New to the hobby, first Engine
 

Hi everyone,

I'm just starting my first car / engine project with my dad. he has restored a few old fords and is helping me work on an 8BA flathead that he bought a while ago.

He said that this was a great community to get information from so i thought id introduce myself. I'm 22 and this is the first engine i've ever worked on, so i hope you can bare with me as i learn. Ive been doing a lot of reading and research but for every term or concept i learn, i hear another new one.

Anyway, after taking the engine apart today i've got a few questions:

1) I measured the bore to be 3.25, but there seems to be a very slight lip at the top of the cylinders (the top cylinder edge slightly overhangs the rest of the cylinder) it doesnt seem very drastic but i can feel it when i run my finger in and out of the cylinder. Is this normal? will it cause wear on the pistons?

2) I know the engine is an 8BA but is there any serial number or any way of identifying which year the engine was built in? just out of curiosity.

3) i've read a few flathead rebuild books but im having trouble discerning what areas of the engine i should be focusing on. I dont have the money or skills to do any major rebuilding, machining, or anything of that sort, so i'd like to focus on simpler and cheaper methods of improving general engine performance and reliability.

im not looking to build a racing engine, just something relatively reliable with respectable performance.

sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any answers or advice, john.

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

The lip you feel is from the top ring, it is normal to have it, what is done depends on how much there is, and what your expectations are.

Clean off the top of the pistons, look for some #s --something like .060, that can tell you the oversize of the pistons

the first engine i did all by myself was a flathead in a 46, it had a "ridge"--the lip you talk about, I used a tool called a "ridge reamer" to remove it, my block was bored .060, I just put rings in it, i didn't have anything to measure the bearings, but they didn't look bad to me, I reused them, i did do a valve job, I was in high school, but not auto shop, and the auto shop teacher didn't like me --the metal shop teacher did like me, he snuck the seat grinder box out and i cut the seats in metal shop --during teachers lunch-the valve grinder was broken, i made my own out of a knife sharpener that was part of a can opener and a valve guide, I did buy adjustable lifters.

When it was done it ran great, but didn't have much hot idle oil pressure (gauge would read 0)---i drove it for years that way, barely used any oil, and survived much abuse.

If you post a lot of pictures you can get help every step of the way here.

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

About the "ridge" at the tops of the cylinders: The way I understand it, it's kind of harmless on its own, BUT, if you rev the engine much over the RPM it's usually run, the rods will stretch a little and that will allow the top ring to hit the ridge, causing the ring to break, causing major problems. You might be able to rent a ridge reamer at reasonable cost. Good Luck!!

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

Your local auto parts store may rent you a ridge reamer at a reasonable price. Got a buddy who has one? a neighbor? Where there's a will, there's a way. Hang in there and ask lots of questions.

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

The ridge developed with the rings and pistons that are in there now. They have "worn together", if you will. A new top ring will not have the wear on it and might slap the ridge, break the ring, scour the cylinder, i.e., lots of bad things.

If you post your location with your name on here, you might get info and tools from those near you to help you with your project.

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

hay, welcome to the world of the flathead, this is a good place to hang out!

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

thanks for the replies.

the pistons do have .060 stamped on the top of them. i'm going to try to track down a ridge reamer in my area.

how do i know if i should be replacing piston rings and/or bearings? i haven't been able to take a look at the crankshaft, rods, or pistons yet but what should i be looking for when i do?

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

Welcome aboard

You should ridge ream to remove the ridge. Chances are you won't get the pistons out very easily without it,there is a chance of breaking a ring land I can't say without seeing the ridge.It is fairly basic job to do but you should have some help from someone who knows the correct way to set up the ridge reamer before starting,as you can create some irreparable damage from a botched up job. Some of your buddies or their dads will be able to help if not ask here before you plunge in to the world of fixing old engines and repairing. The reward of having done a fair amount of work yourself and having gained some knowledge is fun thing. "Once again Welcome"

Ronnie :D

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

JohnReb, I am kind of doing the same sort of thing right now that you are. Take a look at http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5331 where I am trying to figure out the extent of rebuild (spell that m-o-n-e-y) that I need on a flathead I just bought. Here is what I have come up with for a plan. (1) I bought a flathead pressure testing kit from Speedway because I have some other blocks I want to check and I will help my friends with flatheads if they need it. If I lived near you, I would test your block asking for only a $40 donation to help pay for the kit or some beer or both.:D
(2) Let me clarify here, the engine currently is a short block. If it passes the pressure test, then I am going to get some plastigage and test the rods and crank bearings with a visual check during this process.
(3) If the bearings look good and are within limits, then I am going to replace the one burnt valve I see and lap in the rest.
(4) If I am satisfied with all of the tests and works at this stage, I will probably slap heads on it and button up the top of the cylinders without removing the ridge and replacing the rings. It will be labor intensive, but I am thinking that I might try a compression test at this point as the final assurance that I can get a few miles out of this thing.
If I am not satisfied with the compression test, then I will have to decide on a complete rebuild or just ridge removal and with new rings.
(5) The most controversial thing that I am going to try is pressure washing the shortblock. I have a lot of sludge left from the non-detergent oil. I plan on spraying the lifter valley and bottom end with lots of penetrating oil to try to cut the sludge. Then, I am going to pressure wash everything. I'll blow dry it and then spray on more light oil to protect the exposed bare metal areas.
(6) Not really a test, but something necessary is to do is clean out the water passages. I built an engine stand that I call my "flathead rotisserie". I use long screw drivers and anything else handy to get into the water passages and dislodge the crud. Then, I rotate the block onto its nose to let the junk fall out. I am thinking about using the pressure tester to seal the block and pour in muriatic acid or vinegar and let it stand. Anyone know the effect of these chemicals on rubber or neoprene?

Best words of advice that I have seen on here are that even if you only get 30,000 miles out of a used engine, that probably is a lifetime given the reduced amount of driving most of us do with these old cars.

Sorry to be so long, but maybe there are some things you can consider. Do you have an Early Ford V-8 Club chapter near you? You might find some resources there.

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

I suggest you find an old motors manual. Try to get one in the mid 50's this will cover all the 24 stud engines. In the front of these manuals, there is a great deal of information on rebuilding all aspects of engines, transmissions , brakes, gauges, wiring etc. Including Packard's, and Hudson's, etc. Welcome Ol' Ron

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

thanks for the info, tbird, having a plan laid out like that is exactly what i was looking for. and i got a lot of insight from that other thread.

i don't have any means of pressure testing the block, so i might try that magnaflux stuff, or just give it a close visual.

honestly i'll probably follow the plan you laid out step by step. the only thing im a little hesitant about is the pressure washing of the block. theres a lot of crap in the cylinders that id like to get out, but i obviously dont want any rust. any thoughts on alternatives or the pros and cons of this?

ron, i have a copy of "the complete ford owners handbook of repair and maintenance" it covers 32-55. theres flathead info in there but it also covers brakes, electrical, etc. is there a better / easier to use version out there?

thanks again.

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

You have to make a decision as to how far you dissemble this engine as a few things can't be done unless the block i stripped down.Any ideas as to how far you want to go? Let us know .

Ronnie

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

i don't have any means of pressure testing the block, so i might try that magnaflux stuff, or just give it a close visual.


Buying a pressure tester from Speedway is cheaper than sending an engine out to be magnafluxed. My advice would be to spend a bit of time reading every post you can, here and on the Hamb, about flatheads. Really aquaint yourself before lifting a finger. Then, dive in. The ultimate learning tool is practical experience. Remember, the only dumb questions are the ones left unasked.

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

When you clean the water passages I highly recommend using phosphoric acid instead of muriatic. Phosphoric does not attack parent metal near as much as it attacks corrosion.

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

Great advice from all to address the year if it has narrow belts should be 51 this is the first year of rotatable valves , one more sign its a 51

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

If you have an Autozone near by, they will "rent" you a ridge reamer for absolutely free. You leave a deposit, take it home, wear out the stones and then return it for full refund of your deposit.

It makes no sense why they would rent that tool or accept the tool back with the stones worn down, but they do!

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

Sorry boy's there are no stones on a real ridge reamer.

Get your info straight. That is how myths get going.

Ronnie :)

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

Hey 38 Coupe, how long do you let the phosphoric acid sit? Then, what about neutralizing, a water and baking soda mix? Thanks for the tip.

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

Go to VanPelts Flatheadv8.com website. There is a lot of good flathead information. For the year built numbers try Flathead Jacks website.

Re: New to the hobby, first Engine
 

Let the phosphoric sit until there is no observable reaction. This may take a couple days to a week. The easy way to do this is to tip your motor up onto the bell housing with the water pumps off and the heads on (cap off the water outlets in the heads). Yes, after the bubbling and fizzing has all stopped drain and refill with water and baking soda and repeat. Again probably at least a couple days. Then flush with a lot of water.