Longram330
Active Member
Hello People! My original 64,000 mile 1963 Dodge (Canadian Built 440 model) with the 313 Polysphere V-8 3 speed standard trans has me scratching my head a bit. This engine runs super smooth has gobs of power but it does two things....First it smokes like an old steamer out of the tailpipe when warmed up , the smoke has a blueish/white look to it so not sure if its oil or antifreeze , the oil level doesn't look like its dropping any and I did do a coolant system pressure check with non conclusive results(very slight pressure drop) , compression is about 95 psi cold with the two left front cylinders at about 80 psi and the plugs have a fluffy black look to them but not really an oily look! The engine does not missfire and has a steady smooth idle.... It wasn't smoking when I got the car , it started after a few years in storage (storage was in a dry building engine oil changed prior to storage) The other thing it does is that it looses its oil pressure intermittently , I put a tee below the oil pressure sending unit (which I replaced with a new one) so I could run a gauge and sure enough the oil pressure goes away but it comes back! It sits at about 20 psi at idle and runs up to a little under 65 at speed until it disappears suddenly! I dropped the pan and had a look at the oil pump , which appeared in very nice shape , almost no sludge in the pan. I replaced the pump with a Melling high volume oil pump. I did remove a few con rod caps to have a look at the bearings and there is no damage so it appears that the bottom end is getting oil. Any ideas? Due to its originality I was hoping not to pull the engine but I have a feeling it may be unavoidable...
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