Team Rustbucket? Yeah that’s about the best name we could come up with given what we have to start with. OK, chances are you won’t see us in the winner’s circle at the Baja 1000. Probably won’t be collecting a trophy at an off-road event, we'll be lucky not to be on the wrong end of a tow rope! But, if you happen to attend one of the next few desert parties we have at “Chucks Place” you just might see us rolling up the trail in a 1957 Willys with big grins on our faces!
The catalyst of this project was Tucson, AZ resident Chuck Foley. Chuck lists hunting and four wheeling as some of his hobbies. After a few seasons of dragging a Deer, Elk, Yak or whatever they hunt down in the neck of the woods, back by foot or ATC, Chuck figured it was time for a better hunting vehicle that could also double as an off-road ride. Chuck wanted something he could take off road, navigate the rocky terrain and not have to worry about scratching or denting a fender in the pursuit of Elephant, Bengal Tigers or Spotted Owl. OK, so I'm not a hunter and I'm winging that part!
Its fall of 2002 and a friend happened to have just the thing Chuck needed! Chucks friend had told him he had a 1957 Willys/Jeep. It had been sitting for almost 10 years but ran when it was parked. The body was rough and it would need a “little work” to get it running again. Well, money was exchanged and this little 4 X 4 was towed home. Personally, I would have liked to have been at Chuck’s house when he drove up the street towing this 45 year old beater and Patricia, his wife, first set eyes upon it! Outside of possibly annoying a few neighbors who might question parking this “thing” next to his house, Patricia really wasn’t too upset given the purchase price equated to barely 3 cases of beer! I really would have figured she'd trip off line when this showed up! But, she saw the potential, or at least humored him.
(before the fun began)
OK, time to bring the little Hurricane 134 motor back to life. Some fresh fuel, charge the battery, a little WD-40 in the cylinders and PRESTO! Nothing, nada, jack. The motor would not turn over. More WD-40, charge the battery some more, nothing. Marvel Mystery Oil, that’s the ticket, and a lot of it! OK, go. Nope, ain’t happening! The motor wouldn’t budge, not by starter, and not by a very large breaker bar on the crank snout bolt.
My wife was heading south from Phoenix to Tucson to visit her sisters who happen to live outside of Tucson. I figured I’d tag along and swing by Chucks and see what we can do with the little Hurricane. Chuck and I went through all of his steps again trying to turn the motor over. Chuck had added yet more Marvel Mystery Oil to the motor prior to my arrival. No luck and it was lunchtime. Off to Hooters for lunch and some brainstorming. OK, the two of us at Hooters might not constitute a “brainstorm”, barely a light sprinkle! So, we seemed to be getting smarter the longer we sat at the restaurant. We decide to go back to the house and yank the cylinder head off to see if we can determine what the problem might be. Hell, we we’re just getting started! It was time to break out the toolbox.
First strange thing I noticed was the valvetrain configuration. This motor is a 4-banger, but when we popped the valve cover, there’s only 4 valve springs! Maybe that’s why it won’t run; it’s missing the other four valves! Ok, now we have all the head bolts off and it’s time to pull the head. We pried and pulled to no avail. Check to make sure we got all the head bolts. Yup, don’t see anymore. Pry some more. Chuck, do you have a bigger pry bar? Well, before one of us geniuses figures out how to get that 8 foot 2X4 in there, let's look at this a little more.
(crazy valvetrain?)
The head of this engine has an intragal intake manifold. So just on a hunch, we start wondering if there could be a bolt under that 1-bbl carburetor? Pull the carb and sure enough, there is one head bolt. Pull that bolt and the head practically fell off. Good thing we didn’t get the really big pry bar in there.
Now we see a few more odd things. First, there’s the other four valves, in the head, ala flathead. The intake valves are in the head, the exhaust valves are in the block. Flathead, OHV, OHV, flathead? Ah, let’s split it, half flathead, half OHV.
Next, we see where all that Marvel Mystery Oil is, sitting on top of what was once #1 piston. We also have what appears to be a melding of cylinder wall steel, piston aluminum and rust forming one, strong, stubborn mass in the cylinder!
(one sad looking block to start with!)
(of course the cylinder had isn't much better)
OK, we won’t be turning this motor over even if we go and get that pry bar! It appears when the motor was dormant; rain water had made its way down the cylinder head past the nonexistent air cleaner. The intake valve on the front cylinder was open, so the water collected on top of the piston. The motor has to come out. Our plan was now to rebuild the engine completely, albeit on a strict budget. We still might make the 2003 Annual Desert Party at Chucks Place!
Well, the 2003 Desert Party has come and gone, it’s now June 2003 and Team Rustbucket is no closer to being done then it was at the beginning of the year. We get easily sidetracked!
We finally got back to Tucson to help Chuck pull the motor. Check out some of the pictures. You'll might note the apparent genius needed to come up with a suitable stuck piston removal tool! Next step, the motor goes to the shop for some time in the hot-tank and some much needed machine work. We also need to bring the power washer down and give the engine compartment and chassis a good steam cleaning. Stay tune, more to come!
(success!)
(note the determination in Chucks face!)
( water, oil, Marvel Mystery + 10 years = SLUDGE, but the engine had a cool floating oil pick-up)
(three pistons still looked OK)
(strange way to hold the piston and rod!)
(Patricia, NO! Really we'll get it running....one day!)
