Hey guys, Me and my brothers ‘49 had just gotten light driving this year. We got it running again (thanks to you all helping me with electrical troubleshooting). But then he goes to move it the other day and calls me to say there’s a big leak. Despite its age it’s only ever leaked a few drops from the rear end and oil from the engine. But he keeps trays under front and back. For background, we are not mechanics. We are pretty sure it’s water in the oil. The chocolate milk is 6” last full mark on the dipstick. Radiator is empty. This is actually coming out of the engine between it and the transmission. we want an idea of what we may or likely are looking at and what are troubleshooting steps are. Help or advise on next steps would be very appreciated Red
Water is getting in to the sump and raising the level so it’s probably higher than the sump pan hence the bigger leak than usual. Drain the oil and coolant then do some checks. I think I’d pull the plugs and see if there’s any water in the bores. Probably heads off after that. Do not try to start it or turn it over until you’ve confirmed there’s no water in the bores.
Wow, that's a mess. Hopefully it is not a cracked block. Would a bad head gasket do that on a flathead?
My first thought, freeze damage. It’s possible it’s not but something has allowed coolant and lots of it, into the crankcase. Usual suspects…… Head gaskets….. maybe…. We can hope. Busted heads….. We can hope it’s just the heads. Usually though, if the heads freeze and bust, something on the block has also cracked. Sometimes the heads freeze and can crack and the block does not. If so, that’s pure luck. Corroded heads…… We can hope, maybe a head has corroded and caused this. Pan rail crack at the bottom of the block above or at the oil pan surface…. Cylinder casting flaw (core shift)….. This is a factory flaw that happened at casting. This will show as voids in the cylinder. This can cause the cylinder to crack or can cause a hole in the cylinder. This is very repairable with a cylinder sleeve. Valve seat crack….. The cl***ic flathead valve seat/ upper cylinder crack… There’s other cracks too… Valve gallery Exhaust port ect. Ect. Ect….. Something goofy like a gallery plug or something….. We can hope. Next step…… Pull the engine, dis***emble and inspect. Maybe it is a gasket. Maybe it is something goofy. It needs to go on the bench for inspection. If it is a fatal crack, you can save the rods, pistons, maybe the bearings, cam, lifters, water pumps and crank for your next block. Don’t let it sit and lock up. Maybe you are lucky. I recommend anyone who runs a Flathead car to have a good block or spare engine ready.
A bad head gasket wouldn’t let almost all the coolant into the crankcase. Especially if it isn’t running. It would have to migrate past the rings. A cracked head has no access to the oil system at all. So, it is probably a crack in the block. Only way to know is dis***embly.
Hi, thanks guys. As a non mechanic with only basic shop cl***, when my gut said block I told it to shut up drowned it out w vodka. We run/ran water with some green coolant mixed in. We didn’t know if that was best for a flathead. I suggested straight water but bro added the coolant thinking it was safer. We live in central California, while we do something get cold snaps and have a few freezing days; we have not yet. And it is kept in a garage all the time. and wasn’t running. Maybe it happened right after he’d driven jt around a bit but it wasn’t a big disaster while he was driving it. He only noticed before driving it again because he always checks the fluids before driving it. sounds like checking the bores and pulling the heads is next. How hard is it to pull the bolts off the heads, my brother is worried they’ll start breaking on us due to 70 years in place. The engine is literally bone stock except the 12v conversion. So likely nothing has ever been removed or replaced. Thanks guys, this place is amazing. Red
The following is a fact….. If you are going to fix or maintain a flathead car, the days of being a “non mechanic” are quickly coming to an end. In my opinion and experience with these cars ; 1949-1951 Fords, it’s a waste of time and money to try to do a head job or a in ch***is repair. You may can do it on a truck but not a car. The way the engine sits in a shoebox car, drooping the oil pan is such a pain. It’s easier to just remove the engine, put it on a heavy duty engine stand and go through it. This will require a good garage, engine crane and space. It can be done in the yard off a A frame with hoist but, a hydraulic engine crane in a shop area is so much better. Do y’all have the place to do this?
The engine could have been damaged long before you got it running. Since it has ran and lost coolant. It could be heads, head gaskets, cracks, cracked cylinders…. You will not know until you get it apart. The bottom end needs to be inspected for damage down low. Let’s say you find blown head gaskets. You replace them and it runs good. Two weeks later it’s got chocolate milk again. That money on head gaskets was wasted because it had blown head gaskets and a cracked block. It needs to be pulled out and inspected. There’s already enough going on that I would be looking for a running 8BA to swap into it.
Speaking from experience, don't pull the dip stick out if you are standing directly over the dipstick tube. You only do that once on a block filled with water.
A radiator pressure tester rented from a parts store might help find the leak, before tearing everything apart.
Time for a swap - 289 or 302 with an early bronco or fox body pan - can keep the stock trans with an early bell - fab some front mounts as the shoebox central kit may lift the front too high.....WAY cheaper than another flatty and better in just about every way.....My response wont be the most popular (at least I didnt say SBC)
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