New to the hobby, first Engine

[Barry WNY]

On crap in block: I have been dealing with this for years with my early motor. There were mouse nests in it when I got it, seeds insulation and wood shavings. Constant flushing, used brass screen in radiator hoses, hooked pool filter to it to flush backwards. Never know when the temp would go nuts, somedays no problem at all, 180-190. Finally water in tailpipe & milky pudding on dipstick so I took it out to swap the fresh one in last week, problem with one of my heads so no-go yet.
I pulled the bad head off, gasket was eroded at one of the top holes, still crusty inside so I started poking. Despite all the chemicals, did the vinegar thing too for a week (talk about stink!) there was almost 2" red mud in the bottom center hole! NO wonder, and I had these heads off at initial aquisition and for a valve and seat refinish job, coulda saved a lot of misery!
Used garden hose in every hole in conjunction with long screwdriver numerous times, bunch of mud, seeds and scale, it is clean now. Yes I did get water in everything, and spent a long time wiping and sopping and oil canning. Plan on using plain old 10-30 to flush and initial warm up before changing to usual rotella oil. I think it better to wet it and dry it and oil it than to tear completely apart. Also hate to waste a $50 set of gaskets but the chance of cracking due to unhealthy heat distribution worse risk.
Also, maybe the late motor may flush better than a '37. I do know I was lucky to get the reliability I did from such a malfunction.

[36tbird]

Thanks, 38. Do you think the phosphoric acid will affect head gaskets? I'm thinking that I could do this after all of the other checks I proposed and put the heads on for good. Therefore, after I clean the water passages, I could button up everything, timing cover, pan and intake and install the engine. Or, maybe I'll just use some old head gaskets for the cleaning. Trying to save a step here, what do you think?

[Barry WNY]

I used advice from an old dirt tracker that had his heads off all the time, and painted the fiber gaskets with aluminum paint. They don't stick so bad and tear up, used them over. this last time I am confident enough to use the NOS copper and probably real asbestos I have been saving for permanent. For head bolts high temp silicone is often used at the top of the threads to insure water doesn't weep around the threads and leak out the top. This leak will quit on it's own in time but looks bad where it streaks the fresh painted motor

[Joe AZ]

Originally Posted by Barry WNY

I used advice from an old dirt tracker that had his heads off all the time, and painted the fiber gaskets with aluminum paint. They don't stick so bad and tear up, used them over. this last time I am confident enough to use the NOS copper and probably real asbestos I have been saving for permanent. For head bolts high temp silicone is often used at the top of the threads to insure water doesn't weep around the threads and leak out the top. This leak will quit on it's own in time but looks bad where it streaks the fresh painted motor

Didn't someone on the "old" Barn suggest a lead washer (was that the material?) under the head bolts to seal them?

[flatjack9]

No way will a lead washer be able to hold any torque value.

[Ronnie]

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This product will help lots in sealing head bolts. You could do one at a time re torque and move on to the next one. Napa will have it .

http://www.shanghailoctite.com/templ...s/AVIGS-EN.PDF

Ronnie

[01aford]

60 over is at the max. Have you considered having a pro do your engine?
I just had an engine done and picked up one for a friend too. Here’s what was done. Block boiled and magafluxed. Crankshaft turned. All new bearings, new rods, new pistons, new rings, new cam, new cam gear, new valves, new valve guides, new valve springs, new keepers and sleeved. The rebuild was done by a pro that has been building flatheads for 50 plus years. Do the math for the parts. Then consider that if you made a mistake in the rebuild then you are left with nothing. (remember every valve must be fitted and ground perfectly even at 90 degrees - for that you new a special machine) I bet you will find that any engine done like mine for under $3000.00 is a good deal. At least it was for me. Just my 2 cents

[flatjack9]

I cut an 8BA apart and the cylinder wall measured .320 on one side and .230 on the other. You can see the amount of core shift, but even so I would be comfortable boring beyond .060. On the thin side the wall would still be .200. A lot depends also on how much rusting has occured in the water jackets.

[Mike in AZ]

maybe a dab of silicone....don't remember a lead washer hint...hmmm...could be my fading brain...lol...Mike

[Ronnie]

Egge machine go as big as .187 over that is 3 times .060" of course you can bore more than .060" over. Not a true statement that .060" is where you should stop. If everything checks out OK bore to the first size that will clean up at, if that is what you want.Your machinist will know how to measure. The valve angle is 45 deg. not 90 deg. Ask old Ron how many flat motors he has done over .060" there are hundreds out there still running.

Ronnie

[01aford]

90 degree at the bottom of the stem. I have seen many use a wheel grinder and not get the cut perfect. Unless of course you use after market adjustable lifters. Maybe I should have made my self clear.
In any event, I was just putting the idea out there trying to help and let him know that there are pit falls in rebuilding your own engine.

Trade in your old block that is 60 over get a total rebuild back to orginal specs and sleaved or, bore out your 60 over? No question what I would do. But that's just me.

[Ronnie]

Why did you sleeve the engine it would be cheaper to throw out the block and start again. It was bored more than .060 to install sleeves.. I understand the valve tips @ 90 deg. My thoughts .

Ronnie

[Ol' Ron]

I've only built a few engines at .060" over. Most of my engines are .125" over, with a few .187", this and a 4 1/8 crank give 296ci. I feel 60 ove is a wast of time and money. I also believe in having the block bake cleaned and Maged for cracks. This is an investment in reliability. Increasing displacement , increases compression and both of these increase torque. In this day and age building an engine, any engine can be expensive, But why build a beautiful house on a bad foundation?

[01aford]

Originally Posted by Ronnie

Why did you sleeve the engine it would be cheaper to throw out the block and start again. It was bored more than .060 to install sleeves.. I understand the valve tips @ 90 deg. My thoughts .

Ronnie

The engine I have is a 1940 which was sleeved so it went back original.
I traded the block as a core.