1968 Mercury 250 Camper Special

[Ranchero50]

Yeah, that's no bueno. I'd be pulling the engine for an inspection tear down. Much easier on the floor than in the engine bay.

[DuckRyder]

Hmmm...

Put back together, fire up and repeat?

I wish the pictures were bigger.

[cdnwillyg]

Robert this is as big as I can download, what pic did you want bigger? Not sure of your comment.
Not that it tells anything but the pressure gauge remained at 15 lbs. all night.

[Ranchero50]

Hop on imgbb.com and create a free account. Then host your images from there with with a link to the original size. Just copy the {img} link direct to the reply box.

[DuckRyder]

Robert this is as big as I can download, what pic did you want bigger? Not sure of your comment.
Not that it tells anything but the pressure gauge remained at 15 lbs. all night.

I’ve tried to click on several pictures to make them bigger, at that particular time I think it was the one that shows the back of the intake and it almost looks like it has blue RTV smeared on it. That would tell me that either the workmanship was overall not stellar or that someone was trying to seal it up after the fact. I’m not even sure I am seeing the RTV correctly...

I also was trying to see the coolant better as well.

Smugmug is pretty cheap too, once you get used to it posting to the web pretty easy... this should get you 20% off if you are interested:

https://secure.smugmug.com/signup?Coupon=8QX5Cp

While agree with Jamie that a crack in the block may open up when warm, I’d also speculate that a crack passing that much water in a short time would probably not hold pressure for that long on the pressure test. Button it back up, warm it up and retest cooling system warm.

With such an unknown history of this engine if this were me, I buy a gasket kit, snatch it out and dissemble it to see what I had... But I don’t have to pay someone to do that. Since it seems that you would have to pay someone more investigation may be warranted.

If there is coolant in the crankcase then it had to have come from the cooling system, unless it was sabotage... So the cooling system now holding pressure is a bit of a mystery.

If the water isn’t coolant (IE no antifreeze) that opens up more possibilities.

[Ranchero50]

CNTL + on chrome makes the whole page larger but the pics still beg more questions than they answer.

Thin liquid that came out of the pan before the oil was green. No good.

I looked back at the pressure gauges and it looks like the base pressure was only 20 lbs. I would have clamped off the radiator and heater core and nailed the engine with 80 psi or so. No sense muddling about with low pressure when there's obviously a problem.

One curiosity for the OP is, have you pulled the spark plugs yet? A coolant soaked one would definitely point towards a problem.

[cdnwillyg]

Good eyes Robert that does look like blue sealant on the intake. I did remember something said about the intake but for the life of me can't remember what it was for sure other than an issue. I'm trying to get back to the PO for more info.
Correct me if this is wrong but isn't RTV used on the front and back of the intake to seal and gaskets only on the head intake passages?
If in fact this was the problem and not corrected, if it reappears it could be addressed with engine in place.

[cdnwillyg]

Haven't pulled the plugs Ranchero50, there hasn't been any lose of coolant from system since I topped up the rad over a week ago and none coming thru the oil pan since the spill. For right now I need to get it to where I can test for true condition of engine. I haven't been to able to run it long enough to determine that. If it seems like I'm pushing to get it up and running that's why. If in fact this is more than a leaking intake or head then the engine will be taken out and done.
I need to get the rest of the truck together so it can actually rest outside and be able to move inside for work, right now it can't do that.
Thanks for the tip on the pics as well!!

[DuckRyder]

Good eyes Robert that does look like blue sealant on the intake. I did remember something said about the intake but for the life of me can't remember what it was for sure other than an issue. I’m trying to get back to the PO for more info.

If you have any luck with info, get as much as you can. It also looks like an Aluminum intake, which could be a weak point, particularly if it is an OLD aluminum intake.

Correct me if this is wrong but isn't RTV used on the front and back of the intake to seal and gaskets only on the head intake passages?

Technically it is only at the joint between the intake to head gasket and the cork end seals. Many (indeed most) people now use it for the end seals themselves and discard the cork. Still it should not be smeared all down the block end wall like it appears it is. It would not leak coolant there though. Point being if thats how it was installed, I’d suspect the installation o the gaskets to be equally sloppy, if someone was trying to seal a leak, it may not have been the only leak.

If in fact this was the problem and not corrected, if it reappears it could be addressed with engine in place.

You can pull the intake with the engine in the truck though the stock intake weighs like 80LBS so you’ll want to think hard about that. Aluminum is much easier though its still a bit unwieldy and it does need to be lowered straight down.

[Ranchero50]

Vale train needs pulled on an FE to get the intake off. Should be less then 35 lbs for an aluminum intake and carb package.

He's two bolts, some hoses and wires from having it on the stand though. Has proof it got coolant in the pan so it's kind of dumb to not pull the intake and possibly heads. Spark plugs 'might' show / smell coolant contamination proving beyond doubt that there's no point in plugging the trans back into place just to start it up.

[DuckRyder]

We should probably point out that antifreeze and bearings generally do not play together well, if the antifreeze has been sitting in the crankcase for a while, thats bad.

Jamie, I agree the best course of action is get it out and go through it, but it sounds as if WillyG does not have the facilities/tools/etc to do that.

Valvetrain is 8 bolts (note 2 are different, follow service manual to remove) and a piece of cardboard to organize the pushrods.

It might be worthwhile to try to get a look at the cylinder walls once the plugs are out.

[cdnwillyg]

Robert I agree that this engine should come out and gone thru but not at this point.
I bought this stalled project and because of the circumstances have very little info as to what has and hasn't been done to it other than what I can see. So looking into the engine will be imperative later but I need to get this truck at least moving if I can and put back together so it's not all over my garage. The damage to the engine is what it is but running it will give me more of an idea as what it will need...probably everything but that's okay.
I have access to all the tools I need to do a complete restoration but space is my issue. I'm normally a guy who takes things down to the last nut and bolt and starts from there just so I know its right, but this project needs to be different due to my space restrictions.
If anyone wants to help and take my Spitfire or my Mustang GT from me that would help and I could follow all this great advice.

[Ranchero50]

Shouldn't take much room to store the parts from the engine. A 12 x 16" cardboard box will hold the valve train bit. Valve covers and intake will sit on a sheet of cardboard under the truck. I think you're misplacing our emphasis towards a full rebuild vs. trying to find out what's wrong with the engine. Seems it would be much cheaper in the long (or even short) run to get keep the engine from swapping fluids before making it run. Seldom do we get to investigate problems like this so enjoy the 'help' and 'support'.

Have you pulled the spark plugs out yet?

[hfdco4]

I am still leaning toward removing the engine and going through it. I have seen lots of things happen, but never that one. It was good that it started, but the fact that you blew out that plug and you drained the engine of oil is scary. That is the main oil galley for the engine, so if you are building too much oil pressure that could be a problem. The fact that you got somebody's stalled project could be an issue too. You already found problems, the wrong radiator and bad starter solenoid. You are so close now, pull the motor and work on it this winter. If the heads do not have hardened seats for the exhaust you will want to make that change anyways.

[cdnwillyg]

I understand the concern about the engine, but the tranny is back in and the rest is almost done as well. I well give it another shot at running with a proper gauge in place for the oil pressure. Watch the rad for bubbles and of course oil for water. If it runs to where I can get it to operating temperature without issue that would be great. Compression test then done.
If all is good I will drain the oil for fresh oil, if not well then you guys can tell me you were right! Either way at least the engine gets an oil flush!!
In my mind I have nothing to loose but my time and as stated before I seem to have that covered in spades and the info gathered will help, no more speculation.
I know taking out the engine with the tranny is way easier than removing the transmission working off my back at my age by myself, that was brutal.
I know I'm rolling the dice but strongly feel this is the way for me to go!
Let's wait and see what happens..hopefully tomorrow I'll have answers.