[Ernie Vitucci]

Good Morning...I have been involved with the building of a good number of Model A engines...not as the builder...simply as the humble helper...when an engine is put together properly, it can be turned over with a crank on the test stand fairly easily...builders with experience have their own clearance measurements based on experience...not necessarily the measurements that come with the parts. We start and run them a number of times...on the test stand...bringing the engine up to 160 each time. If the tolerances are correct...the engine will not swell to the point that it will not turn...if you are building an engine and it becomes too tight to turn after you shut it down, take it apart and hone it a bit more until it is happy...building these engines...in my humble opinion...is art...not science...Ernie in Arizona