'59 Plymouth Forum

hey guys,
I finally got everything ready to fire up my Savoy that hasn't run since 1971 and after double checking everything i found the engine has no compression in any cylinder which makes me think the valves are to blame but since i have no experience with this type engine i need advice and help.
Thanks
Mark Hoyt
Reading Penna.

I will let more respective Mechanics chew on that one. It is either piston rings, head gasket or the valves.

Weird that all 6 cylinders would go bad with compression, I can see some sticking open but not all 6 sets (intake and exhaust).

My wild guess is head gasket but what do I know....I am in Sales!

John Q.

Thanks John, I have the same thoughts, guess the only why to find out is to take it apart. Hopeing its not the rings.
Thanks Mark Hoyt
Reading Penna.

Mark - Before taking the engine apart I suggest squirting some oil in the spartk plug holes individually and then take a compression reading.
Dick.

Thanks Dick, I did try that , no change. Having a hard time believing all 6 cylinders have bad rings. This engine has only 32k on it when stored in 71.
Thanks
Mark Hoyt
Reading Penna.

Most often, if an engine has equally low or no compression in all cylinders, it means the valve timing is off due to a skipped timing gear or chain. Stuck piston rings from setting can also cause this, but generally you get some kind of compression that varies cylinder to cylinder. As Dick suggested, it wouldn't hurt to squirt some light oil in each cylinder to see if the compressioon figures increase afterwards.

---John

If you are measuring zero compression in all cylinders, I would suspect the compression gauge.

Tom

Mark; Try A thumb over the spark plug hole,feel for compression,also look at the distributor rotor,does it turn while cranking? Possible timing chain gear problem,(no cam turning).May need to pull the head off. MarkM.

Seems incredulous! Have you checked for the existence of pistons? Sorry, but I gotta ask...maybe they arent connected to crankshaft?....
Or maybe the head has been removed, then carelessly replaced to look like all was well.
Is the camshaft missing? Valve springs missing? You have one BIZARRE situation going on.

HI Gang,
Thanks to all who replied, the situation as of today is this. I have 150 compression in number 5 cylinder and nothing in the rest to date and i noticed one valve in #4 cylinder sticking.In the meantime i chatted with an old fellow who owns a decommissioned plymouth dealership and got what i think is good insight on the whole issue. Because this engine sat for a long time with no lube in the cylinders we suspect stuck rings so he advised me to put kerosene or diesel fuel down the cylinders and let it set for a few days to try to get the rings freed up.As of yet this hasn't worked but I did learn that when you look down the spark plug hole that is a valve not a piston i see rising and falling (Duh) sorry no experience with flat heads but I am learning. So after a couple days of diesel fuel in the cylinder i find there is a hole in the tailpipe where some of the D fuel leaked out after finding its way thru an open valve. So then I get the bright idea to jack and lean the whole car to the piston side with hopes to get more lube on top of the pistons. Also I am thinking this engine has cast steel pistons in it, is this correct??
Thanks
Mark Hoyt
Reading Penna.

hey guys,
also curious as to fitment of a slant six to my trans in the 59 savoy, i was told a slant six will not bolt up but a 318 would...Opinions/ info.
Thanks Mark Hoyt
Reading Penna.

A 318 will bolt to your manual transmission, but it has to be an old-style 318. There are "A" 318s and there are "LA" 318s.

Thanks Roger, what years and designation would fit..A or LA. I don't know what the difference is so i would have to go by year i suppose,
Thanks
Mark Hoyt
Reading Penna.

The 'A' poly is also known as a wide block 318, and 'Semi Hemi'

You need to use a '61 and earlier poly, as these use the extended flange crankshaft. The later A and LA polys do not have the extended flange, and will not mate up to your torque converter.

The designation LA does not refer to Los Angeles, rather it means Lighter A poly..

---John

Mark - The early "A" block, the one you need is balanced internally (no harmonic balancer). The LA block engines all have an external harmonic balancer.
Dick.