Rebuilt 1950 Mercury flathead engine which I bought several years ago. Has the original iron heads and sits in a traditional style 30 AV8. I just started it for the first time and now see coolant weeping from a small hole in the p***enger side head just in front of the number 3 cylinder. Can this be repaired? If I have to replace the heads, would new Aluminum heads be the best bet? This is new territory for me, so any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks, DK
Should be able to locate original heads if necessary. Aluminum will cost more but look and work better. Be sure to replace with new headbolts and washers though. Don't forget to retorque them also. Before doing anything why not try removing the head bolts where it's leaking and put sealant on the bolts and torque 65-70 lbs.ft.
Could be trouble.... Did it get too cold last year? Any water in oil? Does coolant smell of gasoline?
Heated garage. Coolant was just put in yesterday, the engine was dry after being rebuilt. No coolant in the oil or gas smell in coolant. If I go with aluminum heads, any recommendations for a street rod? Thanks
Before worrying too much, ****yze the leak! You say hole...clean the area thoroughly, wire brush, rust remover goo, etc. and examine closely with good strong light. Is there a crack??? Junkit, but used replacements should be dime a dozen. If no crack...belabor the area with a ball-pein hammer to see if catastrophic rusting has destroyed the whole area...that would be unusual. If it is really just a hole it may well be a casting flaw thin enough to rot through in a mere 65 years. Run a drill through it, the smallest that will do the job, and see if you get a clean hole that shows decent thickness of metal. If so, go buy a tap of suitable size (drill/tap charts are online) and thread the hole. Run in a cut-off bolt, allen setscrew, piece of all thread, etc. soaked in sealer and then pein the protruding stump til mushroomed down flat. Dipping the bolt in sal amoniac would be the trad way...is it considered a precursor to weapons of m*** destruction now, or can you still buy it?? Anyway, let your work dry and go for a ride. See what you have.
What type of intake manifold do you have or plan on getting? Edelbrock, Offenhauser or other. I would match the heads to that brand. Be careful if you purchase used heads though because they may have been milled or warped over the years. Try the sealant and retorqueing the head in question first. Won't cost anything.
Here hopefully are attached pics, There is a small hole next to a small metal prominence which might represent a previous repair as described by Bruce using a small bolt with the head cut off. bolt. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Ha! does indeed look like an old repair, me personally, I'd get another set or single, they made kabillions of 'em.
Why not clean the area very well,mix up some JBWeld per instructions on package,let sit overnight and ***ettabou***?
Why bother with the 8CM's? Now would be the perfect time to pick up some EAB's and gain a little compression!
My .02 would be to drill it and tap it like the other repair, whatcha got to loose??? JB will not hold of you dont get ALL the antifreeze off.
yeah--try fixing it first. my experience is that the merc heads no longer are "free." i've seen them for a $200 asking price. 8ba heads are a lot more plentiful. if you decide to go the aluminum route, be sure to figure what your compression ratio is going to be. don't go too high because high compression on a flathead is achieved at the sacrifice of breathing.
Bruce, Thanks for the information. Can drilling, tapping etc. be done safely with the head in place? And what sealer would you use? Thanks, DK
Ended up drilling a 1/4 inch hole. Tapped it and place a cut off 1/4 bolt with Loc***e red sealant. No leaks! Thanks everyone.
With all that's been said and done, and you've put a finger's worth of steel in the leaky dike, my advice is to go to a novelty store and buy the biggest piggy bank they sell. Preferably one that requires serious work to open. Label it 'new heads and intake'. From now on, until that little light in your own head goes off, fill it with spare change, odd bills and money you'd use to buy junk food and other non-essentials. When enough is saved up, get yourself a pair of finned aluminum heads and an intake. In the meantime spend time on the internet studying the offerings, their specs, cost factor versus cool factor, and all the other variables. When there's enough in the piggy, you'll be one proud mother when Buster Brown, or any of the other boys and girls who bring joy, drives up to your house, or you walk into a speed shop (***uming there are any left in your area) and Santa Claus comes to the little boiler under the hood of your ride. When that happens, the real problem will be solved. Your Hot Rod will look like one, and in order to please you for adding bling will run a lot better. Good Luck and Good Hunting. (I ran across this link after posting this --- hopefully moderators will excuse the name of the magazine that implies another version of reality as opposed to 'traditional'. Maybe this will be helpful in finding your way through the maze.) : http://www.streetrodderweb.com/features/0601sr_speed_equipment_history/
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