After many years of owning a /6 dart and thinking I was done a couple of years back i've inherited my family's 2-owner '64 Valiant. 165k miles, 225 motor runs great, of course, but it smokes when cold and on acceleration. It also seems down on power, but the last /6 I had rebuilt with .040 over pistons and more compression, so maybe this is the way it's supposed to be.

Anyway on to the point: it came with a spare late-model head without the nasty spark plug tubes so I'm considering having the late head rebuilt and dropping it on the early motor.

Is this advisable with a bottom end that has so many miles? Am I just going to hasten the time when I need rings/pistons? I don't have an oil pressure gauge but the light goes out right on startup and I don't get a flicker when hot (which happened with the dart I had when it was tired).

Opinions welcomed...

The '64 is a nice car!

The true condition of an engine can only be ascertained with exploratory. I'm sure you can understand how the engine in your car would be an "unknown" to a slantsix'er on the other end of the internet.

Some folks like the peanut heads. There are advantages and disadvantages. Just make sure your not mixing Mechanical and Hydraulic parts. They oil differently. Modifications can be made to make these parts work together. It just depends on what your goal is.
If your going to keep the car, it might well be worth the investment. In that case, it would be good to go through the engine while the head is off.
If your not going to keep the car, put in new valve seals. 165k isn't a lot on an engine that's been taken care of.
Check to see how much slop you have in the timing set.
Do you have maintenance records for the car?

2¢

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Thanks for the advice. I have maintenance records since my great grandfather bought the car new here in L.A. Frequent oil changes, and driven just about every day until maybe 8 years ago. After that less frequently.

Timing set replaced in 1996, I have the receipt.

I'm obligated to keep the car so I hear you on the rebuild thing.

At some point it will need a rebore/rings, so maybe it's better to just wait until that time and do the whole thing.

I like the /6 motor and it's an easy one to rebuild. It's just that unlike other cars, it will never stop running, and thus I don't have a reason to tear it down other than the slight oiling. It burns a quart every 800-1000 miles.

That's not so bad. A little smoke on cold start isn't a big thing.

Look into replacing the valve seals, and you might have it licked!

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

If it's only a quart every 800-1000 miles that's not bad. You might try replacing the valve stem seals and see what happens to the oil consumption. You don't have to pull the head to do the valve stem seals either. I'm about to throw valve stem seals at my '67 Valiant. When I open it up I'll take pictures.

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Joshua

I might just do that. Do you prefer the "rope in the plug hole" trick, or the "air chuck" trick? I'm thinking #1 since I don't have a compressor.

Either one works fine. I use the air fittings myself.

Rope is cheaper though!

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

I use air since I have it and I think it's a little faster.

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Joshua

I'm doing a valve adjust & tuneup this weekend and I'll peek at the seals then. If they look suspect I'll report back.

BTW timing set replaced at 101,000 miles.

I just put a late head on my engine, and now it smokes and uses oil pretty bad.....like a quart every 100 miles. The head wasn't new, just newer with some replaced valves and new stem seals. I also lapped the valves. I'm wondering if it isn't the valve stem seals, since the new intake valve stem seals didn't "lock" onto the valve guids like the originals.

CJ: Tell me about the mixing of hydrolic and mechanical lifter valve train parts. I used my mechanical lifter rocker arm shaft from my old head, using only the aft bolt that came with my new ('83) head. Did I do wrong?

See, your experience is what i'm afraid of. I don't want to turn a sometimes-smoking-but-otherwise-tight engine into a full-time smoker. They're easy enough to rebuild, though.

Eric
Your fine.
Frank

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Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

I think he was just making sure the guy didn't forget to swap a set of mech. rocker arms with adjusters, instead of the non-adjust hydro rockers...

You're ok...

-D.Idiot

Yep. Sorry, got sidetracked.

Two CT90's on ebay...Local.. Gonna go for too much. Probably.

Auction Sniper!

Now hold it a minute! I was looking for something else entirely!



CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

CT90s are cool.

Anyway, Thanks for the advice everyone I'll let you know what my exploratory surgery reveals...