passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

I took off the heads and intake to adjusted the tappet lash.


After reinstall, I did temp readings with an interfered gun and the cooling on all cylinders front to back seems to be even. The odd thing is the passenger side of the block is running roughly 20 degrees warmer than the driver side. An again, all cylinders on passenger side running even, but 20 degrees hotter than the driver side.

The water pump on the passenger side seemed smooth and tight when I had it off, just like the driver side pump.

I noticed a slight tapping on cylinder 4. I located the tapping with a long screwdriver on the head near #4s plug. I don't believe I had the tapping before adjusting the tappet gap for the valves. Could the tapping be causing overheating and poor valve gap adjustment?

It starts cold, but is very hard to start once it starts to warm up. This time the hard starting is even at temperatures as low as 150, so not vapor lock/boiling fuel in the bowl. I bench tested my coil and according to my numbers with a volt meter, the manufacture tech said it was on its way out. Although he had to verify with his supervisor, ten minutes later on hold. I was not really that confident in his knowledge as a tech advisor as he didn't understand my bench test numbers as what was under or over spec. This was MSD home page and their tech! I know they produce quality parts, but to me this was disappointing. Are all companies cutting corners this hard?

Could a suspected lazy coil cause hard starting and overheating?


Regards

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

It is fairly common for one side to run hotter than the other.

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

Its not uncommon , 20 degrees perhaps a little on the high side .. Did you shave yours heads or have them faced , did you check clearance? possibly the piston touching the head..just a thought. And yes poor adjustment to the valve[s] or sticking ..

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

One side hotter than the other is pretty common. Don't fret over it.

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

Ideal situation to make a hot water heater more efficient :)

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

This may not be as far-fetched as it might be at first thought. My '51 is the same way. I wonder if there may be a subtle difference between the water passages in the block, head gaskets, or heads to facilitate the operation of the heater (at least on 8BA's). Just for kicks and giggles, I'm going to put a set of 8BA head gaskets back to back and check to see if there are any differences that might effect coolant flow. I really don't expect to find any, but I've never even thought of that before and it won't cost nothin'.

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

tubman, I am sure you are aware that there was a redesign of the original 8BA head gaskets to actually divert more water to the rear of the block. Wonder if that creates a temperature differential?

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

The same situation exist with the 59a blocks, don't think it is a head gasket issue.

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

I knew that, but that's a difference from front to back. What I was thinking of is holes on one side bigger that the other.

"JSeery", I'm not too familiar with the earlier flatheads, but the Ford engineers made some pretty sophisticated changes in water distribution on the 8BA's for cooling purposes, why not to make the heater work better?

Please note : This is all speculation on my part, but it would explain this often observed phenomena.

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

Talkwrench
"Its not uncommon , 20 degrees perhaps a little on the high side .. Did you shave yours heads or have them faced , did you check clearance? possibly the piston touching the head..just a thought. And yes poor adjustment to the valve[s] or sticking .."

Thanks for the response


I did not shave my heads or have them faced. I pulled the heads to check valve lash, cleaned up the surfaces, bought new copper gaskets and reinstalled. I adjusted the valve lash to 11 intake and 13 exhaust for 8BA block. Is the ticking more likely a piston issue and not a valve noise? I plan on pulling the intake and passenger side head again and check valve lash on the intake and exhaust for #4 cylinder. Is it possible to visually see "sticking"? When rotating the crank all the valves seem to operate smoothly, but I am new cracking open engines.


Regards

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

After first reading this thread, I fired up my 40 and let it run at a fast idle for about 45 min. until stock temperature gauge needle was on the middle line, meaning Normal. Then, with an infra red temp gun, I took a reading at each of the spark plug cavities on the each head near where the plug screws in. Both cylinder heads gave the same reading of 180 to 182 degrees. The temperature at the front and rear of the heads were almost the same -both right and left. Heads are aluminum radiator is Walker with mechanical fan. Ambient temp. is 67 degrees F. When I bought these heads in 1999 Mark Kirby made them for use without thermostats.
Car was in the garage. Maybe under load on the road things would change.

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

Usually you just check without a head gasket, rotate and see if anything touches. After all these years you just never know what someone has done. The copper gasket might be just slightly thinner than what you had [ but unlikely ]?
Now did you go through the three heat cycles and re torque the heads?
If its no.4 it might well be just the fuel pump rod ticking too.
Incorrect timing can cause heating issues.

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

Talkwrench


I have gone through two cycles and the leaks are almost gone. Just leaking a little out of the passenger water pump. I re-torqued one time to 40 ponds and the head bolt leaks have seemed to stopped.


I was wrong, the ticking is not from #4, it seems to be coming from lower. When adjusting the valve lash I dropped a nail into the the exhaust valve and had to remove the driver exhaust manifold and use a magnet to retrieve the nail. I reused the existing exhaust manifold gaskets and think that may be the cause of the ticking.

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

An Exhaust leak does sound a lot like a lower end "tick".


Did you have the "tick" before the change?


Everytime you make a change, observe. A engine log of changes doesn't hurt. I keep one in the glovebox that's 8yrs now.


Oil changes, plugs, compression, etc....etc....

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

Tinker,


No ticking before. But I have true dual exhausts with glass packs and my car was fully assembled. Now the front consists of a frame, radiator and fully assembled engine. Ticks could be more noticeable. My next step is to replace the driver side exhaust manifold gaskets. I just hope it is not a crankshaft tick.

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

Rod or crankshaft problems usually don't tick. they slap/thunk.


Been thrown off a few times by the fuel pump rod doing it's job. If your looking for a sound, you'll find it. I do like that Lhead sewing machine sound. Exhaust leak seems most probable. Less you through a bearing sitting.


One thing at a time is best. Hard to track 3 changes at a time on a running engine.







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Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

Tinker,


That's exactly what it sounds like, a faint sewing machine sound, more so on the driver side.

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

Sounds like a flathead running... but you never know. I like that sound.

reusing exhaust manifolds gaskets are not advisable.


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Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

Okay... guess the question and answer changed.... Dual exhaust won't matter.



Follow your changes....... Loud exhaust just make it harder to pinpoint. :)

Re: passenger side of the motor running 20 degrees hotter than driver side
 

40 Lbs..? should be torqued at 50 lbs. And three times.