Stuck Rings?

[Excaliber]

Bear in mind this guy is talking about airplanes and VERY VERY high standards of what is 'acceptable' for such an engine. While the basic points of humidity, condensation, loss of oil on the surfaces over time and acidic properties of water mixing with oil are all true, I wouldn't loose any sleep over it. Well, unless I was FLYING the plane were talking about.

Fact is many people park their Cobras for extended periods of time. Just check out the typical LOW mileage and compare that to time of ownership. 500 to 1500 miles in two years or more is pretty common. So does engine 'corrosion' occur over this time frame? Well yes and no, I believe from a practical standpoint it's not that big a deal for a car engine.

The BEST points in his article? Oil has drained from the surfaces of an engine that has been sitting idle for an extended period of time. Initial startup would call for a LOW rpm while the oil is being redistributed. This also makes a STRONG case for light weight oils, like 5-30 wieght, so it's circulates faster. Also, change oil not based on mileage, but based on TIME for the bulk of us 'low mileage' guys.

Best thing you can do for your motor? Use it or loose it, DRIVE it!

[c6ae]

The “Top Oiler” engines have a large oil gallery above the cam and crank and will provide oil on start-up after even fairly long term storage. This design dates back to the flatheads and is a carry over of sorts from the model A and T splash systems and is an effective reservoir. I have disassembled engines that were not run for over 25 years and still found oil in this gallery. Amazing, old school engineering.

[Jon Miller]

Well, no amount of oil would have fixed this.......



This is the 25 PSI piston, and what's left of the top compression ring. I've also got a wiped out lifter and cam lobe just for good measure......

The piston is bent down below the top ring groove and looks fine from above. It may have been like this since it's last rebuild 30,000 miles and 15 years ago. It did not do any visible damage to the bore, but it's going to a machine shop to get checked by someone who (I hope) knows what they are doing.

-Jon

[Excaliber]

Even the mighty power of Marvel Mystery Oil couldn't touch that!

Good luck with the rebuild, which is often as much fun as driving the beast.

[olddog]

All the metal that used to be on that lifter and cam lobe, turned to powder, and powdered metal is now distributed all through the oil galleries. Pitch the cam, and lifters.

You cannot clean the block, head, and crank too many times. Soak it, flush it, and brush it, until you think you are going nuts. Then clean it one more time. Do the same with any part you use out of that engine, like pushrods.

Or you can through it back together and see how may miles it will go, like the last guy did - maybe.

[Jon Miller]

First stop will be the hot tank......What happens after that depends on what the machine shop tells me. Hopefully I can get away with a hone and avoid going to 40 over.

Thanks,
Jon

[c6ae]

Ask the hot tank guys to remove all the gallery plugs before it goes in the tank...
To go to .040 won't be the end, that will only be .005 per each side of the bore.