Pulled this down from the attic over the cabinet shop. It was rebuilt about 20 years ago by a rebuilder who didn't really understand the floating rod bearings. It was hot tanked and magnafluxed and everything else was done correctly. For whatever reason the builder installed std rod bearings on a crank turned .10 under. OP was low and I suspected something so I pulled the pan in the truck and mic'd the journals. The builder then sent me .10 under rod bearings, but IIRC the journals were a bit ovaled by then. Anyways I was disgusted with the turn of events and had another engine done by a different shop and had it balanced and a 4" merc crank and put this one in the attic. I later stole the valve assemblies and adjustable lifters for another project. It is pretty much like new still and was always crack-free. Tonight I went back up to the attic and found a bad block with valves, another complete set of valves, keepers guides and springs and a '42 type timing cover for a crab distributor that was rebuilt about 15 years ago and shelved. I also found the heads and manifold that came off the rebuilt 59ab. It's carb is on a shelf in the shop and so it's looking like with a small investment in a gasket set, maybe rod bearings/crank turned I may be in business with the panel truck. It still needs a lot of work. Every leaf pack has at least one broken spring, steering quite worn, on and on. Today I mounted an old stiff 7.50 17 traction recap on a freshlt painted rim. The cap was unused and it has also been in my attic since the days of my '38 tonner. THAT was a tough installation. My hands are still sore from coaxing the valve stem through the two holes which took almost an hour! It was bright and sunny today so I pulled the panel out of the cave of a shop and worked in the sun.

 

Wow nice looking Panel.. and clean short block.

 

I need directions to this attic of yours...

 

No kidding! He probably has an entire showroom up there.

 

To be truthful, it looks like a bomb went off up there. Only organization is landcruiser stuff on the left, ford stuff on the right. Then there is the old power tool junkyard where we get brushes and switches and cords. That scatters across the floor into both areas. Then there is the wrong size drawer collection and the mis-ordered hardware dept. Because it's all in the peak of the roof, shelves are not an option so it's all just scattered all over the floor. There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that when I'm gone my kids will set up a huge dumpster below and fill it to the top. My goal is to use it all up first!

 

Ok, this was pretty fun....... I got some time this afternoon because Danny, my employee of 14 years who bird dogs me worse than any wife, started his yearly HS baseball coach stint. In the spring he leaves at 2:30 and so today I went up to the attic and found a set of 16 adjustable lifters, about 30 valves and guides, springs etc, keepers, collets, you get it and then wracking my brain as hard as I ever have, I tried to recall where I had stashed 2 good crankshafts on end in the stud bays of one of the shops. On my second try I rolled away my Craftsman rollaway tool box and there they were. I only have a digital caliper but they look like both 10-10 so today I ordered a 2"-3" digital micrometer that should be here tomorrow. My hope is I polish the journals and get away with a gasket set.... Or a tube of polyurethane gasket sealer.....

 

Well I went up and looked around my attic today and all I came up with were clothes that don't fit (too small), Christmas decorations, and a dead mouse. It was worth a shot though. I did however get my drive shaft installed on the truck. So thats progress eh?

 

Joe... Were you in my attic today?

 

No, unless my attic is some kind of galactic worm hole passage to your attic.
Cosmic huh!

 

Sounds like you just about have that old flathead corralled. I found a bucket full of head bolts and such the other day if you need some. Have lots of misc flatty parts laying around also if you come up short.

This reminds me of the way my dad would overhaul an engine when I was a kid.....new rings and gaskets from Warshowski(JC Whitney later), new bearings only if they were totally shot. Ream the ridge, hone with a drill and hand lap the valves.
Amazing how well they would run after that.....for a while anyway.

 

I have spent as much as 5000.00 20 years ago for a rebuild which was balanced, 4" merc crank etc. Of course I never wore that one out, I sold the truck first. For whatever reason, I have a lot more fun rebuilding them like your dad did. This particular engine has a fresh bore and hone, triple valve grind, new cam etc with about 5000 miles. I got my micrometer and one of the cranks was standard size so I polished the journals with 280 grit, then 600 grit with the flat shoelace wrapped around the sandpaper trick. I mean 'method'.....They are all round enough for the factory ford book. In about 20 minutes (after my wife leaves for work)I am calling Bob Selzam, my favorite NOS parts guy to order the .002 main and rod bearings from him. He has tons of original ford bearings in stock. I have a chart for crankpin sizes for each of the undersized bearings and all fall within the parameters. Next I will move on to the valves. I plan to use the 8ba type, but have a set of the mushroom type still in a block(in the attic of course). I will investigate, but I think they swap directly. Scott, I could use some valves and guides that fit well together. This afternoon I plan to sift through the ones I have, but I have recollection that these were the ones left over from the 8ba in my '51 F3 when I sorted through a bunch of them. IIRC I should use any guides that feel the most clearance in the exhaust valves because as intake they suck oil into the combustion chamber? Also some have a rubber 'o-ring' and I certainly feel those are for intakes? As hillbilly as it sounds, can I use a mix of straight stem and mushroom setups if I need to? There will be some of you that won't see eye to eye with this kind of engine work, but keep in mind Orcas island has a 40 mph top speed limit, most of it is 35 mph and I will probably never put more than a few thousand miles on this panel before I'm too old to drive it. OK, she just left

 

Yuour built up flatty reminds me of what I overheard at Bonneville last year. Whne asked about his flathead, an old timer said "I never spent so much money to go so slow"

 

It seemed easy to spend money back then. Cabinet business was strong and I still had PLENTY of time to save something for retirement. Well then I got divorced and then I raised the kids here on my own, then the building slowed down and property values went bust. Now I'm reduced to a worn out shoelace, a piece of sandpaper, and a coffee can full of old valves for a rebuild..... Not sayin' I'll ever go back to 'store bought' engines

 

Hey GB, ifn you're needin some valves I think I got bout 16 of em you can have. O yea, not just the valves but the whole shootin match outa my not so good one.
......Roger

 

Thanks much, but i dug out a few cans of parts and think I have everything I need. All the valves but one were (ending in 9) except one. I found a tight guide and gauged them with that and ended up with 9 that make good intakes and about 15 that make good exhausts. I also found a tin can with all the springs, keepers etc from the 5000 mile engine aforementioned. I ordered a gasket set from Olsen's gaskets and the bearings and an 11" clutch disc from Bob. Truth be told, my wife doesn't give a rip if I spend money on trucks. With the amount she amount she spends on the chickens, dogs, cats and bird feeding, I can't even come close. She is a gem and I wouldn't want her any other way.Besides she is an excellent welder.