Ford Oil

[aussiegirl]

Many years ago we had a HD station wagon, 179 red motor. We went over to Edithburg for a weekend. We went out sight seeing, and being young, we took the old girl for a bit of a real drive to blow the cobwebs out. We didnt do a ridiculous speed, but we got her up there, probably about 90 k's an hour (no idea what that was in miles now) We had driven from one of the other towns back to Edithburg, and everything seemed to be going ok. When we got back into Edithburg, and pulled up at the unit we were staying at, there was a loud noise, like a chainsaw. What the heck is that???

Once we got out of the car, we realised it WAS the car. Bloody hell, where is that coming from???? We lifted the bonnet and that is when we realised that it was coming from the radiator. Eventually, the noise reduced as the car cooled down and quite some time later we took the radiator cap off. It was bone dry. We left it overnight, went out next morning and filled it back up, and it started with no problems at all. One tough motor I think. We had a similar incident with out little Mazda 323. The heater hose at the back of the engine bay sprung a leak and we didnt notice it at first because the water went down the back of the engine bay, not out over the bonnet like it does when a radiator hose springs a leak. We limped back into Port Pirie, found a radiator specialist who replaced the hose, flushed it out etc. but we found out later that the overheating had warped the head and cracked it.

We also had an EJ wagon with a 138 grey motor. That too had an overheat at one stage, to the extent that the exhaust pipes got so hot they were glowing red. We pulled up out the front of someones home at Old Noarlunga and helped ourselves to their tap. They heard us and came out and were very kind and even asked if we wanted to come in with the kids (only toddlers back then) We let it cool down for about an hour or more, topped it up with water and drove it home, and it went well, once it had a new radiator and hoses, for many years after that.

[supersparky]

I had an EH with that exact same problem, except it was in Melbourne. I don't think oil caused my problem either. We might have a few laughs at each others expense this year. Looking forward to catching up again.
Sorry for going OT Dot.
Go Holden.
I see Jennie has posted another good story while I have been slowly typing away.

[Dot]

OT what is that on any of my threads When I was a youngster my late husb did up a series 1 morris major, put an MGB motor in it bored out to 1800 with all the bells and whistles etc twin hollies and all that jazz but it had an over heating prob, in summer time we drove with the heater on and so we took the windscreen out to compensate then one time coming back from a long weekend away in Canberra we put more oil in the little devil than we did petrol or water. Was for ever buggering diffs so one blow up too many she went off to the old cars home in Benalla. Shortly after that we did the un thinkable we got our beautiful 1973 FORD GTHO, she was a truly beautiful car and she died in NZ wrapped around a tree by her new owner who had her just over 2 weeks. That was in 1977 RIP GHO Only ford I have ever had. So ends another car story but it did have oil and ford in it so not OT

[Greynomad]

Not a Ford or oil story, but my first car was a 1961 Renault Dauphine: 1500cc rear-mounted engine, water-cooled (most of the time), 4sp manual.
Like the VW of the day, it had a boot under the front bonnet, but unlike the VW, the spare was carried in a cradle bolted to the underside of the bodywork and slung between the front wheels.
This arrangement evidently had a secondary purpose as a spoiler, as the Dauphine had a very rounded nose, rather high off the road.
Some previous owner had apparently tried to tow the car by the tyre cradle, ripped it clean off the body, and subsequently thrown the spare inside the front boot.
Fine that I still had a spare in the vehicle, but I did not realise the secondary purpose of the underslung spare until I took my pride & joy for a run in the country.
When I reached 50mph (80km/h) suddenly the car became very quiet - no road noise from the tyres - and the steering wheel stopped shaking! When I dropped back to 45mph (70km/h) the noise & steering shakes returned.
Up to 50 again... silence.
I tried a little steering correction, as I was drifting toward the wrong (right?) side of the road... no response.
I gave it full left lock... nothing. Centred the steering (!) and dropped back to 45...
AHA! Mystery solved...
Front wheels regained contact with Earth, and steering control was re-established.
It was a party trick I subsequently used many times.
Scared the Living Sh!! out of a mate by gradually increasing speed, then suddenly whipping the wheel to full right lock as a semi approached.
Good thing the front wheels did not affect things by acting as air-rudders!

[Busman]

I had one of those as a first car as well, was apprentice mechanic at the time, driving from North Brunswick heads to Byron Bay 5 days for work and all over the place on weekends with 3-4 mates and up to 5 boards on top, most of which were longer than the car.
Used to rebuild the poor little motor every couple of months, it was buggered by then with the thrashing we gave it, might have had some Ford oil in it at one stage ?
See, not OT either !
William

[Greynomad]

Having a mechanic for a father was very convenient.
He rebuilt my Renault's engine twice while I owned it.
I was evidently kinder on mine than you were, Busman!