Re: IML: Re:73 440 Timing Chain

[Tim Durrer <tdkd99@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks everyone for your input. Someone asked how much
oil the car is burning. I would estimate that to be
about 1 quart every 700 miles. (10w30). The smoking is
only at start up after the car has been sitting for an
hour or more. Cold or hot does not seem to matter.

Someone else also asked what spark plug non- foulers
are. These are available from most parts stores. They
screw on the end of a spark plug and are designed to
keep oil deposits off the end of the plug. I think I
am going to try one on my car.

Thanks again.

Tim Durrer
73 LeBaron Blue Sky  
--- "Klebert L. Hall" <swampyankee@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> > From: Tim Durrer <tdkd99@xxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: IML:
> >
> > List,
> >
> > I am debating whether to have the timing chain and
> > sprockets replaced on my 73 440 with 101,000
> miles, or
> > rebuild the entire engine. I am oil fouling the
> number
> > 6 plug causing an annoying miss and I have a
> slight
> > leak in the rear main oil seal. When I had the
> valve
> > covers off, the engine appeared to have had spotty
> oil
> > changes over the years judging by the amount of
> sludge
> > on the heads. The prevous owner had the valve
> seals
> > replaced a number of years ago, but, not the
> timing
> > chain. I get a pretty big puff of blue to white
> smoke
> > at start up.
> >
> > I can't afford the whole rebuild job until next
> year
> > and I would like to drive the car occasionally in
> the
> > mean time. My question is: How much more $$$ will
> it
> > add to the overhaul if the engine jumps time
> between
> > now and then? According to the archives, there was
> > much discussion over whether or not the 440 was an
> > interference engine. (I think it is).
> 
>    It would surprise me if the engine failed
> catastrophically at only 
> 100,000 miles, even with previous bad maintenance. I
> generally think of the 
> 440 as a quarter-million mile engine unless somebody
> sets out to wreck it. 
> My car seriously oil-fouls two plugs, and slightly
> oil fouls two others 
> (very rich operation and gas leak-down from a *very
> * bad carb previous to 
> my ownership wrecked the oil retaining rings), and.
> I have more-or-less no 
> upper main seal. These problems were present on the
> car when I bought it, 
> and I've driven it 40-some-odd thousand miles since
> then. I'm not expecting 
> to rebuild for two or three years. I don't really
> get smoke on startup, but 
> I drive it every day usually so there's no time for
> seep. When it sits for a 
> few days, then I get smoke.
> 
>    You might try Autolight 86 plugs instead of the
> 85s, for the fouling - 
> they're hotter, and take way longer to foul. In my
> car, I went from needing 
> to replace the plugs every 2-3 months, to them
> lasting 6-8 months.
> 
>    I didn't think interference was really a problem
> before the OHC / timing 
> belt cars, but I guess that shows what I know.
> 
> > Also, has anyone ever used those spark plug non
> > foulers that attach to your spark plugs on a 440
> > before? Did they work?
> 
>    Never heard of these.
>      -Kle.
>      '69 Crown 4DHT 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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