Technical Bought this Flathead at estate sale near Lodi, need info

Bought a couple of V8-60s near Lodi, Galt maybe, last February. Guy had all kinds of stuff, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Packards, hot rods...lots of Flathead hot rod parts.

Anyhow I popped the heads and pan off this cute pink one that I plan to stick in my heap soon. It's very fresh inside, still white grease around main bearings. But it has been run, some carbon in the chambers. All 8 cylinders have been sleeved. This indicates to me that A) for reasons other than engine problems it was removed from the vehicle or B) something was wrong with the rebuild. Chambers all look normal, no evidence of anything unusual.

Obviously I would like to avoid the work of swapping in a bad block. So I'm just putting this out there in case anyone remembers the guy or the engine. Thanks.

 

Does it rotate freely, do all valves go up and down?
If so, rig up a test stand and fire it off.

FWIW, I thought the 221 I had bought was going to need a rebuild soon, with it came a set of sleeves and 3-1/16th pistons.

When I got it fired up, had 85-90lbs compression in all cylinders and ran like a top.

Heck, the car could have been wrecked, the engine could have been pulled for a larger one...etc.

I know Ford made 221s that were sleeved, may have been replacement blocks...unsure on the V8 60's though.

 

It might have got pulled because it needs to be painted a more manly color?

 

properly sleeved flatheads are as "good" as new. Sleeving can fix a worn out bore, cracks in the cylinders, etc.

 

That's cute !
Do they make them for boys too ?

 

Bahahahaha

 

The first engine I ever ***embled was a V8 from a 40 Ford. I was the first one in there and all cylinders were sleeved from the factory. Trying to make rings and cylinders last more than 50,000 miles.

 

strap it down and start it.

 

Are they tin sides or cast? 1937 would be the tin sides. Straight or taped water pumps?

 

Go polish a transmission.

I could have run it when I got it but didn't want to without knowing what lurked inside. It does turn over fine and everything goes up and down and around. At this point I have to put heads, intake, pan etc. back on so might as well do it right. Would be nice to know what the deal was with it. I'm trying to find the name of the auction company and get the name of the guy.

I just might leave it pink. Nice contrast with black primer.

 

did you find any problems?

 

Both it and the other one are '40 blocks with the larger cranks. Got them both for under $500, great score if they are good.

 

No but I haven't popped a rod or main cap, kind of hate to disturb them. I guess I could wiggle the rods around. Everything up top looks fine. Need to look closer for cracks. They are not supposed to crack as much as the big ones.

 

Found it. The sale was in Acampo, guy's name was Carl Wishek. Had some fancy stuff.
http://www.lodinews.com/news/article_a7776ee4-add6-11e4-922a-6fa10068f5e2.html

Going to call the auction company tomorrow and see if they can help.

 

I remember a thread many years ago on here with a pink flathead...

 

Just a guess... but being its a v8 60, it may have been intended to go into a midget racer.

 

MANY 60's, and also 221 and 239 engines, were built new in the immediate prewar period with sleeves that allowed instant rebuild...these were very thin sheet steel, around 040, but look thicker in engine because there is a ledge around top that fits into matching groove in block to locate them. They were driven in and out with a simple tool kit, and were pre-honed for the matching piston and ring sets. A feature, not a bug!
That's very likely what you have...I cannot imagine anyone building an engine that needed 8 of the aftermarket type heavy sleeves meant to save cracked cylinders!

 

Here's a shot of the sleeves. Still a bit dirty from cleaning off the old head gaskets yesterday. I have to hit the road today and won't be able to call the auction company until tomorrow. I'm sure I remember the auctioneer saying he knew something about it. I called them a week after I bought it but never got a return call.

 

My old block was a midget block. It has extra cooling holes drilled at the bottom of each cylinder above the pan rails. Most ran crank driven water pumps. Some had the bell housings cut off. This engine has non of that, and stock heads and intake (not for long). It could have been put together to run in and then modified for midget use. The only thing different about it is the paint, not something you would do for a restoration vehicle. VHT sells pink engine enamel. *****, who knew? .

 

There was a guy at that auction who worked at a rebuild shop in Lodi years ago (wish I still had his card). He said they sometimes just sleeved blocks all around rather than bore for oversize pistons. Maybe they had a bunch of those surplus war sleeve/piston kits. I don't know much about sleeves, these look unusual to me as the tops are rounded a bit

 

Not sure I would give fenders to some guy with a pink engine

 

I would bet it was just run on a stand after the rebuild. I bought one with a little carbon last year. If it rotates. Start it on a stand and be happy.

 

Nice Velo. MAC or MSS? Is that a Triumph in the background?

 

A kid I knew (notice I was careful not to say friend) painted a 396 he built pink and then installed it in his pastel blue Chevelle........wanna guess what year that was LOL

 

ANY Velocette is nice, and if you can build and maintain one a those, no flathead ever made will challenge you. Envious.

 

Just noticed...front cover is a bit odd...
Does it have a casting number? Any markings on bellhousing?

 

I think one of the most "controversial" drag racers in history had pink "stuff" and no it wasn't engine builder Ed Pink!

 

geez, I don't know, I think it can look pretty damn good...

 

You got I backwards, it takes a real man to run a pink mill.

Looking good Blowby. That's gonna be nice in a cool car!