laseiiona

I want to back flush the 289 in our 65 convertible. Prestone sells a Flush n Fill kit that taps into the heater hose circuit to be able to connect a garden hose (http://www.hardwareandtools.com/invt/6220180).

Our car was a Hawaii Special that was shipped here without a heater. The heater port on the water pump is blocked with a rubber cap. And there is a screw-in plug on the top of the engine block on the passenger side of the of the distributor which seems to be the other port for the heater circuit. Is the engine plug the correct port where I would feed the water from the garden hose to back flush? If so, I am assuming that I should be able to remove the plug and connect some sort of adapter to the threaded hole to connect to the garden hose. Any helpful hints for the process? Thanks in advance.

Jonk67

You could get a nipple to screw into the intake and simply get a piece of 5/8" hose to connect from the WP nipple to intake temp. nipple then put the 'T' inbetween, this is how it would be with a heater. Parts stores should have a straight nipple on the shelf, you might bring the plug from the intake to get the right thread pitch and size.


I'd put a fresh rubber cap back when you're done, you don't want the old one to burst from age/drying out.
Jon

laseiiona

Thanks Jon. Do I even need to uncap the water pump port and run water through it? I was thinking of just running the garden hose through the heater circuit's engine port and removing the radiator hoses to let the back-flush water out.

Diputado

By sheer coincidence, I was just doing a cooling system flush on my '65 289 today. Have been having some overheating issues with it and the radiator is a bit clogged. BUT....also having "hot soak" problems. Engine cranks right up when cold, but once you run it a few miles and temp gets to >200 F and you shut 'er down...don't expect it to start again for about an hour until the engine cools down. A buddy (who's also a good mechanic) said the timing is probably set too high. Problem is...the engine has NO timing pointer! I bought the car with the engine already "as is" (289 block/heads, 302 crank, rods, pistons, Holley 600, Weiand Stealth, headers, and a "lopey" cam...) and I have no idea why it has no timing pointer (but the harmonic balancer is from a late 80's 302)

Any ideas...think it's a timing issue (too low..or too high), and if so, without the pointer, how can I accurately time it???

Oh...by the way Jonk67...although I live in Puerto Rico....was born and raised in Tennessee (Crockett County).

laseiiona

Diputado

Not sure what to advise on the accurate way to set the timing with no pointer. You could just try slightly reducing the timing by ear w/o a timing gun and see if the car runs cooler.

I read somewhere a while ago that the starter can get hot from the running engine and it needs to cool down before it will crank effectively after the car has been driven and turned off. The cure was to wrap it with thin insulation. I had that restarting problem when our car was chronically overheating. We put on a fan shroud and mounted an electric fan on the front of the radiator and it runs much cooler now.

Jonk67

Aren't you supposed to run the engine for 15min. with the flush in? If you just run a water hose into an inlet and out the upper rad. hose you'll just blow it back out. If you just want to run water through it then that will work but I think you'll get a better result by also using the Prestone flush concentrate as it will remove more scale, rust, etc. than just pushing garden hose water through there.

Diputado, had to look that up, over near Memphis looks like. We went opposite directions then, I moved from La. after Katrina to TN and really enjoy it now, more curves, hills, mountains and 4 seasons.
Jon

Diputado

Yeah...think I'll first try just backing off the timing "by ear" just a hair, and see if that helps. Hate doing it that way! Problem is, the thing could be overheating also from too LOW a timing. Not sure what the compression ratio is, but it's got a pretty hefty exhaust pulse so I figure it's at least 9.0 - 9.5, so if timing was TOO HIGH...would expect pinging and detonation running on 91 octane gas (best available here!), which it doesn't exhibit. Don't know how the guy who originally built this motor timed it. Can't figure a logical reason why he left that timing pointer off. Sure would like to find out! Will post results...

Well, well, Jon....looks like we have something else in common: I once lived in LA, too. Long time back (1984-86) when I was a graduate student at LSU. Still have friends we visit now and then in Arnaudville. Sure miss the crawfish season...!!!

Jonk67

Just missed each other again, I attended, well drank at, LSU '82-'83. Properly 'burld crawfish and raw gulf oysters are the 2 biggest foods I miss but still find them places here in TN.

First I'd figure out which TC you have:


Then get the bolt on timing pointer for that cover. If the 289 cover was used you may get some reflective tape or something to mark the spot on the TC. Put the engine at TDC and see where the timing mark is on your crank. At worst if it's in a bad spot (pointing down) you could cover it with a new timing tape from Summit, etc. and line it up with your pointer whereever you want.
Jon

Diputado

Jon,

Thank's a million for that helpful diagram of the TCs...mine definitely appears to be the "302A" version...has a mechanical fuel pump and the dipstick hole. The dipstick also has a 1970 Ford part number (D0AE-6570-C)....water pump intake also on left side (as with all post-1970 models).

Hey...if you "drank" at LSU....betcha remember a bar called "The Library" just off campus on Chimes St. I put away plenty of brews there...great sandwiches, too!!! Was living in a crappy trailer in Catfish Town Trailer Park back then...

Will let you know how the timing goes...!

Jonk67

That's the old style cover like on my '67, the timing pointer is sticking out at the 2 o'clock position facing it. I painted the point on the end white to make it easier to see when timing. I'd get a timing tape and label it to line up with that once you find TDC.

I remember The Library, Tigertown? and Murphys? Most of our drinking was in the dorm before a game, when you went to the game FREE with a student ID. I can't believe they make students who PAY tuition also pay to support their team!
Jon