...Well, about the same time as last year it seems that I have blown up another motor. This time it was the flatty in my '53 Merc. Last year, right after the jalopy Showdown I blew up the 390 in my '65 T-Bird coming home from New Jersey. This year I was coming home from New Jersey on the same highway in the Merc when I heard the tell-tale sign of a rod knock. It was quiet at first, then starting to rap pretty badly. I began looking for an exit to take but there was construction going on and the exits were closed. Two lanes of highway and Jersey drivers with concrete barriers on either side. I knew she was going to go right there on the road. I could only pray it held off until an exit. The rapping reached an unbearable pitch and with a bang and a billow of smoke, she let go. I rolled up to a little break in the barriers and ended up moving the safety barrels with the front bumper so I was safely on the now empty lanes on the side. There wasn't another exit for about a mile. Thank God the car was safe as I had all of my photography equipment and lights in the old Merc. Oil was pouring out the block so I'm pretty sure a rod put in a window to the outside world. Lots of antifreeze too. I called my car club buddies, the Deadbeaters, whom I had just left and they called around for a roll-back. Thank God again for great friends like mine. So now I'm home and the car is at our shop, safe in the back lot. Can't wait to see what let go with such little warning. I'm now faced with the dilemma of what to do now. find another Flatty? Small block Chevy? Ford? Damn...not a place I want to be in right now..especially with show season ahead. Looks like I'm sitting at least part of this year out. damn. Spike
Hard luck man but like the poster says " DRIVE WRENCH REPEAT " ha ha but seriously god speed on finding a new motor .
I don't know about another flattie. I know they're cool but I think a 53 Merc would be just as cool with a FE or maybe a 289 done up nice but I think I'd leave her all ford.
Damn man that blows. Construction and no patience drivers? In NJ? You dont say. And you were in south Jersey, thats like Kentucky compared to here. Kind people, slow drivers. If you need a motor setup, I have both Fords and Chevys. The swaps seem to be popular. Hope that crank is OK!
The whole time that it was happening I was more worried about that Merc crank than anything else. I have no idea what to expect when I get a good look at the motor in the daylight. Its always dark when I blow up motors..and always in Jersey...and always a Ford/Mercury product...Why me?? Spike
Maybe you did something at some point to piss off the Ford gods. I know, drop a big ole Caddy in there, hell they never seem to die
Give me a call tomorrow I have a couple flatties in the garage I could drop off at Mikey's to check out if you need one. You need to check the oil in the engine more than the oil in your hair!
somethings wrong with this story. I've beat many a flathead to death as a kid and got the rods to ratteling but never tossed one. Learned how to put bearings in at a very young age. That helps. On the other hand it's almost impossible to blow up a FE unless it's just worn out. Hope you get it going for your season.
Now I have the song "Cars With the Boom" by L'Trimm stuck in my head. Thanks. "We like the cars, the cars that go Boom" Look it up. Good stuff.
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