End of season maintenance checks…

[Lou C]

Since I did my top end overhaul back in 2017 I’ve been doing oil analyses and compression tests just to see if there are problems developing. Oil analyses have improved over time and this years compression test was the same as last years, 160-165 in all 6 cyls. I think it’s a good habit because if you find problems you have the whole winter to straighten it out instead of waiting till the spring rush….

 

[Lou C]

The other thing on my Maintenace list is to scope the elbows/manifolds, to see what the insides look like after 5 seasons here in salt water. Now that I have one of those fancy borescope cameras, I can do stuff like that without having to break the seal and take everything apart.
I also pull out the thermostat housing and check the intake manifold water passage right under the 'stat, I have heard that these can rot out, although I have not seen that happening, the one on my engine now has 20 years here in the salt and it still is solid. If that are rots out, it will put water right into the cam valley and into the oil....

 

[Renken2000Classic]

I'll settle for getting the leaves that got in the last couple days vacc'ed out and the cover on before the rain later today, lol.

Winterized yesterday and did note that the gear oil's kinda dirty. An engine oil change wouldn't hurt either. Maybe lightly file the points. Never did get to the wood treatment that needed doing this year (platform and other strips at the rear)... Ah well.

 

[Lou C]

Did a bit of maintenance checks, scoped inside of manifolds and did a pressure & vacuum test on the old Cobra drive. One manifold was totally clean the other did have some light rust probably from condensation because that side always runs a bit cooler. OD held pressure at 16 psi & vacuum at 13” Hg. Good enough for a drive that hasn’t been resealed in 18 years!
Engine’s winterized, oil changed, oil sample taken for oil analysis & compression tested. Also checked inside of intake manifold as I mentioned above; still solid after 20+ years of salt water use. If the rest of the block is that good I’ll be in good shape for some years to come. I do think filling the block/heads & manifolds with good PG antifreeze helps.
I do this every fall because if there’s a problem then I have time to deal with it over the winter….

 

[Renken2000Classic]

Did you just hook up at the top port to do the pressure and vac check?

 

[Lou C]

I used the one that you refill the drive from.

 

[Renken2000Classic]

Ah, indeed.