Hi folks, I'm not tech savvy, trying to learn the right way to ask questions and find answers etc and thank you for your patience.
I bought a 1968 Fury three (318, automatic, PS PB)FA STOP (insurance agent told me this???) and I told my wife, "All's I'm gonna do is drive it......then, well.. change the ignition THEN just drive it, and put a 4 barrel on, dual the exhaust...then just drive it....and maybe repaint the engine compartment put better brakes on wood steering floor shift...and then JUST drive it.
Now the engine's 1/2 apart.
My questions are; I'm replacing the timing chain (noticed I have to turn the crank an inch+ before the distributor moves). When I ordered it, the site recommends a timing chain tensioner for another $40, the spending's gotta slow down sometime; I don't plan on spinning this engine past daily driving..should I add the tensioner? Does it help performance?
Years ago I raced enough small blocks without one but wonder if it's a good idea.
Second question; When I started tearing the engine down I noted the thermostat has been gutted, the coolant was black when I took the lower hose off and gonna have the radiator boiled out or simply flushed. It ran fine, no steam out of the exhaust, no bubbles in the radiator etc. Usually when a water pump started leaking was my que to replace it, can the impeller slip or something I'm not aware of with the pump contribute to overheating? I'll of course continue looking for other cooling problems, but once again I really have to draw a line on what to replace ..."while I'm at it" or "just in case. Thank you friends, Have an awesome thanksgiving.
I bought a 1968 Fury three (318, automatic, PS PB)FA STOP (insurance agent told me this???) and I told my wife, "All's I'm gonna do is drive it......then, well.. change the ignition THEN just drive it, and put a 4 barrel on, dual the exhaust...then just drive it....and maybe repaint the engine compartment put better brakes on wood steering floor shift...and then JUST drive it.
Now the engine's 1/2 apart.
My questions are; I'm replacing the timing chain (noticed I have to turn the crank an inch+ before the distributor moves). When I ordered it, the site recommends a timing chain tensioner for another $40, the spending's gotta slow down sometime; I don't plan on spinning this engine past daily driving..should I add the tensioner? Does it help performance?
Years ago I raced enough small blocks without one but wonder if it's a good idea.
Second question; When I started tearing the engine down I noted the thermostat has been gutted, the coolant was black when I took the lower hose off and gonna have the radiator boiled out or simply flushed. It ran fine, no steam out of the exhaust, no bubbles in the radiator etc. Usually when a water pump started leaking was my que to replace it, can the impeller slip or something I'm not aware of with the pump contribute to overheating? I'll of course continue looking for other cooling problems, but once again I really have to draw a line on what to replace ..."while I'm at it" or "just in case. Thank you friends, Have an awesome thanksgiving.