out what other problems it's amassed while sitting the 2-3 years I've been seeing it on the Craigslist.

You probably have to rebuild the transmission if it has been sitting that long too. The seals dry up and don't work--not just the pank gasket. If the body and interior are ok then it might be worth the mechanical though. A hippie top delete is rarer and worth more to me.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I know they're worth more without the top, and the body and interior was very good. I planned on flipping it, so I needed to get it cheap. I gotta pay wholesale and sell retail, you know?

You probably have to rebuild the transmission if it has been sitting that long too. The seals dry up and don't work--not just the pank gasket. If the body and interior are ok then it might be worth the mechanical though. A hippie top delete is rarer and worth more to me.

 

[jamespowers]

I know they're worth more without the top, and the body and interior was very good. I planned on flipping it, so I needed to get it cheap. I gotta pay wholesale and sell retail, you know?

Or you could just send it to me.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I'd have cut you a good deal, we are friends after all.

Or you could just send it to me.