1977 Lincoln Continental Restoration Project

id put a 50/50 mix of kerosene and ATF in the cylinders and let it sit for a day or two. Then get your breaker bar back on there and try to wiggle it back and forth.

I just took the passengers side valve cover off. I cleaned it back in december because it was NASTY. I've looked at the drivers side one several times, and it's always been somewhat wet.

The passengers side was bone dry. I could still strongly smell the carb cleaner I sprayed in there in December to clean it.


It's dead. No oil. How the oil in there got dirty then, I'll never know, but it's dead. I don't have 2K for a new motor, nor the money for someone to install it, since I don't own a cherry picker.


I have a feeling it's game over guys.

Never say never. It doesnt cost anything to take the motor apart, pull the heads and oil pan and check it out.

Perhaps not, but if it's already locked up, I mean...severe damage has likely already occurred. Therefore, the locking up part. Doesn't hurt anything, I suppose.


I just suck at doing the timing. Everything else, I'm good with. Last time I tried, I set the red truck on fire.



Ahh, good times.

you could have flooded out the motor from cranking it and it not starting.. try taking out all the spark plugs and then use the bolt on the balancer to spin it.. when doing that you always want to go right with the wrench to prevent loosening that bolt.. if you cant spin it with the spark plugs out then thats when you should worry.. the 460 is a high compression motor so it might have just been really hard to turn over specially going the wrong way..

I would think when it reached the exhaust stroke the cylinder would just force the excess fuel out of the cylinder through the valve, wouldn't it?


It wouldn't hurt to try that either, though.

but if you were pumpng the gas when you tried starting it then excess gas would be in the cylinders and gas vapor doesnt compress like just air.. besides the fact that you are tryin to turn it the wrong way and i can almost garrentee it was on a compression stroke..

i forgot to mention the wiring issue.. just go get a new starter wire.. that wire is probley old and corroded and causing to much resistance.. if you strip about one inch off the battery end and see green crap or died up battery acid then the wires are wasted..

Yeah, Colonial Auto up the road ordered a new one for me. 30" 4 AWG starter wire. That should help it out. The battery cables have been replaced, it was done before I bought it. they are in good shape, at least it appears. No corrosion or anything on the wires.

I honestly think, if the oil inside is dirty, it's gotta be circulating. If the oil pump was not working, the oil would just be sitting there. But, the pass. side valve cover, and the oil light are contradicting that statement.

in all honesty you could dump 5 quarts in that motor and leave the drain plug out of the pan and it would come out dirty.. when you say the oil light and passenger side valve cover contrtidict that statement does that mean they were both dry?

Pass. side cover was dry.....I hope the oil light is dry...or I may have an electrical fire hazard...

What I meant was, if the oil was dirty, the engine wasn't rattling/knocking/squealing,etc, and the drivers side valve cover was wet, it would make sense that oil was circulating, right? Well, the oil light, and the pass. side valve cover (the oil light by simply remaining on, and the valve cover/valves by beingbone dry) would contradict that statement.

I'll do some investigating next week. Got a new starter cable on the way, if I can get the motor to unseize (if it is seized) I'll put some MMO in it, and let it sit. If it cranks, it's coming apart. I'm going to figure out what's making half this motor (or the whole thing) run dry before it locks up (if it isn't too late already.)

i think i know what you should do with it.. lol..


i just couldnt resist.. such a epic pic of your car

LOL I remember when I saw that. I was like "wow....."

Hey William, its been a while, any updates?

Hey everyone,


Afraid not, for the most part. It's going to need a new engine, and until I get a 40 hour/wk job that pays decent, it's not going to get done. I've worked on the body mostly, still have some work to do, most of the paint is now in very good shape (ni9ce reflection) but it'll still need a repaint, due to the fact a couple panels will never match, (due to a poor color match in the early 80's) and some minor rusting under the paint, that (thankfully) hasn't eaten through the panels (quite light rust, actually.)

I still have every intention of fixing and driving this car, just a new job is needed. Mainly for my sanity, but the extra income boost will allow me to work on this. I'm currently in the process of winterizing it.

William! Good to see you're still among the vertical. Thanks for the update, keep us posted.