Oil Problems with my 1963 390

[Scuppers]

G'day from Tasmania, Down Under...

I'm a rookie T-Bird owner. I've had my first T-Bird (a 63 hard-top coupe) for a couple of months.
I recently started hearing a fluttering noise while driving, which got louder as I kept driving. I topped up the 390 with oil and the problem went away.
However, this problem has since been recurring. The oil is low each time I check the levels, but there are no signs of oil leaks anywhere.
The car does expel smoke fumes for about 15 minutes after turning it over, and then they disappear... normally just before the fluttering noise comes back.

Does anyone have an idea on what might be the answer to my problem?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Ray.

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[Gary Tayman]

Wow! I can't tell you exactly what might be causing your problem, but I've had a terrible experience with oil consumption on my 64. I purchased a rebuilt motor. All was fine except that it used oil like crazy. If I get on the interstate, before long the motor would sound like a sewing machine -- not good. Slow down, pull off at the next exit, find a place to stop, and add 2 quarts. Problem gone for now. But this motor was consuming oil at the rate of 1 quart every 50-100 miles! No smoke, or let's just say sometimes there's a little smoke when I first start it or if I step on it., but normally not bad. I sent it back to where I bought it and was told it has poorly made valve covers. He installed covers from a 66. Not a bit better. Of course it's not easy to keep sending the car back, and back again, there's such a thing as draining the bank account, so I lived with it. Later I would try again. Some shops did comment on the motor having oil leaks. I figured it might be blow-by, and maybe this motor would have to be rebuilt again with new rings.

Then one day, after living with this for a decade, I noticed the oil gauge dropping to zero, then fluctuating. I took it to yet another shop and guess what they found? The SENDER unit was bad, and it had been leaking. High pressure point. They replaced it, HUGE improvement in oil consumption! Today I still need to check the oil on occasion, and add a quart from time to time, but NOTHING like before. In fact now I would call it somewhat normal for a 1960's car.

 

[Ward 57]

I have seen that before. You really have to look as sometimes they are placed that the oil doesn't leak down the block or oil pan as a tell tale and only leak when running so no puddle forms under the engine.

 

[FoxyRoxy]

Take the cover plate off the transmission housing and check for leaked oil . My rear seal was leaky when I first got into looking the engine over and I cleaned allot of old oil and crud from in there.

 

[64ZCODE]

G'day from Tasmania, Down Under...

I'm a rookie T-Bird owner. I've had my first T-Bird (a 63 hard-top coupe) for a couple of months.
I recently started hearing a fluttering noise while driving, which got louder as I kept driving. I topped up the 390 with oil and the problem went away.
However, this problem has since been recurring. The oil is low each time I check the levels, but there are no signs of oil leaks anywhere.
The car does expel smoke fumes for about 15 minutes after turning it over, and then they disappear... normally just before the fluttering noise comes back.

Does anyone have an idea on what might be the answer to my problem?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Ray.

Hi there Scuppers, how you goin' down in Tassie? I'm grinning imagining your bullet bird cruising along the road out to Cradle Mountain, I bet some heads are turning when they see that big old Bird.

Wondering about the fluttering noise, could you give us a bit of a description including where you think it might be coming from? Also, you mention oil getting low, and my question is how low? Like less than a quart down or only one quart left in the crankcase? And finally are you seeing visible smoke in your wake while driving, or when are the "fumes" being expelled?

Doug

 

[thunder2010]

could the vale guides leaking, explains the smoke on start up and leaking while running the engine would burn it up in small amounts without noticeable smoke...it may show up on the plugs.

 

[Scuppers]

Hi there Scuppers, how you goin' down in Tassie? I'm grinning imagining your bullet bird cruising along the road out to Cradle Mountain, I bet some heads are turning when they see that big old Bird.

Wondering about the fluttering noise, could you give us a bit of a description including where you think it might be coming from? Also, you mention oil getting low, and my question is how low? Like less than a quart down or only one quart left in the crankcase? And finally are you seeing visible smoke in your wake while driving, or when are the "fumes" being expelled?

Doug

Thanks for the reply Doug… yeah there aren’t many Birds on the road down here in Tassie. So she turns a lot of heads.
Seems I have a bigger problem than oil getting gobbled up. I was driving yesterday when white smoke started bellowing out like I was crop dusting… then the gears shifted to neutral and the car crawled to a stop.
The engine still turns over fine, but now the car struggles to keep in gear and puts itself in neutral; regardless of where the gear shift is set to.
Any ideas mate??
Cheers,
Ray.

 

[74 Harley]

It sounds like you may have had a transmission line failure, the symptoms of not staying in any gear say low or no trans fluid.

 

[Scuppers]

It sounds like you may have had a transmission line failure, the symptoms of not staying in any gear say low or no trans fluid.

I checked the transmission fluid… full to the brim. But I suspect it definitely has a problem.

 

[64ZCODE]

MIght be the tranny vacuum modulator valve. If it's defective, the car won't shift properly or at all. Also, if the diaphragm is broken, you'll have a manifold vacuum leak and tranny fluid can be sucked into the engine and that would affect engine performance and cause smoke.