Perfect, thanks for the extra advice Charlie, I'll move ahead with the one-arm test approach

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

Well, one thing you can do is to use a torque wrench and set it to the torque for that bolt. Use the torque wrench instead of a breaker bar to see if it will turn over. It should require far less torque than that required to fasten the bolt to turn the engine over. That way you should not break the bolt and if it does not turn over then it is probably stuck.



Or, to put it in another perspective, I'm 130lbs. I can turn mine over with the truck in gear using a breaker bar with one arm. It takes two arms for me to torque that bolt. So I'd say if it requires more than one arm to turn over, it's stuck.


Lawrenceville, GA

Cool!  That is what I'm used to but I'm always a little worried about breaking that bolt...I've heard horror stories...

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

A socket on the crankshaft bolt and a breaker bar.


Lawrenceville, GA

Thanks John,

Glad I have the groove...groovy!

What is the best way to turn the engine by hand just to be sure it isn't siezed up and be sure no valves are sticking?

Thanks for explaining the plugs at the end of the rocker shaft...I was wondering about that.

-N

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

Nate:

A couple of points.  I think '56 had the grooved camshaft, so turning the engine shouldn't be necessary.  Secondly, you only have to put a screw in one plug in the rocker shaft, because once you pry the first one out, you can use a long rod to drive the other one out.  New ones are available at your local parts store, they are small freeze plugs. 

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Tim, one question, what is the best method for turning the engine over by hand? 

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

Good point! 

   God Bless.   Tim                           http://yblockguy.com/

350ci Y-Block FED "Elwood", 301ci Y-Block Unibody LSR "Jake", 312ci Y-Block '58 F-100, 338ci Y-Block powered Model A Tudor

tim@yblockguy.com  Visalia, California    Just west of the Sequoias

Paul mentions turning the engine to get oil to the top, this is because the older cams are cross drilled not grooved and the hole in the journal needs to line up with the holes in the cam bearing to move the oil to the rockers so you may need to turn the engine over very slowly by hand while spinning the pump to get oil to the heads. 

   God Bless.   Tim                           http://yblockguy.com/

350ci Y-Block FED "Elwood", 301ci Y-Block Unibody LSR "Jake", 312ci Y-Block '58 F-100, 338ci Y-Block powered Model A Tudor

tim@yblockguy.com  Visalia, California    Just west of the Sequoias

That pipe you see is the drain tube. It dumps the oil into a pushrod hole which goes to the valley and into the crankcase. To see the supply hole, you will have to remove the rockers.



Since you are on a budget, I wouldn't worry too much about the rockers at this point. Squirt some oil in the pushrod cups, slide the rocker arms to the side and squirt some oil on the shaft, and get it running. Once it is running, watch each of those drain tubes. If oil is flowing you are good. If not, then dig deeper and spend the money that has to be spent. Running it for a minute or two will not hurt anything. Really, running it without oil getting to the rockers will not be as bad as you think so long as you remember to oil them manually once or twice a week. I got by doing that for a couple years. Once I did take it apart, the shafts did not look as bad as I had expected.



Remember Heisenberg's Uncertainty principle - when you observe something you change it. Your rocker arms are in perfect shape until you take them apart and look!


Lawrenceville, GA