I spent labor day weekend building and installing the new engine in my 55 Ford.It is a 1959 292 bored +030,sealed power pistons,020" off the block,.020" off the heads,rods rebuilt, ARP fasteners on rods,mains,heads and flywheel,new cam bearings,melling oil pump,ARP pump drive ,clevite bearings etc.The cam is an Isky.valves,springs,retainers,lifters,pushrods etc came from John I am using a B intake and a 600 Edelbrock,factory dual exh manifolds.I pre oiled the engine in the usual manner and made certain that I had good oil flow to both rockers.When I started the engine and ran it for cam break in it ran fine.after that I rechecked valve clearance and went for a 10 mile test drive.All went well,never got over 160 degrees and oil pressure was 60 lbs at 50 mph.I got home,looked for water or oil leaks and restarted the engine.It immediately started making the damndest metal on metal screeching I ever heard! I pulled the fan belt,no change so not alt or water pump .I checked for air leaks,didnt find any,pulled the valve covers and had good oil flow to both rockers.Noise seems to be coming from the right side area.I got my broomstick and listened everywhere on the engine.Couldnt locate a specific area.Pushing clutch in did not change sound so not throwout bearing.I got in the car and drove 40 miles to see if it broke.It didnt.Ran perfectly screeching all the way.I had to give it up and go to work.I am wondering now if something might be touching the back of the flywheel?Starter drive not retracting properly? I am pretty sure at this point it is not anything in the engine itself . Any one have ANY ideas?

You don't mention the distributor. I once installed a fresh rebuild that screeched (went away after I lubed the top of the bushing).

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

I didnt think of that! The distributor is indeed a fresh rebuild.Thank you!

What does your oil look like?



Lawrenceville, GA

cut the filter open,use a sharp chisel,do not use a hack saw.cheap and easey way to be sure it is not internal

 Sorry I just couldn`t resist. Pete

No experience with this but I seem to recall someone posting a couple of years ago about the damper rubbing on something - maybe slipping back and hitting the front of the oil pan or the steady rest.  Something like that.



Mark

1956 Mercury M100
1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan
Delta, British Columbia

I cut the oil filter open and didnt find anything.I tried a magnet in the oil from the filter and nothing stuck to it.The noise seems to me to be coming from the front of the engine but I have listened carefully all over the engine with a piece of broomstick and cannot isolate it.I tried lubing the distributor bushing,no difference.Yesterday I was going over the engine trying to isolate the noise when it suddenly stopped for about 10 seconds and then started again.I thought about the damper.It is the original one,looked to be in good shape except for the usual groove so I put a repair sleeve on it and put it back on.It fits the crank snout nice and tight.I suppose I can pull the front cover off and see if anything is rubbing but I dont know what it would be.At this point I am pretty sure it is not anything like a bearing trying to  spin-if it was it wouldnt have run as far as it has!

possibility that there is no oil/little oil to the thrust plate for the camshaft? You wouldn't have to tear down the whole engine for that but you could check pretty easily.

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Hard to figure, but a long shot is the oil slinger installed backwards.