1963 classic aluminum 196

Farna: I like the way you think! I'll do as you suggest and report back after I get the head back from the shop. If anyone knows of a good place in Portland, let me know.

The bent pushrod was probably caused by a sticking valve which I think was reflected in one of your compression tests.  You can just drain the oil and wipe down the surfaces that you can reach with shop towels.  I've never had oneof the heads off of my aluminm engines either but you should be be gentle with those sealing surfaces.   I would not recommend using any abrasives.  Perhaps a dull putty knife and some patience.  You could try some petroleum solvents or some MEK but wear respiratory protection.  Anything that will help release the old gasket adhesive but won't corrode aluminum.   You can reuse the head bolts.  Clean them with a wire brush before reuse.  I'd flush the cooling system too whenever it is convenient.  Oh, and if you get those sealing surfaces spanking clean like you will want to do, you can use a straghtedge and feeler gauages to make sure the block is not warped.  Joe

The sealing surfaces on top of the bores themselves are cast iron. You can use a light abrasive on those. The outer edges of the block are aluminum, but it's not a real soft aluminum. Scrape what you can off with a plastic scraper first. Won't hurt to go over all of the surfaces with a scotchbrite pad after the majority of the gasket is off. Don't use one of the real rough red colored ones, a green pad is all you need.

The milky crud is just oil and water mixed. I wouldn't use MEK, but any other solvent will be good -- plain old mineral spirits or paint thinner. Wipe what you can out with a rag first, then use solvent and let dry.

The valves are notorious for sticking from sitting, especially after running new gas through the old tank. Gas with alcohol in it dissolves residue from older formulations of gasoline used over the decades. The resulting vapors get in the valves and condense. If the engine is regularly run there doesn't seem to be a problem, but if it's run a bit then sits up for a few months the residue sticks the valves. You may as well plan on pulling all the valves. Easy enough to do! Then clean the valve stems real good with solvent and a scotchbrite scrub pad. There's no way to get inside the valve guides short of using a drill bit the same size as the valve stem. Be careful if you attempt that -- you don't want to drill the guide out to a larger size. The guides could be replaced, but I'd be reluctant to go to that expense until I knew the rest of the motor was good. Take the tank off and clean it or have it cleaned before putting back in service. Easy enough to do! For now just hang a half gallon anti-freeze jug under the hood and run the fuel pump line into it. That will serve to get you running and even around the block a few times, but about three quarts won't take you more than about 15 miles (you don't want to fill the gallon jug all the way up!).

I wouldn't worry too much about those old bearings. I've cracked a head and dumped a lot of water in the crank case before. The bearings were fine. If it wasn't run much after it started leaking water and/or the oil was kept changed they should be okay. Some modern bearings will quickly blister and deteriorate once exposed to water (GM aluminum bearings mainly), but those old ones hold up pretty well in that motor -- lots of bearing area and low pressure on them. Won't hurt to pull the pan and take a look, but I wouldn't be afraid to fix the head and crank it. As Tom mentioned, there could be a bottom end problem later, but the crank and rods are easy enough to come by -- will fit from a cast iron 196 (L-head or OHV). The head and block itself are the biggest concerns.

sad, that's a bummer, but common enough (AMCs being econo cars people tend to drive them into the ground, and maintenance is usually abandoned).

Almost certainly, the engine was overheated, possibly severely. Frank will know more, but that block will need a serious looking-at by a shop equipped to handle it. It is an exotic engine at this point.

The cast iron is old-fashioned, has some peculiarities, but it is basically an ordinary engine, and people here can tell you lots of tips on building one.

It's your choice, whether you can afford the aluminum engine build, and have the patience to deal with the exotic. Iron engines are a lot easier to find. I got two free ones when I was readying to build mine, though i had to go get them with a little trailer and hoist. And both had been overheated one with a cracked head. One had been rebuilt once, and the other, i suspect. They rugged, long-lived old things.

pacerman wrote: The bent pushrod was probably caused by a sticking valve which I think was reflected in one of your compression tests.  You can just drain the oil and wipe down the surfaces that you can reach with shop towels.  I've never had oneof the heads off of my aluminm engines either but you should be be gentle with those sealing surfaces.   I would not recommend using any abrasives.  Perhaps a dull putty knife and some patience.  You could try some petroleum solvents or some MEK but wear respiratory protection.  Anything that will help release the old gasket adhesive but won't corrode aluminum.   You can reuse the head bolts.  Clean them with a wire brush before reuse.  I'd flush the cooling system too whenever it is convenient.  Oh, and if you get those sealing surfaces spanking clean like you will want to do, you can use a straghtedge and feeler gauages to make sure the block is not warped.  Joe