Water Injection in Old/Tired Chevy 350 TBI

[maybehabitformin]

Pull the heads have the valves grinded, seals replaced and guides replaced or knurled if needed, it will last another 100,000 as long as you have good oil pressure now.You can do this for 200.00 or less.I would expect the valve is not seating over the rings if you squirt oil in the cyl and the compression goes up it is the rings.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
I've followed this truck for a while now. You gotta fix it or part ways with it. You coulda had that engine rebuilt for the oil and additives your dumping into it.

Seriously if you replaced the rings, quick hone, and some valve seals all would be fine. Take a couple of days. Do it. We will help you.


Was going to say exactly this...by now, you've spent hundreds (be honest) on additives, spark plugs, piston soaks, and premium gas (@ 30 cents/gallon over regular) that a properly running 350 doesn't need... You could have simply fixed it for the same $$$...

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: BurrWinder
Originally Posted By: Doog
I would skip the water injection idea and try this:

1. Switch to 15w40 HDEO
2. Clean the TB and do a piston soak overnight with B12 Chemtool or similar.
3. Do a complete tune up (wires,cap, plugs,timing) and find a higher heat range spark plug and if possible a low voltage platinum style for the fouling cylinders.
4. Try MMO or Lucas upper cyl lube in your gas and see what happens.
5. Check your coil output


Dumb question. Why would you switch to 15w40 for this vehicle ? Ring sealing ? Not sure what the gain is there...


Ring seal. I have had some tired boat engines go another season or two on HDEO or a 20w50

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: maybehabitformin
Pull the heads have the valves grinded, seals replaced and guides replaced or knurled if needed, it will last another 100,000 as long as you have good oil pressure now.You can do this for 200.00 or less.I would expect the valve is not seating over the rings if you squirt oil in the cyl and the compression goes up it is the rings.


+1 real easy to test the compression

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: Phishin

I am inexperienced and doubtful I could replace rings and hone. That is out of my comfort zone. Maybe valve seals are next. I can do that. Or have a buddy do it for some beer.

Always reluctant to do it because compression was down to 100psi in that cylinder and all the other cylinders appear to be burning minimal oil.


You can hone if you can use an electric drill. This isn't the space shuttle. If it is only one cylinder then it is probably the valves. Either way...not rocket science.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: Phishin
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
I've followed this truck for a while now. You gotta fix it or part ways with it. You coulda had that engine rebuilt for the oil and additives your dumping into it.

Seriously if you replaced the rings, quick hone, and some valve seals all would be fine. Take a couple of days. Do it. We will help you.


Honestly. I haven't spent that much. $15-20/month for PEA. A couple quarts of Kreen....but it was sludged up when I got it. Oh, and I recently bought some Restore additive.

I am inexperienced and doubtful I could replace rings and hone. That is out of my comfort zone. Maybe valve seals are next. I can do that. Or have a buddy do it for some beer.

Always reluctant to do it because compression was down to 100psi in that cylinder and all the other cylinders appear to be burning minimal oil.


You told us all in another thread, "Most men find satisfaction in taking care of their vehicles and mechanicals. Whether it "economically" minded or not. "

Sometimes, that satisfaction has to come from actually fixing the mechanicals, instead of pouring more stuff in various parts of the engine and hoping for a miracle...you'll get more satisfaction from actual success rather than the continued failure of your strategies to date...

Trust me, I've rebuilt a few engines....

 

[Doog]

How about rebuilt cylinder heads....$300 for both.

http://www.shop.headsonly.com/GM-350-57-...Y-350-87-95.htm

 

[maybehabitformin]

There you go but if money is an issue you can just replace the seal with umbrella style or viton.And hand lap the valves i doubt its the rings and the guides are probably fine.This is SBC it needs a valve job is all.

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
I've followed this truck for a while now. You gotta fix it or part ways with it. You coulda had that engine rebuilt for the oil and additives your dumping into it.

Seriously if you replaced the rings, quick hone, and some valve seals all would be fine. Take a couple of days. Do it. We will help you.


Was going to say exactly this...by now, you've spent hundreds (be honest) on additives, spark plugs, piston soaks, and premium gas (@ 30 cents/gallon over regular) that a properly running 350 doesn't need... You could have simply fixed it for the same $$$...


$150-$250 on additives isn't much over the 20k miles I've driven the truck.

No one knows what's really wrong with this thing. And I suspect that there might be all kinds of issues on the horizon besides it burning oil. With all the knocks, rattles, and tapping going on at start up and at a hot idle....I'm pretty sure the main and rod bearings are severely worn....the cam/lifters are shot, etc. etc. Let alone, who knows how long it had an intake leak when I got it.

I'm pretty sure the whole engine is just worn out from abuse. So, I'm trying to limp her along...and she's actually been improving (running smoother, better idle, increase MPG's, etc.). Why put $500 in the heads, be out of a vehicle in the dead of winter, and have it throw a rod in 500 miles. That's my theory.

I think this engine could go another 50k miles just like she is. Maybe 10k miles. Maybe 100k. who knows. She already has 180k on the clock. If I can get her to 250k, with minimal additive purchases, I win.

Then a new tranny and crate engine will be installed.

 

[mechanicx]

I would just try replacing the valve guide seals on that cylinder (or while you have the valve cover off you might consider replacing all the valve guide seal on the head). It wouldn't cost much or take very long. It might just completely fix your issue and save you time and money in the long run.

 

[default]

Go get a spark plug non fouler from the parts store, run a heavier oil and carry on.

 

[Astro14]

You can find out what's wrong by spending $20 on a compression tester and another $20 on a shop manual. Squirt some oil in the cylinder, if compression improves, it's rings. If not, it's valves...low compression and heavy oil burning? my guess is rings, but troubleshooting saves effort in the long run...

Then, just fix what's broke...you can re-ring this (cut the ridge, push the pisyons out, hone the cylinders, clean the lands, reinstall) pretty simple on this

 

[mechtech2]

The timing may be 'dead nuts on', but can be incorrect for your broken engine. So retarding it is a good option.

Water injection like you want to implement will keep the cyls cleaner. Trial and error, and note the water use.
[Injecting water for anti detonation reasons like 440 said is a whole other story - it does not apply here.].

 

[jegs]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
I might look into a non-extended tip plug (fully recessed gap)for the fouling cyl. Extended tips are way overrated anyhow

REally, I would do the VG seals -cheap and easy. This sounds like you got piston/cyl danage wear in the cyl that was eating coolant. If worse is really worse, You may wish to consider pulling the lifters + pushrods for that cyl and shut 'er down.
"V7 because eight is too big, and six is too small"

Pulling the lifter (on this particular engine) would cause a massive internal oil leak and there would be no pressurized oil going to the crankshaft.

 

[jegs]

Originally Posted By: default
Go get a spark plug non fouler from the parts store, run a heavier oil and carry on.

^^^this^^^

 

[mechtech2]

Extended tip plugs are the greatest innovation for spark plugs.
A wonderfull idea that extends the heat range and keeps them clean at low power.

 

[Merkava_4]

How 'bout you rebuild that small block Chevy? Spring time is coming up and and SBCs are easy to
rebuild. I happen to know a very good machinist in Missouri and he's also a water injection expert.

 

[meep]

i like these:

1. replace one valve seal
2. push-button water squirty. doubles as smoke cloud button
3. attempt plug extender, hotter plug
4. crate engine. go 1-2 steps up above stock. it's just a few more 100. And it's cool.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: jegs
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
I might look into a non-extended tip plug (fully recessed gap)for the fouling cyl. Extended tips are way overrated anyhow

REally, I would do the VG seals -cheap and easy. This sounds like you got piston/cyl danage wear in the cyl that was eating coolant. If worse is really worse, You may wish to consider pulling the lifters + pushrods for that cyl and shut 'er down.
"V7 because eight is too big, and six is too small"

Pulling the lifter (on this particular engine) would cause a massive internal oil leak and there would be no pressurized oil going to the crankshaft.
EXACTLY. Roller cammed SBC gen 1. Good night.

 

[440Magnum]

Everyone saying "fix it right" is of course... right. But come on, there's some fun in band-aiding a tired horse, too.
Tinkering for tinkering's sake.

I kept the original 383 in my '66 Polara going WAY past when it "should" have been rebuilt, and it was actually dead-nuts reliable up until that last drive into the garage with 280,000 miles in prep for replacement with a 440. And that was on a 1966-assembled engine that was run on ancient tech lubricants the first 80k or more of its life. In the last 1/3 of its life, it was burning over a quart per 1k mile and had more blow-by than the PCV system could handle at idle, let alone under load... so it was weeping oil and vapor out every orifice. But I certainly had no fear of loss if I blew it up, so I had a LOT of fun with that low-deck high-revving big block. I kinda miss having a 383 around. Nothing else like one.