Hello again everyone. I think I may have located a couple nice 239 engines for my '52 F-6. I'm going to rebuild them and would like to know what your recomendations are as to who I should go threw, or name brand, for a GOOD quality master rebuild kit. If I'm going to spend 2k on a rebuild.....well....I want it to last and get as much performance out of it with out going too radical. I know my local machine shop can get them, and napa for that matter, but I just want to make sure I get a quality brand, not some cheep junk. Thanks in advance. You guys and gals .....and this site are all just amazing. Thanks again.

Also, if you have any suggestions as to performance mods while I'm at it...please chime in.

 

You might get more info at some forum dedicated oldschool rodding and hoppping up flatties. Whether it will be better information...

 

For a stock build I don't think you have too much to worry about. Red's Headers has kits and generally a very good rep, but is under new management. Worth looking at their site to see their combinations at least (for manufacturers)

Bearings -- Clevite or OEM (lots still available), OEM's on eBay are CHEAP!
Oil pump -- watch out for poorly made repro's, lots of issues, try a websearch. Even some Mellings are bad?
Gaskets -- Best, Victor Reinz, FelPro
Pistons -- Ross, Egge
Lifters -- Red's Headers has the good adjustables and also (I believe) reconditioned OEM
Cam -- there are lots of choices, for a big truck you probably want near stock, this is a critical piece as lots of chinese junk out there. Schneider, Isky, etc

I would seriously consider doing the block mods to allow "95% oil filtration". It really costs nothing with the block out and stripped, just $30 - $40 in hose and adapters.

I'm planning a rebuild next winter, and am thinking that adjustable lifters are probably a no-brainer even for a very stock engine. It takes all the drama out of the valve job. Honestly, I don't know how you could even get to the lifters in a big truck but it would sure beat having to pull the head!

 

My neighbor did the oil filter mods when he rebuilt his flattie. From the way he described it the mods were very simple. Basically consisting of tapping the overflow hole in the block, plugging it and running a hose to a remote filter kit he mounted on the firewall. If my flattie wasn't a fresh rebuild, according the guy I bought it from, I would do the mod in a minute. The stock configuration is pretty much useless for filtering oil. From what I have been told many engine didn't come with a oil filter, they just changed the oil a certain amount of miles.

 

The bypass filter really isn't that bad with modern oils (detergent) and a PCV system, but it doesn't protect the bearings like a full-flow, no question. The original oil change intervals were around 1,000 miles! Straight 30 wt. I think oil filters were an option until the early '50's.

There are a couple of ways to do the "Canadian conversion", personally I would do it with a threaded plug instead of this way: