I decided to spend the weekend
getting the Sprites back into
top trim. Yesterday morning I
started, and now the 68 idles
smoothly at 700 rpm, and the
#3 intake valve closes with
the 1/16" spacers made of
aluminum under each of the 4
valve assembly mount points.
What a bear that little chore
turned out to be.
Today, I am replacing the
gasket on the 65. The engine
has always been one that runs
hot. It originally came in the
69 from Cali, and is a 12c
1275. Some of the older list
members may recall, this is
the car I bought for $200, as
the motor was locked up, and I
was able to free it and start
it within a week. The car
sold, but like a bad penny,
the motor and tranny made it
back here (thanks again
skystryder). Since it has been
in the 65, overheating has
always been an issue, and this
is the third time I have had
to replace the head gasket.
This time however, with the
extra day, I am not as rushed.
As I am cleaning the deck of
remnant gasket, and wiping it
down with thinner, I notice
something odd. On the dizzy
side of the block, you have 4
pairs of water holes that are
between each head stud. The
last hole, in the back, was
full of rusty looking crap. As
most of us are aware, the A
series is notorious for being
hot on #4, so I always left
the heater valve open. I set
about putting a drill bit in
the hole, holding it with my
fingers, and twisting it
gently, to remove the debris.
It is working well, until I
hit bottom. Here is my
question. On the spare 12CD
1275 on the shelf, this hole
goes all the way through.
Shouldn't the 12C go all the
way through as well? Could
THIS be the reason that this
motor continues to overheat??
I have a neat little tool that
I bought years ago that you
can use to magnetize a
screwdriver. I can use this to
magnetize a drill bit, clean
it frequently, and drill out
the blockage. I just need to
be sure, is it supposed to be
clear??
Thanks,
Brad
|