Flathead Rebuild What NOT To Do Thread

49-53 Ford and Merc. Not sure about pre 49 engines.

 

Disassembly..stuck engine: Lot of folks seem to automatically****ume it is pistons stuck and the fix is to pour any number of suggested fluids through the spark plug hole, then torque on the engine with a cheater bar. Often it is the valve train that is stuck, and if that is the case, something is going to break if you force the engine to spin.

 

And on most flatheads you can easily check that and bypass it for the teardown...remove the bolt-on timing gear to free crank from cam. If older engine with press-on gear, most likely you are going to replace at least the gear, so get out the prybar and crumble it away.

 

Any of you guys have a preference on timing gears? Fiber vs. aluminum...

 

I like aluminum and use it to stamp rebuild date and other info

 

That's a great idea.

 

I have actually experienced fiber gear failure...on the road, Snead, Alabama, Friday night near Christmas, with my parents over for the Holiday from Germany...
Met the world's greatest old geezer mechanic, thank the Lord! He instantly diagnosed what was a very puzzling failure for me: Windshield wipers popped on for one stroke, engine went stone dead...I just sat there with my jaw dropped as the car coasted down from 75. Everuthing I could think of was fine...
Then he gave us the KEYS to his garage, so I could do the teardown while he went home, and by noon on Saturday all was well! Thank heavens for the tractor part crossover, too.
Aluminum ONLY.
And...flatheads have always introduced me to the nicest people!

 

I helped a fellow screw together a 276 out of a huge pile of parts. It would not turn. We had used a 59A flywheel on an 8 BA. If my foggy memory is right, the 59 A flywheel will rock on the floor. The 8 BA needs a screw driver to get under it so you can pick it up.

 

Be careful when using a standard******* if you use a different crank then what you took out of your motor, with the later 8BA's some came with automatic*******'s, and the hole in the end of the crank is not as deep as the ones that came with standard*******'s, they will bolt together, but won't tighten up. In this case you need to cut about 3/16 of an inch off the input shaft on the*******.

Don't ask why I know this? It was a long night when****embling my 34.

 

Thanks for your timing gear suggestion Bruce!

How about intake gaskets? Which gasket do you use if you're installing an early intake on a late block? Does it matter?

Also, here's my what not to do suggestion- Polishing your intake ports after getting the machine work done on your valve seats... I nicked one of mine with my porting/ sanding tool and I had to re-surface my valve seat. Or at least if you're going to do it after you polish, mask all of the seats real good so you can't slip and hit them the any grinding tools.

 

Here is one I learned, when using a bolt on distributor drive gear to cam gear adapter when using an early cam in a 8BA motor make sure the bolts don't protrude through the back side of the timing gear and contact the block.

 

I will double check my flywheels to make sure I have the right one.

Frenchy

 

The flywheel on the left is the one I will be using on my 48 to 53 motor will this be OK or do I need to use the flywheel on the right.


Thanks
Frenchy

 

The 8ba wheels have the thin ring gear. The earlier engines used flywheels with wide ring gears. I am talking about radial thicknesses.

 

Thanks for the help what issues would I have if I was to use the 59ab flywheel.

Frenchy