Okay, gang. I'm here, praying to the HAMB gods, for divine clarity and a little wisdom. Tomorrow, I'm going to look at what appears to be a nice, complete Model A engine for my '29 (kinda-sorta TROG) project. I am going to be totally honest here and admit that, for me, this is undiscovered country. I have ZERO experience with these motors. So, aside from the obvious stuff like being able to spin it and any looking for visible cracks, yatta-yatta... what should I be on the lookout for? The head is off and, and from what I've see so far, outwardly this thing looks clean, real clean, and is right for the money. Besides, I'd like to come off like I know a thing or two when I meet up with this guy. Any advice would be awesome! Thanks, guys!
I know nothing about a banger engine, but if I wanted one and the price was nice, I’d be buying it and assuming a rebuild would be needed. Edit: if after taking it apart and you find out most everything is usable, that’s a big plus.
Check to see if the rod and main bearings still have shims between the caps and the rods/block. If the shims have all been used up you have no way to adjust bearing clearance, other than filing the caps. I don't recommend doing that. You can run a test, of sorts, on the cam bushings by trying to pry the cam up to see if there is any movement. Don't go nutso doing that and damage it. Check the condition of the timing gears. Check the rear main bearing to see if the thrust face has broken off or has pieces missing. They usually are and a bronze thrust ring is available to fix that. Cylinder ridge at the top? Sludge (black Jello) in the oil pan could indicate a water leak or cracked block. Sounds like a lot, eh? Better to find out before you buy it. Plan on doing at least a basic overhaul.
The Jalopy Journal
