My 1950 dog hauling, trailer towing, daily driver Suburban

[wood1]

Looks real nice!!

[Coach529]

Damn that thing is beautiful!!

[NEWFISHER]

Overcame the cast header issue by cutting 3.5 inches out of the middle, turning the collector and welding it back up using a pre heat and cool method with nickle copper rod. Had it to the exhaust shop at noon,they finished at 4. Got it back to work and off early tonight to spend a little time running choke wire, fixing a coolant leak at the tstat housing, finishing up the Lokar pedal and cable adjustment, base timed it and turned the key. Runs great, super smooth and sounds awsome. Ill try to at least post pics in the next few days and fumble with a video. Driving it tomorrow!
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[mknittle]

Great! I am looking forward to seeing how it runs.Did you get the PCVBS sorted out?

I bet the dogs are excited!

[NEWFISHER]

Still working on the PCV system. Looked under the rig this morning and a giant puddle of coolant over night, no biggie probobly another hose or something. Fired it up to go drive it before work and clutch will not engage, backwards disc? Fiddled with grinding gears for a minute and then a huge continous plume of white smoke from the tailpipe until i shut it off and burried my head in the sand.

[youngrodder]

Newfisher...

Even though you may be frustrated a the moment, I love your Burb. I'm trying to locate one myself for my next project.

Good luck
Marc

[NEWFISHER]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

Newfisher...

Even though you may be frustrated a the moment, I love your Burb. I'm trying to locate one myself for my next project.

Good luck
Marc

Look for " Nice Burb, new engine, smokes" on Ebay shortly unless I start drinking again.

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by NEWFISHER

Look for " Nice Burb, new engine, smokes" on Ebay shortly unless I start drinking again.

That's funny right there. I too had issue debugging mine and I remember telling a friend that I was ready to burn it to the ground. Ha ha

It will get better and you will get these issues whipped in no time.

Marc

[NEWFISHER]

Thanks Marc,
There is nothing good about doing a big job twice and paying more money to resolve it the second time. I was reeeally leary about buying a "New engine" never installed from another forum member, but talked to the machine shop, drove to another state to get it and had my fingers crosse for 3 weeks now. At least I can uncross my fingers and pulling it out woill be easier.....right?

[youngrodder]

I've been following the tread but what happend to "Runs great, super smooth and sounds awsome"?

Have you determined what went wrong?
It does suck on many levels but keep your chin up.

Marc

[NEWFISHER]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

I've been following the tread but what happend to "Runs great, super smooth and sounds awsome"?

Have you determined what went wrong?
It does suck on many levels but keep your chin up.

Marc

"Runs great, super smooth and sounds awsome" was last night about 6pm-7pm after getting the timming set, adjusting the carb, waiting for the thermostat to open and topping off the coolant. I shut the key off with a great feeling of accomplishment and was excited to come back early this morning and drive it to the coffee shop before work. I left the house early, got to work, walked over to the body shop where I'm using one of the guys flat stalls at night vs. 40 degree and raining in my driveway at home and noticed a huge puddle of coolant sneaking past the front tire. I checked the coolant-low and thought " oh well, I'll top it off, start it , get it warm and check some clamps" but then I was engulfed in white smoke 30 seconds or so it seemed after starting it. I backed it out into the rain and it sits until I can figure out a game plan when my blood pressure falls.

[1project2many]

That sucks. Projects can get this way. If it makes you feel any better you're not the only one with bad luck. I actually had to borrow a truck so I had something to drive to work last week. I haven't had to do that in years. Everything seemed to break all at once and it cost plenty to get out of it. What a time to have to spend all your spare cash.

And if it means anything, that's really an awesome truck you have. If you have to park it for a while go ahead but don't dump it out of frustration.

[**grumpy**]

Dang man, so sorry to hear what happened. I saw the thread on the hamb.
Is it the head gasket?

Step away for a day or two. Take a deep breath.

[mknittle]

Sorry to hear about that!

[Divine 59]

Hey, I live vicariously through your posts. You are an experienced mechanic, I know you will figure it out and overcome this temporary set back.

[Russell Ashley]

We're all pulling for you on this one. Most of us have been there a few times.

You didn't mention any unusual noise when it started smoking. I don't know anything about that style engine, but is it possible that oil is puddling on the head enough that it's being sucked in around the valve stems? I've had this happen on a 72 Olds V8 when the drain holes got partially clogged. Mine was a fairly easy fix so I hope your is also.

[NEWFISHER]

Thanks guys. I have been helping a friend with his project and keeping my mind off of mine for a bit. My wife works 12 hrs a day during the month of December, hence the "every weekend planned project" this throws a wrench into the schedule, but it will get fixed.

Russell: Definately not oil, sweet smell of coolant in the white smoke from the tail pipe.

Update on the clutch, went to pull it across the street last night and it fired up great with the new carb, let it idle and warm up ( surrounding me with plume of white smoke) and was going to shut it off to put it in gear and restart in gear to overcome the clutch problem that I discovered when backing it up Monday. Trans went into gear, clutch feels great and works smooth in all gears....weird? Mabey if I let the Burb sit a few more days, the coolant in combustion problem will fix itself too?

[lonelywanderer]

never hurts to try right? hope you get her fixed and back on the road so you can start driving her again. love looking at pics of your burb

[mknittle]

Where was the coolant leak you spoke of earlier?

[NEWFISHER]

Originally Posted by mknittle

Where was the coolant leak you spoke of earlier?

The first one, before timing set and carb adjust , was the front T-stat housing to head. The leak I found sneaking around the front tire the next moring before I tried to drive it is still unfound as I am " taking a break " from working on it. I am borrowing a spot to work inside and between rain showers in the parking lot and cant afford to replace windows from throwing tools

[mknittle]

hmm, is your intake manifold heated by coolant?
what makes me ask is i have a edelbrock tourker from a 231 buick that looked almost new. when i claaned it up there were pin holes from electrolisis where the transfer ports are blocked off at the back of the heads.

[NEWFISHER]

Great minds think alike I picked up enough 5/8 heater hose and 2 male-male fittingsto bypass the intake. I pulled the plugs and dried the cylinders tonight. Also popped the rocker cover and checked head bolt torque....all ok. I'm going to bypass the intake, pressure test the cooling system and start eliminating leaks. If I can put a fuel line to my ear and each cylinder and hear nothing hissing, then ill fire it up. If it hisses, then off comes the head. Even though it should have warranty at the machine shop that built it (Arnson machine in Brookings,Or.) They aren't answering their phone this week. Mabey they are taking December off? I kinda wanted to keep them in the loop to bounce some theory off of them, but if its just a head gasket, then easy peasy. If its a cracked head, I will be making a long drive to knock on their door.
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[Coach529]

Originally Posted by NEWFISHER

Great minds think alike I picked up enough 5/8 heater hose and 2 male-male fittingsto bypass the intake. I pulled the plugs and dried the cylinders tonight. Also popped the rocker cover and checked head bolt torque....all ok. I'm going to bypass the intake, pressure test the cooling system and start eliminating leaks. If I can put a fuel line to my ear and each cylinder and hear nothing hissing, then ill fire it up. If it hisses, then off comes the head. Even though it should have warranty at the machine shop that built it (Arnson machine in Brookings,Or.) They aren't answering their phone this week. Mabey they are taking December off? I kinda wanted to keep them in the loop to bounce some theory off of them, but if its just a head gasket, then easy peasy. If its a cracked head, I will be making a long drive to knock on their door.
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Hope it is an easy fix.

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by NEWFISHER

Great minds think alike I picked up enough 5/8 heater hose and 2 male-male fittingsto bypass the intake. I pulled the plugs and dried the cylinders tonight. Also popped the rocker cover and checked head bolt torque....all ok. I'm going to bypass the intake, pressure test the cooling system and start eliminating leaks. If I can put a fuel line to my ear and each cylinder and hear nothing hissing, then ill fire it up. If it hisses, then off comes the head. Even though it should have warranty at the machine shop that built it (Arnson machine in Brookings,Or.) They aren't answering their phone this week. Mabey they are taking December off? I kinda wanted to keep them in the loop to bounce some theory off of them, but if its just a head gasket, then easy peasy. If its a cracked head, I will be making a long drive to knock on their door.
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Take the radiator cap off when you first fier it and watch for bubbles too.

[NEWFISHER]

Originally Posted by mknittle

Take the radiator cap off when you first fier it and watch for bubbles too.

Yes. When It started puffing coolant out the exhaust, that was my first idea....pull the cap and look as it hadn't heated up much and pressure wouldnt be extreme. I pulled it and no bubbles at that time, but it was like falling off a bridge-everything was happening so fast, but in slow motion at the same time.

I just had a call from a buddy here in town, whom I have never talked to before 9am and he says " I woke up in the middle of the night remebering a neighbor that Dad was helping with a 235 and the same thing happened. It was when I was 10, but I remember he built a motor and it ran great the first drive. He parked it and the next day it smoked. Dad ran a torque wrench on ALL of the head bolts and found one that had settled".
I told him that I had put a socket on most of them last night, but will run a torque wrench on ALL of them today at lunch before I by pass the heated intake.

Thanks for all of the suggestions and support!