Another 35/36 Engine Question

[1932 V8]

Hello all , I have a 36 that has a Flathead in it that was supposed to be a 36 engine ? Well , I am pretty sure it is not . I have done the searches ,read the forums,looked at my 35/36 book and now I think I am thoroughly confused I am guessing that I may have a 34 block with 36 components on it ? The oil pan has the breather in the front pass corner but the valley of the engine has no breather tube as described for the 35/36 engines . Unless I am reading something wrong ,all the 35/36 Engines had the breather in the valley that vented to the oil pan . This was a change in 35/36 according to my reading. We know it is not a 37 block because of the obvious w/p locations . So , does that leave me with a 33/34 block or am I way off base . I included a few pics but I can take more if needed .
Thanks for the help , Mike

[ken ct]

So what if it is 33-34 is so close its hard to tell the diff. ken ct.Run it and dont worry about it.

[1932 V8]

Someone will run it . The car is going to be for sale soon and I want to see what I have so that I can accurately tell the next owner . What I was told and what it is are two different things . I want to be honest with whom ever may be interested in the car .

[Rowdy]

In my opinion as long as you note what you have found and suspect that is as close to honest as you can get. I am still trying to figure out if the flathead engine block, crank anc cam I bought in the last pile of parts is as 35, 36 also. It had poured bearings, but had the oil return tube. I am betting it is a 35 at this point. This era of 21 stud engine is hard to pin down, but I am trying to learn. Rod

[David J]

38 coupe did a thread on block ID & it will answer all your questions .

[Mike in AZ]

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'36s also had poured bearing until they came out with the insert bearing LB engine...i think....Mike

[Lawson Cox]

Insert bearings and dome top pistons came out in October 35. Some 36 engines had inserts and dome top pistons. Heads marked 48 while the poured bearing engines had flat top pistons and used the 40 prefix on the heads. 68 heads were not a production head. So in 36 both poured and inserts were used throughout the entire production year I believe.

[1932 V8]

I guess I should have ask this a little different . I am trying to learn about Flatheads and block IDing . I am starting with the one in my 36 that I recently took the manifold off and noticed that there was no vent tube in the front of the block in the valley . Going by what the book said and by what was said by 38 coupe
"1935 engines finally got crankcase ventilation. This was added as a triangular vent in the front of the block, next to the front main bearing. With the addition of the vent in the passenger side of the block, the recess between the timing cover and the water inlet on that side of the block was made shallower. The oil pan was modified to work with this vent area and has a funny little triangular protrusion with a slot in the back. 1935 blocks also started using cam bearings. These are 3 1/16 bore, 21 stud blocks"
I would assume I have a 33/34 block . I don't care if it is a 33 or 34 block , I just want to verify it is not a 35/36 block . What I wanted to verify is that if this block does not have a vent tube or provision for one in the valley , does that make it a 33 or 34 block ? I know it is not a 32 block. I only have the intake manifold off , nothing else .
Thanks for any help

[Mike in AZ]

if there is no tube in the front of the valley ....or no place for a tube, it should be before '35.....so i think your thinking is correct....hope you can post some pics....Mike

[Don Rogers]

Lawson, Domed pistons started showing up in V-8 engines as early as April 1935. Also, they were not specific to insert bearing (LB) engines. Both babbited and insert engines had domed (steel) pistons in limited quantity.

[Terry,OH]

It is very difficult to pin down the Mfg. date of an engine block Mfg. 70+ years ago. At one point, the thought was the insert bearing LB were mid year 36, now many believe late 35. Due to the location of your drain cocks it is not 32 so that leaves 33-34-35. Yes the vent tube started in 35 but when? The early 35 Fords have many carry over features of the 34. If your car is early, it is possible the block is early 35, if your car is late Mfg. I would say this is probably not the correct engine block. As mentioned above the late 33 thru 35 blocks are nearly identical from outward appearance, even on the show field. I understand being open when selling a car, but is it correct to say the block is not correct when it could be? The block appears to be rebuilt at some time, due to the stampings on the top of the block. The cam, crank, pistons, rods as well as all the removable internals can not be used to identify a blocks Mfg. date.

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

The pic is not to clear, are you sure there no place for the breather tube in the front of the valve spring area? It looks like it could be plugged with sludge. But the oil baffels in the valve chamber look like 34. It seems strange to have the pan breather and not have the breather tube under the manifold. I have seen that tube left out but it will leak alot of oil out the pan breather. Walt

[1932 V8]

I put a screw driver down through the sludge and it bottomed out on the block ?? I have another 36 LB Block with the breather to compare to. It looks to me like there is no provision for the breather tube in the block pictured. I assume someone just stuck a 35/36 pan on a 34ish block ?? The engine actually runs well and there is no leakage from the vent in the .The car that the engine is in is an early 36 so either way it is wrong for this car . Someone must have put all the 36 parts on an earlier block to make it look somewhat correct . This is all just interesting to me and why I love these forums .

[David J]

Your screwdriver hit the head of the main cap bolt . You will find the 5 others under the sludge . Vented blocks { 35-36 } have studs on the main caps . Also the spacing between the main cap studs on babbit blocks is 3 " & on insert or " LB " blocks it is 3 1/4 " . With the vent tube & the tower around the fuel pump bushing it's not possible to use bolts like 32-34 . Look at the area around the fuel pump pushrod bushing . WAAY different than your LB block . Again 38 coupe's thread covers this well .

Originally Posted by 1932 V8

I put a screw driver down through the sludge and it bottomed out on the block ?? I have another 36 LB Block with the breather to compare to. It looks to me like there is no provision for the breather tube in the block pictured. I assume someone just stuck a 35/36 pan on a 34ish block ?? The engine actually runs well and there is no leakage from the vent in the .The car that the engine is in is an early 36 so either way it is wrong for this car . Someone must have put all the 36 parts on an earlier block to make it look somewhat correct . This is all just interesting to me and why I love these forums .

[Tinker]

1932 to 1933 Main Bolts through to Lalter Valley
1932 to 1934 No Cam Bearings
1932 to 1934 36 Tooth Cam Gear
1932 to 1936 Babbit Mains ('36 had both types)
1932 to 1936 2.00" Main Journals
1932 to 1936 Water Pumps in Heads
1932 to 1937 Timing Gear Pressed On
1932 to 1938 Rod Housing Bores 2.200"
1932 to 1938 21 Stud Heads
1932 to 1938 1.937 Rod Bearing Width (Flanged)
1932 to 1940 Core Plugs in Oil Pan Rails
1932 to 1942 2.00 Rod Journals
1932 to 1945 3 1/16" Bore
1932 to 1945 No Rear Seal
1932 to 1945 Irregular Water Holes
1932 to 1945 One Oil Hole Per Rod Throw
1932 to 1948 2 Piece Valve Guides
1932 to 1948 Mushroom Valves
1932 to 1948 Integral Bellhousing
1935 to 1948 Main Studs
1935 to 1948 Oil Filler/Breather Tube
1935 to 1948 44 Tooth Cam Gear
1935 to 1948 3 Cam Bearings
1936 - 1937 Thick Wall Main Bearings
1937 to 1938 2.400" Main Bearings
1937 to 1948 Water Outlets in Center of Heads
1937 to 1948 Water Pumps in the Block
1938 to 1948 Timing Gear Bolted On
1939 to 1946 1.750" Rod Bearing Width (No Flange)
1939 to 1942 2.00" Rod Journals (1.750" Wide)
1938 to 1948 24 Head Studs (Mid year change '38)
1939 to 1948 2.500" Main Journals
1941 to 1942 Raised Intake Mount (Not Proven)
1942 to 1948 Rod Housing Bores 2.360"
1942 to 1948 2.139" Rod Journals (1.750" Wide)
1942 to 1953 2.139" Rod Journals
1942 - 1945 WAR, No General Production
1946 to 1948 Triangle and 2 Round Water Holes
1946 to 1948 3 3/16" Bore
1946 to 1948 Rear Main Caps with Drain Tubes / No Seals
1946 to 1948 "59" Casting
1949 to 1953 "Shorty Oil Pump
1949 to 1953 2 Oil Holes Per Rod Throw
1949 to 1953 Individual Rod Bearings
1949 to 1953 2 Oil Holes in Rod Throws
1949 to 1953 Distributor Moved to Top Right
1949 to 1953 Bolt on Bellhousing
1949 to 1953 One Piece Valve Guides
1949 to 1953 Modern Style Valves and Keepers
1950 to 1953 New Helical Gear Design Oil Pump

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by Don Rogers

Lawson, Domed pistons started showing up in V-8 engines as early as April 1935. Also, they were not specific to insert bearing (LB) engines. Both babbited and insert engines had domed (steel) pistons in limited quantity.

Thanks Don, U is du man. I am often wrong, but seldom in doubt. LOL I thought the domed pistons started with the insert mains. My bad.

[1932 V8]

Thanks for all the help . I had already ready 38 Coupes descriptions which are great and a lot of help . It just didn't sink in so I had to ask the questions . I think I get it now . I can see the differences now and I kinda know what I have now .Like I said , it's always fun to learn . I love it .

Thank you , Mike

[DavidG]

While the captions in the above V-8 block chart are accurate as far as they go, the illustrations for 18-6012-A and 18-6012-B are reversed given the cavities on either side of the timing gear cover on the illustration for 18-6012-A and the lack of those cavities for 18-6012-B. (Ignoring the fact that some early '33 blocks continued to lack those cavities.)