need opinion on used engine.

[larry harding]

today i looked at a used engine a guy had. he said it was running good and not smoking when he pulled out to put the original engine in that had been rebuilt.
the price seemed good, but.... i guess someone had failed to safety wire the flywheel bolts. the bolt threads were a little rough, but can probably chased out and will hold with a good flywheel. the dowel pin holes don't look so good. is this worth getting or should i run from it. would it be possible to turn the flywheel 90 degrees and redrill the dowel holes and save this engine? comments please!!!!

[Mitch//pa]

If your expecting it to go in and be perfect with no issues run... if its something you want to rebuild pay junk price... these things are usually a can of worms

[Art Newland]

unless I could actually drive the engine, you have to assume the worst. there is just no way to know, they all say they ran good when pulled. Even on a test stand, without a real load, you're not going to get the whole story.

[trulyvintage]

Larry,

Are you doing the install yourself ?

If you are & can roll the dice with your time - why not ?

If you are going to pay someone else - think twice.


Jim

[C26Pinelake]

buy it by the pound and you won't lose. Most found treasures turn out to be junk! Rarely junk turns into a treasure. Wayne

[700rpm]

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Forgot to use safety wire? Bad sign of careless work. What else is there that you can't see? There are many places in an A engine where poor workmanship can be employed to serious consequences. Walk away.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Think.

How many Model A people do you know that have a non-smoking, good running Model A engine who would pay the high price for a re-builder to rebuild another replacement Model A engine for absolutely no reason?


"he said it was running good and not smoking when he pulled it out" ...... gee whiz ..... was this his engine .............. or something else he happened to pull out.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by H. L. Chauvin

Think.

How many Model A people do you know that have a non-smoking, good running Model A engine who would pay the high price for a re-builder to rebuild another replacement Model A engine for absolutely no reason?


"he said it was running good and not smoking when he pulled it out" ...... gee whiz ..... was this his engine .............. or something else he happened to pull out.

When I read, "...he pulled out to put the original engine in that had been rebuilt." I think that the number s matching engine was rebuilt and this engine was used so he could drive the car until the "correct" engine was ready. With that, it does not change the fact that it is a used engine and there are signs that other things could be wrong. Offer a low price if you are asking for an opinion

[H. L. Chauvin]

Agree 100% with Mike V.'s wisdom .....first ..... offer only a low price.

I have a standard bore, never bored, "100% complete" original Model A engine, starter, generator, distributor, etc. I bought 57 years ago for $35.00 cash ..... and still have it.

The only problem it had is ...... after I drove it 20 miles, the oil was full of water & looked milky.

As a teenager, I returned this engine to the 50 year or so old Model A owner/jerk who sold it to me for my hard earned cash ..... & all the guy said was that the block was not cracked when he sold it to me.

After being taught the big Ten (10) in grammar school by all Irish Immigrant Nuns, I spared this lying Model A jerk's life ..... I had picked & sold pecans to get this $35.00 -- jerk never lived too long after ...... I promise I did not poison him ..... LOL

The 6" long crack is still in the upper part of the valve chamber.

Past experiences are the root of successful dealing with crooks ..... learned how to read their words and facial expressions at an early age.

[jfreddie]

If it had any kind of flywheel problem the crankshaft flange should be checked for runout.
You can do it yourself by mounting the flywheel and turning the engine over slowly with a dial indicator on the edge of the flywheel.
The max is .006 in according to the Les Andrews book.
If the runout is over that, you can have the flange trued in a lathe but will require a teardown.
In that teardown you may find cracked babbitt in the rear main.
So your offer might want to reflect those costs.
Hope that helps...good luck.

[pooch]

Originally Posted by larry harding

today i looked at a used engine a guy had. he said it was running good and not smoking when he pulled out to put the original engine in that had been rebuilt.
the price seemed good, but.... i guess someone had failed to safety wire the flywheel bolts. the bolt threads were a little rough, but can probably chased out and will hold with a good flywheel. the dowel pin holes don't look so good. is this worth getting or should i run from it. would it be possible to turn the flywheel 90 degrees and redrill the dowel holes and save this engine? comments please!!!!

Years ago I bought a 1972 302 cleveland that the guy swore had new rings and bearings.

I fitted it into my project and it ran good for 10 years.

Upon teardown, it had 1972 stamped on the bearings.

Ok, he was a liar at the time,, but I got a good deal for the price.

Make sure you get yours for a good price and it will all work out in the end.

[Mitch//pa]

I dont buy that "correct engine line" which you hear alot. He could have just restamped the replacement

[2manycars]

Originally Posted by H. L. Chauvin

Agree 100% with Mike V.'s wisdom .....first ..... offer only a low price.

I have a standard bore, never bored, "100% complete" original Model A engine, starter, generator, distributor, etc. I bought 57 years ago for $35.00 cash ..... and still have it.

The only problem it had is ...... after I drove it 20 miles, the oil was full of water & looked milky.

As a teenager, I returned this engine to the 50 year or so old Model A owner/jerk who sold it to me for my hard earned cash ..... & all the guy said was that the block was not cracked when he sold it to me.

After being taught the big Ten (10) in grammar school by all Irish Immigrant Nuns, I spared this lying Model A jerk's life ..... I had picked & sold pecans to get this $35.00 -- jerk never lived too long after ...... I promise I did not poison him ..... LOL

The 6" long crack is still in the upper part of the valve chamber.

Past experiences are the root of successful dealing with crooks ..... learned how to read their words and facial expressions at an early age.

I had a similar occurance when I was 15. I bought an engine that was promised to be in great condition for a price I cant remember, but was a lot for a 15 year old.
I pulled off the pan, and removed the front bearing cap and could lift the crankshaft a quarter inch with the center and rear caps still attached. People who cheat kids out of their meager money should retire to a very hot place, where the manager has a tail and carries a pitchfork.

[larry harding]

o.k. now i'm kinda scared of this engine even though it had a really nice manifold heater with it that is probably worth nearly what he is asking for the engine. the guy is a member of the local a club and i beleave he is straight in what he is telling me, and he made no claims as to inside of the engine. he said he didn know about the loose flywheel until he removed the engine, though there was some noise when he drove the car. the engine i have in the car now is one i patched up to get by until i finish the rest of the car. i was just looking for something for a spare engine.

[ronn]

a manifold heater is worth 40. bucks

for that money, buy the darn thing!

[eagle]

What???? It doesn't matter WHAT engine you buy, it's a pig in a poke. If you need an engine, buy it and deal with the consequences. If you want a ten year guarantee, buy a hyundai! It doesn't sound like it's very expensive, take the plunge, you'll learn a lot along the way and you might just get lucky too. There are always naysayers who will advise you of all of the worst possibilities. Use your own best judgement, if it doesn't work out you can likely part out the pieces for as much as you paid.

[Mitch//pa]

In your first post he stated in ran good with no smoke.... running good with a noise to me does not qualify as running good... yes it very well could be the fly wheel situation that you mentioned or it could also be more than that. Maybe the flywheel being loose also cause lower end babitt / bearing issues from it being driven with it loose and out of balance....
I would open it up and check the lower end clearances and condition at the least. I hate doing things twice

[H. L. Chauvin]

Hi Larry,

On a positive side ............. even "if" the "real" engine noise never came from the flywheel, (also very possible) .......... if this guy's used engine asking price is "near" a junk man's "engine pick up price" ...... all you can lose is a few dollars ........... plus have the manifold heater you want.

Taking chances is a very important emotional "Exercise" in life.

I have noticed that the most very successful people are always those who can take chances and later ............ control their emotions afterwards ..... where they remain happy and are not holding grudges after getting screwed.

We have all done it once or twice on E-bay ....... just another one of life's many emotional "Exercises". LOL

[Divco one]

It was asked why anyone would have a perfect second engine. In my case, I wanted a inserted, balanced, lightened flywheel Touring motor. The cost is the same to rebuild a good motor or a less than good motor to this level. I choose to keep my good motor and rebuild a junker.

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by Divco one

It was asked why anyone would have a perfect second engine. In my case, I wanted a inserted, balanced, lightened flywheel Touring motor. The cost is the same to rebuild a good motor or a less than good motor to this level. I choose to keep my good motor and rebuild a junker.

You are indeed the exception to the rule! Wayne