Hahahahahahah... that's a great point! They do have mountains... they might have a few spots high enough in elevation to garner freezing weather?! I don't know... maybe an Aussie will chime in about it... Couldn't wait for a response... had to Google it: 3blap.
The cracked block I was told came out of a car from South Africa. But the same guy who told me this took decent money from me for a “good engine to rebuild”.
July 2025. Ken ***embling valves. We used a melling high volume oil pump so I had to modify the pick up to suit the 8ba style pump.
Thanks for the compliment. Yes, the transmission was completely my fault. I was messing around with my sons, dumping the clutch and doing little burnouts. First gear sheared it’s teeth and they came back around and forced the shaft down taking the case with it.
Still thinking about that dam crack. No water near to cause long crack like that. I have decided car or just engine took hard shot into oil pan on other side caused bolts to force crack. Maybe with pan almost off, fell off engine stand. Strange
“THE CRACK” This seems to got a few people’s attention. That engine was cracked before I bought it. I don’t know or really care how or why it happened. The only issue with the crack is that it was not mentioned to me when I paid fair money for the engine. In fact the seller made excuses as to why we shouldn’t pull the oil pan when we were buying the engine. He knew it was cracked and a phone call after it was found and a partial refund confirmed it. The only part I used from that engine was the oil pan. The only other use was as a jig when modifying the oil pump pick up.
That's good news that there's no water near the crack. It makes it a lot easier to save the block. So I guess it's not freeze damage.
Mid July 2025. I would have been picking the engine up but the flywheel fouled the block. We figured out the problem and I got Ken the correct flywheel. It then had to be balanced to match the balanced rotating ***embly. We also cleaned up the pressure plate and bought a new clutch.
July 30 2025. Engine completed and back in my shed I added a timing pointer and notched the pulley for TDC. Prepping for paint. This is when I figured out my starter was not going to work. I put a call out on social media and my friend Tommy told me to come get the starter out of his 32 roadster project. It was the starter I needed and a nice catch up with my buddy.
August 10 to 12 2025. Starter painted, engine painted, ch***is prepped, rebuild date painted on the back of the block. Ready to go.
August 13. 38 top loader fitted and the engine going in. August 15. Driveline all fitted up. Top end pulled apart for a tidy up and being installed on the new engine.
August 18 2025. Engine complete. Still have to instal new spark plugs. August 19 2025. The starter motor would throw out but not turn the engine over. I spent hours removing it, cleaning electrical connections and trying again. Eventually we figured out the starter needed a rebuild, so that’s what it got. This removable starter cover was a real help in fault finding my problem. I could see it was throwing out but not turning the engine.
I ran the engine in with 3 15 minute heat cycles. September 01 2025. This is how the plugs came out after the running in and before any adjustments. I ended up having ignition troubles that kept me from taking the coupe to my club rod run. With a borrowed distributor I made it to its first car show with the new engine. October 12 at The ramones picnic. My friend took this photo of my coupe and my wife’s galaxie.
Now that I have gone from a 32 trans to a 38 trans the shifter is a little more forward. I had to modify my trans cover. In first photo I have cut the hole forward a bit more and half made the filler piece.
The rear suspension has never been perfect. I added leaves to the rear spring and it made it worse. I figured out the spring was hitting the rails. So I removed the extra leaves but had to make a 3/8” spacer for the top of the pack to get the ride height where I wanted it. Then I notched the rails 1.5” The ride is a lot better and now I’m not bottoming out.
The Jalopy Journal
