For a couple of years my 6107’s engine had been getting tired, as it began using oil and developed low compression on two cylinders. To rectify matters, while at Hershey in October 2007 I bought a low mileage ’49 motor from chapter member Fred DiGiovanni which I helped a more expert friend rebuild. Though the crankshaft was in perfect shape, prudence dictated .installing .020 inch oversize pistons and rings, a new camshaft, new valve lifters and re-building the cylinder heads.
However, we made the mistake of installing head gaskets made of a new, black composite material instead of the usual old-style steel gaskets. After starting, the new engine ran well but the water temperature ominously seemed to be higher than that of my old motor, hinting at faulty head gaskets.
Sure enough, a few days later I took the car out for a high speed test run and my worst fears were realized when the passenger’s side gasket blew. As I was on an interstate I couldn’t slow down very quickly, so the motor got very hot. This in turn caused a Welch (freeze) plug in the block to pop out, spilling out all the coolant and bringing the car to a disastrous halt. I had to replace the plug and both cylinder head gaskets, a lengthy job which included flushing a mixture of oil and water out of the crankcase. Luckily there was no other damage done. My ’49 is now backing on the road, again running cool and fine like a Cadillac should.