I need help with my flathead rebuild. Because I'm a boddy shop man and not a engine spe******t I think this is the best way to get help from ford flathead spe******ts. I just want a reliable runner for my 30 coupe that I'm working on. The engine is loose when I get it and after dis***embly I find out that there is no oil in it but a little mud (no extreem) and as good as no rust. I removed the heads and they wear cracked. I inspected the block and looked ok for what I can see. Now my questions; Do I need to take the pistons and valves out and clean the engine and let the heads be machined for the new ones I have to buy? Ore can I just leave it in like this (see foto's) and clean and rebuild it home? I know the best way is take it all apart and bring it to a machine shop and put everything new in. But that is a costly and I do not think the machine shops are familiar with so old flatheads here in Belgium. [/url]
Early block. It's going to have babbit bearings. If a price of a rebuild is a problem I would clean it up as is, put it back together and run it till ya find another flathead. Just my opinion. If the cylinders are decent, My bet is it'll run fine for years in your A.
Flush out the water p***ages of the block with a coat hanger or a long screwdriver and water. Best of luck.
Start by dis***embly...engine is 1935 or 1936, and could have inserts. Pull a main cap and see...bearings themselves and diameter of main on crank will tell. Insert main journal is close to 2.4, babbitt crank is just under 2, so you can measure difference with a ruler! If bearings are the babbitt ones you will need to measure to see if usable still, because you need some special cleanup procedures to preserve them if the non-removable type. I think you MUST clean water p***ages chemically on that, requiring some care if bearings are in, and a good deal of work cleaning out sludge with a brush and solvent if block cannot be put in cleaning tank. Issues are those bearing clearances (usable or rebuild mandatory) and ridges at top of cylinders after carbon is removed. Those will tell you if it can run reasonably well or not without rebuild. From pictures, cylinders actually look pretty good. Valve job, simple and primitive, or professional too. It would be interesting to get it running...
If you revisit this. What Bruce said is true. He is right on, as always. Bruce has forgotten more then most flathead guys will ever know. My thought is... If its babbit, which is my luck... . in my opinion, your best bet is to ****on it up and run it. This being as stated on your budget. If the cylinders show little wear you might be lucky and have nice compression and decent bearings. Pull a main and check it out. 5 bucks for some plastigauge. They want to run and will. Surprising how not nano perfect it needs to be for a runner. But!!! if your lucky a late year 36 is possible with inserts. Which depending on the wear, you will have to machine it, cash money. But it will be cheaper then babbit or converting to inserts. it's up to you how much time or money that you want to spend. Best of luck and enjoy. By the way i am certainly not an expert, but have tore a few flatheads down and run them in my rides.
Clean and hone the cylinders, re-ring, and check the rods for damage. If you get lucky, only the bearings will be bad like the one pictured. The big thing is to get all the gunk out of it. Clean, then clean again, then clean more.
And...cleaner will be hard hand work if babbitt mains, as they can be dissolved in most hot tanks. If inserted, strip it and cost of having a machine shop clean it in tank will be a bargain. Rusty coolant cleanup, if babbitt fill block p***ages with evaporust (ONLY really effective and safe stuff,IMHO), if insert see how well the hot tank cleans in there before deciding. Look over valves and seats to see if simple valve touch-up will do without lots of replacememt.
I want to order new rod bearings but how do i know to take the standard ore the undersize ore oversize? I have to measure? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
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