You probably are correct about the head gasket. Did you check the oil to see
if there's water in it and the radiator for oil? These are common symptoms
of a head gasket failure. Did you have the head magnafluxed prior to
reassembly? There might be a crack causing the problem... The 948 heads did
have a tendency to crack if overheated! I bought a 1962 Sprite 30 years ago
for $180 because the head was cracked. The car was really nice other than
that...
You might take the plugs out and feed some rolled up tissue down into the
cylinders to check for moisture. If you get some wetness, it should be easy
to tell if it is water or oil (gas is OK, just not too much). I would try #2
and #3 at least. They are the ones that usually get water in them.
Look for the oil/water. If you disassemble, magnaflux and check for warpage.
Good luck
Kent
1960 Bugeye
Subject: Help - New Restoration
> I am finishing a total restoration of a driver Bugeye. I rebuilt the 948
> engine (stock) myself. This is my first rebuild of an engine, and I
thought
> I was pretty careful. However, upon start-up, I find that the engine is
> smoking heavily. The smoke is fairly white. The plugs are moderately
fouled
> with oil.
>
> I have received some advice that I should suspect the head gasket. But
> before I tear the head off, I would just like to ask those of you with
> experience if this could be a running-in problem. I have run the engine
> about four times for about 15 minutes each time. The smoke gets heavier
with
> time. How long should I run it before I confirm I have a problem?
>
> Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
> Bud Pazur
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