1967 International COE, Small Adventure

The eight spark plugs ranged from a bit stiff, to completely stuck. The more stuck they were, the more the shoulder part was rusted to the block. The second most stuck plug is in the picture below. My working theory (once the ceramic shattered) was to remove everything above the threaded portion with a combination of ever larger drill bits, some small die grinders, and luck. Once I got that out, the threaded portion should come out easy, right? Well the first part worked, this is what's left in the head. It came apart just how I hoped and I didn't hit the seat at all. Pretty slick. However, the threaded part is resisting my efforts with a properly sized easy out. I'm pretty sure I could break it without too much trouble, but I'd rather not. Regardless, ceramic fell into the cylinder, so the head is coming off. In fact, when I poured some ATF into the cylinders today the only cylinder that really showed signs of moisture is on the other bank, so I might as well take them both off. Motor is still locked too. We'll see if I get it apart or spinning first.

Easy out and heat whether there in the frame or on your work bench...take your time and be careful.

Chk your email.

I think you're well aware of my opinion regarding ez-out's at this point in my own project.

Heated the spark plug remnants up red hot.....stuck. Used freeze ray......stuck. I did break the ez-out, but at a good spot. The next break will probably be worse. Kids started school today, I need to take Mrs. Duece to the airport in a minute, and then I need to mow and clean the house. What can I sneak in? I'll pull the carb! Fuel, throttle, choke, done. I'm still working outside so I'll probably wait to clean the stuff I take off until a rainy day.
I can't really get a picture inside the intake because of the early day light, but there are a fair number of mouse turds. There was also a substantial amount on the passenger side of the intake/valve cover area. So now I'm wondering, can the intake valve on an International 345 open far enough to let a mouse into a cylinder to raise a family? That would explain the whole stuck motor thing. More disassembly tomorrow.

How would they have gotten past the throttle plates? Feces usually aren't deposited directly into the manifold. They usually sit on top of the throttle plates until some one sees the linkage and plays with it making vroom vroom noises.

Feel free to speculate on why I know that.

Also, maybe a stupid question, but are you trying to turn the engine with it in gear? Is it possible the engine brake is stuck and keeping the engine from moving?

In reply to Crackers: The throttle plates were certainly cracked far enough for a mouse to get through when I pulled the air filter. Compound that with the fact that the base of the air filter was missing and you have a pretty easy way in. I'm just speculating at this point, the actual answer is coming.

The driveshaft brake is not on and it spins the output from the transmission freely. Something downstream of the engine could be the problem, but since I have to pull the heads anyway, I'll see if that's the issue before I go unbolting bellhousings and what not.

OK, I didn't think it was very likely but I tend to dive headfirst into things and end up in the wrong end of the pool.

berkeley it. time to pull the heads.

AngryCorvair wrote: berkeley it. time to pull the heads.

Story of my life lately.

After the R63, this is a dead simple push rod motor. Other than rusted nuts and bolts, it should come apart easily.

Not that it helps, but climbing in to a cylinder via an exhaust valve might be possible too. I think it's just a glass pack on there, and it might be open straight through.

I wonder how the throttle plates got open?

When I say open, it was cracked, tip of your pinky finger width, I think the linkage was just sticky. The whole carb is sticky to be honest. I've sat on the couch at my cottage and watched mice crawl under a door that I couldn't fit my fingers under. They're amazing. But maybe they didn't get in and just pooped a bit on top of the carb and it just fell in. More forensics on the victim are needed.

Don49 wrote: After the R63, this is a dead simple push rod motor. Other than rusted nuts and bolts, it should come apart easily.

I was just thinking that I haven't taken the head off a pushrod motor in......a very long time. 25 years? I'm sure I can figure it out. Anyone have the torque specs for an international 345?

mazdeuce wrote: Anyone have the torque specs for an international 345?

It's probably along the lines of "meh, good enough".

mazdeuce wrote: Anyone have the torque specs for an international 345?

You're a looong way from needing torque specs for anything on that truck...

So I just looked up head bolt torques. Normal sequence starting in the middle alternating out. Torque? Somewhere between 90 and 100 lb-ft. Whatever, as long as it's close it'll be fine. I might like this cast iron stuff.

Pete Gossett wrote:

mazdeuce wrote: Anyone have the torque specs for an international 345?

It's probably along the lines of "meh, good enough".

Gudenteit

Are you planning to extricate the stuck plug yourself after head removal?

Torque specs inbound

Torque specs? How about the whole book? I downloaded "Engine, 304-345-392, part 1.pdf" from the engines section and it seems legit. Looks like the chassis manual might be somewhere in there too.

In reply to oldopelguy:

Got them, huge thanks!

In reply to BrokenYugo:

You win ALL the internet points for today! The CO section looks legit too. I'm going to download them to the big computer once the kids are done with homework. Score!

The plan is to work on the motor like an onion. one layer at a time.
The good part about the cabover is engine access is pretty good. The frame rails are in the way, but the rest of the engine compartment is up there by that tree. The next layer after the carb is the intake manifold. It has a half dozen hoses, one hard vacuum line, and the plug wires and coil to take off first, and then 16 bolts. Out come the bolts. Cardboard used because there are two different lengths. A couple were tricky to get a wrench on, but none were stuck. Right about this time the mail lady dropped off the box containing a whole engine worth of gaskets from oldopelguy. She honked at me, pretty sure she liked my new haircut. Manifold came off easy enough. I immediately decided to get the scale. Growing up I always read International V8's weighed 800lbs and I thought they were exaggerating. I now think the scale they used only went up to 800. And there we are, another layer down. A couple of the intake ports look good, a couple a a bit rusty, and a couple of them look like the Titanic after 80 years in the North Sea.