Ok, took the 40 for a longer drive today. I new the 8BA was tired and was planning on building a new one later this year. Well the farther I drove it the lower the oil preasure got till finally at idle it was almost 0 and driving it didn't get up over 20 ever. When its cold it always 40 to 60psi. The motor runs pretty good and I kinda wanted to drive it to LSR next month My question is: Can you re-insert a Flathead in the car if it mikes out okay? Just figured It might get me through at least til later this year so I have time to build another. Just need to know if it can be done in car or if the motor needs to come out? I have done some other motors in car with good results??? However I have never tried a Flatty
Pretty sure if it goes to 60 plus cold and 1-2 hot there is an issue. I still will do as you say before tearing it apart but I think the lower end is worn out!
I think your flatty will make it. Can't be anymore tired than mine. I had a similar but different issue with pressure drop off. Here's my thread, might be worth a read http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=458194
Flatheads will run forever with very little pressure. Trucks around here were considered remarkable if they even wiggle the gauge when hot! Most are retired now, but I ran lots of them 20 years ago, and none would show more than 15 pounds at road speeds.
I run an electric fuel pump so I don't think it will effect mine the same way?? I could be wrong though I just don't know flatheads that well
First, if you are using multigrade oils, stop and switch to straight weights. 40 weight summer and 10w winter is what the bearings (and tolerances) call for. With a thicker straight weight oil, you will increase the clearances and the journals will run truer to center. Check your oil sender cuz it easier than pulling an engine. Flatheads need almost no oil pressure Consider this, the Flathead V8 is more or less 2 model A 4 bangers glued together. Prior to the V8, The 4 banger ran with virtually no oil pressure. My 41 sat from 1963 to 1996, at which point I pulled it out of a field in North Dakota and made it run. (The old guy that sold it to me said that it should run). When I started it, it ran cold with about 10lbs at idle and went down to 2 or 3 warm at speed. I changed the 35+ year old oil to a straight weight 40 and that improved things to 15 cold and 4 or 5 warm at speed . I added one quart of 90 weight and that brought the oil pressure up to about 20 cold, 10 warm and or 5 to 7 at speed. That was 15 years ago and the original untouched engine is still running and driving. Do Flathead 4's need lots of oil pressure? no Do Flathead V8's need lots of oil pressure? no. Does a fresh oil change improve oil pressure? yes Do straight weights improve oil pressure over multigrades? yes Other than that, don't worry about it, as others have said, if the farm truck could wiggle the needle when she was warm you were good to go. . jmho .
I agree, 40 oil might help. I have used 50 aircraft oil in some of my beaters, works good as long as they aren't burning much, that stuff is pricey!
At one point in time I had an owners manual for a F1 (like 40 years ago). I think it said something like pressure was only an indicator that the oil was circulating, and something like 10 or 15 was adiquate. All of which makes me shudder today. And mine did run about in that ball park. I tried flushing it out with an oil and kerosene mix, which promptly dropped it to 0. I pulled the bottom of the pan and cleaned things up, and it went back to where it was before I tried it.
Thanks for all the feedback!! I changed the oil pan last year and it was real clean inside and it really doesn't leak any either. I am a rookie when it comes to Flatheads so all this info is great! It does kinda make sense that they don't need or run much psi since the early 36 and older ones were like the bangers with the crank scoops and no pump? I have 20w50 in it now and will try straight 40 or 50 and see what happens. Also I will take it on some longer test runs and see what happens while i"m close to home. Thanks again!!
[QUOTE="Doc" Parsons;6291305]Toast put some Valvolene 50wt in it and go "Doc"[/QUOTE] Thanks Doc, thats the plan now.
It will run like that a loooong time. You could do a lot of things to try and fix it, but in the end, the easiest to control is the oil. I found that switching to diesel oil helped my hot oil pressure a little bit. Instead of near zero, it was 5+ at hot idle - I think it has to do with the additive packages more than anything. This was with a switch from straight 50 to 10W40 (Diesel). Try a different brand of oil. Go to straight weights. All of this is for peace of mind more than anything real. It honestly will run like that for a long time just fine. I drove my '40 cross country with that kind of oil pressure...cold - almost pegged the stock gauge, but hot barely registered.
It will run like that a loooong time. You could do a lot of things to try and fix it, but in the end, the easiest to control is the oil. I found that switching to diesel oil helped my hot oil pressure a little bit. Instead of near zero, it was 5+ at hot idle - I think it has to do with the additive packages more than anything. This was with a switch from straight 50 to 10W40 (Diesel). Try a different brand of oil. Go to straight weights. All of this is for peace of mind more than anything real. It honestly will run like that for a long time just fine. I drove my '40 cross country with that kind of oil pressure...cold - almost pegged the stock gauge, but hot barely registered.
Did you plug the fuel pump rod hole in the valley when you went to the electric pump? They sell a aluminum plug just for that. If you don't plug it you will lose oil pressure.
I have seen alot of dipsticks read inaccurately. I have seen alot of engines run low pressure because the owner ran too little oil following the inaccurate stick. Been running 50 wt Valvolene racing oil for years. I can't follow this question... Any good or bad flathead with go into any 20-30-40 or early 50's ford rather easily. The odds are any tired flathead will not be within Ford's tolerancing limits.
As mentioned earlier a plugged oil screen will cause that kind of low pressure problem, a lot of those engines had a removable plate on the bottom of the pan and pulling it down and cleaning the oil screen was a normal maintenance item.
As I posted earlier the pan pickup and oil change is all fresh. everything is clean. As I am learning, Flatheads don't have much Hot oil presure. Dipstick is not even a factor and it doesnt leak. And I was talking main bearings! But its all cool now, I will just drive it till it stops
Where's your sender located. Had a flathead rebuilt years ago, when he cranked it up it had almost no oil pressure. He shut it down, said somethings not right. Hooked up another guage down low on the block, fired it up and had 80 cold, let it warm up good and it still had 40. Try hooking up another guage.
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