That will be difficult as the frame is set up for a rear sump motor and the Ford is a front sump. The 351 Cleveland was one of Fords worst engines. There was a reason they quit making them.
Beg to differ but the reason it was no longer made here was emissions, continued in Australia for over a decade. High revving, excellent breathing heads and intake, 351/400 Modified engines were made for almost a decade after utilizing the heads and basic block structure. Other major difference was the 385 series bell housing, and motor mounts, larger main bearings in the crankshaft, etc.
I got all the pistons out. I noticed some coolant on the skirts and underneath piston #3 and a small amount on #7. Some of these Pistons came out super easy so that might reflect the low compression readings I was getting. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
No coolant ran out when I took the p***enger side cylinder head off. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hi There Butch from Canada here --I had the same problem with a Toyota---its a cylinder head gasket . Don't do a comp test and don't start the engine--- just remove one sp plug at a time inspect for leakage or fouling on the plug that will indicate which cylinder is leaking. I hope it works for you as well as it did for me---BTW mine was a 4 banger not a flathead. .good luck.
I agree with you on the headgasket. All the cylinder walls were flawless with no cracks. I have the block dis***embled so I'm going to get it hot tanked and boiled. There is cereal bowl full of **** and sand in the water jackets of my block.
Quick way to check if its a head gasket....run engine till warm..pull the plugs and inset a screw diver into each spark plug hole....wait till engine cools ....inspect each screw driver for moistue on shaft
You can also pull 1 plug out at a time, run it and look for the steam cloud. Used to be the acid test on the good old Vega... Sometimes if you really look close at the head gasket you can find where it is thinned out and allowing water to p***. Everything I read on the flattie mentions sealant on the head studs to prevent leaks.
The more I remove from this block, the more interesting stuff I find. It looks like this flathead had a overheating problem long before I bought the car. Check out the pictures I posted after taking off the water pumps. One water pump has a paper gasket the other one has a squeeze tube gasket. And you can see on the left side of the block the stop leak pretty much plugged the drivers side water p***ages. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I can't find any cracks in the block so I'm guessing it was the head gasket. And I think they used to stop leak to bandage the issue. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It didn't apparently work very well for them and you unfortunately inherited it. You just never what you're going to find.
I need to tell somebody about my own flathead milkshake, and maybe rusted junk won't mind if I put it here. This winter I did an 8BA engine, got it running real sweet this spring. Then after a while, damn, water in the oil. I don't mind pulling things apart again, but for now I really like being able to drive the car up into the shop instead of pushing it. It mostly lives outside. So I got me a bottle of that Moroso ceramic sealer and pored it in my new aluminum radiator. And changed the oil. Then the power valve in the carb went bad. When carb was apart I noticed water had been in there. When car was first running it had no hood on it so I carefully put a bag over the carb whenever she was outside. Then I got the hood on, still threw a rag over it or something. Then I kinda quit doing that. The other evening, car was outside, I was hunkered down looking up in under hood at some wiring. Happened to notice a little glint of light right above carb with hood down. Looked on top of hood, there is supposed to be a chrome strip up there on my 50 coupe. Strip is gone, there is a riveted little mount right there. Looks water tight to me me. Went and got a jug of water and poured it over the hood. Sure as hell, drip, drip, drip right dead center down the carb throat. And it has been raining a lot here. Been about a week; don't know what helps, the block sealer or the coffee can over the carb. But no water in the oil yet. Sorry so wordy, had to tell somebody.
I'm glad you found the problem. Good thing to keep the hood covered. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
My buddy years ago, he owned a lot of cars and had at least 6 on the road at any given time. Along comes a '65 Biscayne wagon for $65, so he has to have it. He was not really a car guy... but he gave it his best shot. We were driving the Biscayne on a real hot day, the hot light comes on and we hear a loud bang under the hood. Get out and look, it looked like a milkshake power-barf all over. The force took the radiator neck with it. That had oil in the coolant to a major degree and the crankcase was also full of it.
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