The Ford Barn

40ford · 12-29-2018, 02:13 PM

I noticed here lately after driving my engine lightly smokes some out the breather cap for awhile after turning off engine.I also noticed I must be getting some blow by while driving because the oil filter cannister that is behind the oil cap keeps getting oil residue on it???Truck runs good,cranks good,uses some oil and of coarse leaks oil.I think it leaks more than it uses.I have about 50,000 miles on engine since rebuild.I am not seeing any real bad blue smoke coming out of exhaust!Is ther anything I can check or do or just keep driving the heck out of it?It is pretty much my daily driver.It is an original 1952 F-1 with 8RT engine.

Vintage Copper 47 · 12-29-2018, 02:45 PM

Try to fix the oil leaks..

Flathead Fever · 12-29-2018, 03:22 PM

A PCV valve would suck that blow-by out of there. Were putting Band-Aids on a worn-out engine but if its still running good what the heck. Does it still have its road draft tube and its not plugged up, mouse nest in it?

Check the oil for blow-by contamination. See if it smells like gas.

The oil leaks are good. Its automatically getting that contaminated oil out of there for you.

tubman · 12-29-2018, 03:51 PM

When I was a kid on the '50's, my dad took our cars to "Lawerance's Garage", a typical general purpose auto repair shop, which was about a mile from our suburban home. It was run by Lawerance, the owner, his mechanics were Milt and Augie, and the bodyman was named Bert.

The reason I bring this up is that I remember a poster on the wall pushing tuneups and engine overhauls. In the section of the poster concerning ring 'n valve jobs, there was a picture of an odometer showing 45,000 miles. It sounds like you are about due.

It's odd; I haven't thought about this place for at least 50 years, but the details are clear as a bell in my memory.

RalphG · 12-29-2018, 08:30 PM

My 52 Merc will have slight smoke or vapour rising from the breather most of the time after I shut it down hot. I figured it is normal. Oil consumption is pretty much zero on it and I never see exhaust smoke.

40ford · 12-30-2018, 07:51 AM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Can the road draft tube be removed easily to check for blockage?

Tinker · 12-30-2018, 09:49 PM

Start with a compression check.

You have to remember these engines were built to breath openly. Not a big deal.

Lots of cars run fine with a full tank of gas and a qt of oil at fill up too.

.

TomT/Williamsburg · 12-31-2018, 12:45 AM

I have at least 50k on my flattie and there is always a little smoke out the breather cap. Nothing to worry about, really - it's normal. I leak more oil than anything else but my dipstick level never really goes down a significant amount between oil changes.

As for the 45k reminder for a possible rebuild, the oils today are much better than non-detergent straight 30 weight of back in the day. We should get at least 80-90k out of a flattie before needing a rebuild. I hope to be able to continue to test that theory ....

chap52 · 12-31-2018, 06:55 AM

"Truck runs good,cranks good,uses some oil and of coarse leaks oil."

Check that road draft tube, put a PCV set up on it if you really want to and drive it until there are greater symptoms than just these. If you want a reason to rebuild it now, just go ahead and do it.

When we were teenagers we enjoyed driving those leaky, by-pass smoking flatheads and didn't flinch when we had to put a quart of "reclaimed" motor oil in it (10 cents a qt.) at each gas stop.

Something weird happened as we grew older, we don't like to have to add oil, we complain that gas is no longer 26 cents a gallon and we are always concerned about leaks, both in our cars and ourselves.

Think this all just part of the aging process. I wonder if I enjoyed driving my old Ford more when all of these issues were just "how it was"? Chap

Frank Miller · 12-31-2018, 07:12 AM

A cylinder leakdown test will tell you how bad your rings are or aren't.

51 MERC-CT · 12-31-2018, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 40ford

Can the road draft tube be removed easily to check for blockage?

You don't have to remove the tube, just find a suitable rubber tube to attach to the end of it and blow into it by mouth.
Some models had a filter installed between the two sections of the tube and if yours has one that would be the most likely place for blockage.

12-29-2018, 02:13 PM	#1
40ford Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cherryville,N.C. Posts: 535	Flathead Showing Wear? I noticed here lately after driving my engine lightly smokes some out the breather cap for awhile after turning off engine.I also noticed I must be getting some blow by while driving because the oil filter cannister that is behind the oil cap keeps getting oil residue on it???Truck runs good,cranks good,uses some oil and of coarse leaks oil.I think it leaks more than it uses.I have about 50,000 miles on engine since rebuild.I am not seeing any real bad blue smoke coming out of exhaust!Is ther anything I can check or do or just keep driving the heck out of it?It is pretty much my daily driver.It is an original 1952 F-1 with 8RT engine.

12-29-2018, 02:45 PM	#2
Vintage Copper 47 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: The sleepy San Fernando Valley Posts: 394	Re: Flathead Showing Wear? Try to fix the oil leaks.. __________________ WALT "We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm". "Old enough for the experience & too young to know better"

12-29-2018, 03:22 PM	#3
Flathead Fever Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Yucaipa, CA Posts: 1,095	Re: Flathead Showing Wear? A PCV valve would suck that blow-by out of there. Were putting Band-Aids on a worn-out engine but if its still running good what the heck. Does it still have its road draft tube and its not plugged up, mouse nest in it? Check the oil for blow-by contamination. See if it smells like gas. The oil leaks are good. Its automatically getting that contaminated oil out of there for you.

12-29-2018, 03:51 PM	#4
tubman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys Posts: 10,316	Re: Flathead Showing Wear? When I was a kid on the '50's, my dad took our cars to "Lawerance's Garage", a typical general purpose auto repair shop, which was about a mile from our suburban home. It was run by Lawerance, the owner, his mechanics were Milt and Augie, and the bodyman was named Bert. The reason I bring this up is that I remember a poster on the wall pushing tuneups and engine overhauls. In the section of the poster concerning ring 'n valve jobs, there was a picture of an odometer showing 45,000 miles. It sounds like you are about due. It's odd; I haven't thought about this place for at least 50 years, but the details are clear as a bell in my memory.

12-29-2018, 08:30 PM	#5
RalphG Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Sask. Canada Posts: 2,424	Re: Flathead Showing Wear? My 52 Merc will have slight smoke or vapour rising from the breather most of the time after I shut it down hot. I figured it is normal. Oil consumption is pretty much zero on it and I never see exhaust smoke. __________________ https://www.youtube.com/user/roosty6/videos

12-30-2018, 07:51 AM	#6
40ford Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cherryville,N.C. Posts: 535	Re: Flathead Showing Wear? Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Can the road draft tube be removed easily to check for blockage?

12-30-2018, 09:49 PM	#7
Tinker Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: MN Posts: 7,053	Re: Flathead Showing Wear? Start with a compression check. You have to remember these engines were built to breath openly. Not a big deal. Lots of cars run fine with a full tank of gas and a qt of oil at fill up too. . Last edited by Tinker; 12-30-2018 at 10:05 PM.

12-31-2018, 12:45 AM	#8
TomT/Williamsburg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Williamsburg, Virginia Posts: 2,654	Re: Flathead Showing Wear? I have at least 50k on my flattie and there is always a little smoke out the breather cap. Nothing to worry about, really - it's normal. I leak more oil than anything else but my dipstick level never really goes down a significant amount between oil changes. As for the 45k reminder for a possible rebuild, the oils today are much better than non-detergent straight 30 weight of back in the day. We should get at least 80-90k out of a flattie before needing a rebuild. I hope to be able to continue to test that theory .... __________________ Run to the LA Roadster Show - 2016 My Run to Bonneville - 2013 My 32 5-Window Build My Run to the LSRU

12-31-2018, 06:55 AM	#9
chap52 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Marana Arizona Posts: 1,776	Re: Flathead Showing Wear? "Truck runs good,cranks good,uses some oil and of coarse leaks oil." Check that road draft tube, put a PCV set up on it if you really want to and drive it until there are greater symptoms than just these. If you want a reason to rebuild it now, just go ahead and do it. When we were teenagers we enjoyed driving those leaky, by-pass smoking flatheads and didn't flinch when we had to put a quart of "reclaimed" motor oil in it (10 cents a qt.) at each gas stop. Something weird happened as we grew older, we don't like to have to add oil, we complain that gas is no longer 26 cents a gallon and we are always concerned about leaks, both in our cars and ourselves. Think this all just part of the aging process. I wonder if I enjoyed driving my old Ford more when all of these issues were just "how it was"? Chap

12-31-2018, 07:12 AM	#10
Frank Miller Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Auburn, MA Posts: 2,106	Re: Flathead Showing Wear? A cylinder leakdown test will tell you how bad your rings are or aren't. __________________ “The technique of infamy is to start two lies at once and get people arguing heatedly over which is true.” ~ Ezra Pound