[astro_shrooms]

1979 3.3 v6 ElCo
i bought this thing 2 months ago from a junkyard, had been sitting for 2 years.
flywheel bolts were loose and made substantial noise, finally broke so i had that fixed about a week ago.
within that week and now i changed my oil, replacing one quart with marvel mystery oil(accidently put in a lil bit too much oil though)
also replaced some vacuum lines.

1. today i started her up, or at least tried, and she turned over then just stopped ! jumped the battery, and it sounds like all of my rockers are hitting, both sides of my engine are making an rustling leaves/knocking noise.

2. now, and before the engine knocked like this, the engine wouldnt idle right, would stall while in drive and wasnt very consistant most of the time, after i got the engine hot it was OK but not 100%.

3. engine always runs hot,i can feel it in the cab and when i get out from a drive i can smell how how it is.

please help diagnose all 3 of these things, i'm very short on money and i need my elco as much as i love it, thanks guys.

 

[steelybill]

You mentioned flywheel bolts....is it a manual transmission ? Or were you referring to the flex plate bolts ? The flex plates seem to have a history of cracking, and making noise, so that may be a place to look, even though it was "fixed". Having the oil over-full isn't a great idea, but that depends on how much it's over the full line on the dip stick. If it's about 1/8 of an inch over-full, I wouldn't get to excited about it. I'm a big believer in Marvel Mystery oil, specially on an engine that's been sitting for a while, but a pint of it is all I would use in an oil change.
Does it have a catalytic converter on it yet ?? If so, that maybe an item that's affecting how the engine runs. Hard to say from your description, where the heat is coming from. If the engine itself is running hot, maybe it's time to get the radiator back-flushed at a radiator shop. Also a new thermostat may be a good idea at this point. And the fan clutch, if it has one, may be slipping & needs replacing.

There are a number of things that can make it run bad. Ignition system parts may need to be looked at; distributor cap & rotor, plugs & wires etc.
Some fuel system cleaner for carbs & injectors, in the gas tank may help also...
Let us know what you find...

 

[astro_shrooms]

no catalytic converter, and the spark plugs were changed when i got it.used seafoam to clean out fuel system.
have to get a starter for it, should come in two days. as to how the engine is running, thank you for your suggestions ill do some digging.

 

[1980SteelBeast]

Make sure the timing is set too. Seems like you're gonna need a full tune up before you know what you have. But in the meantime,don't get down since V6's don't last this long,unless its been babied. I say,keep your eyes open for a decent 350 along witha 350/700r4 transmission. :beer:

 

[steelybill]

Let us know how it goes with the starter replaced....
I'm not familiar with a 3.3 V6.....actually never heard of one....:dontknow:

 

[steelybill]

Let us know how it goes with the starter replaced....
I'm not familiar with a 3.3 V6.....actually never heard of one....:dontknow: or do you mean 3.8 ?

 

[El Camino Pete]

I've seen this too many times.

1979 3.3 v6 ElCo
i bought this thing 2 months ago from a junkyard, had been sitting for 2 years.
flywheel bolts were loose and made substantial noise, finally broke so i had that fixed about a week ago.
within that week and now i changed my oil, replacing one quart with marvel mystery oil(accidently put in a lil bit too much oil though)
also replaced some vacuum lines.

When you buy anything from a Junkyard, Especially a complete car, There's always a reason it was there... It had a problem that was deemed too expensive to fix.

I highlighted what I picked out as a red flag to your dilemma. Two years of not running automatically tells me it needs a Carb Kit, Several Fuel Filters, and a Peek under the valve covers. It's probably been running lean. Having to make Vacuum line repairs backs the lean condition. Lean Makes Heat.

Now the Mystery Oil. Mystery oil is such a light oil, it's actually a solvent - especially if the motor got hot. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if you found a spun main bearing.

Not trying to be a killjoy, but there's a lot of us who've been there, and done that.(and had the sore wallet to prove it.)

Pete

 

[astro_shrooms]

thanks so much guys.
steely - here's what occurred today: picked up the starter, and replaced with the old one. the knocking sound i mentioned earlier was the old starters pinion hitting the flywheel. since the new one has found its home, no more knocking.
now for the fun stuff..
i bought a thermostat, yet havent replaced it. tomorrow morning asap. the heat is definitely a factor. pete- you mean lean oil? sorry my auto terminology is not 100% yet.

i plan on getting a new distributor, wires, carb kit, and valve cover gaskets.

the 3.3 is okay but im saving for a real chevy motor not this thing, lol.
once again thanks for thee help.
:beer: