flathead rebuild cost

[paintballer20]

Hey i was looking at buying an old ford flathead engine 1950. I was wondering how much a rebuild kit for it would be?i dont know what kinda kit i would need, im really just buying it to take apart clean and put back together in my spare time. ive seen them go for as high as 2000$ and i really dont want to spend that kinda money,just looking for something on the cheaper side that comes with gaskets and seals and all the stuff that i wouldn't be able to reuse when putting it back i.e. gaskets seals and what ever else.this is my first flathead engine taredown and im also not shure if i would need any special tools to do this? thanks Jim

[jmadsen]

here is one example i found RPM Machine - Product » Ford 3.9L 1949-1953 Engine Rebuild Kit

If you are completely tearing it down you will need a valve bar (pickle fork)I bought this one Valve Guide Removal Tooland its a piece of crap, but am not sure who else sells them?

you may also need a valve spring compressor and a slide hammer and or 3/8" allthread to make a slidehammer to remove the oil pump drive gear. but all may depend on weather your just doing a ring job or total rebuild.

does this engine turn over? good luck with it and keep us posted on your endeavor.

Josh

[Snowking]

I just rebuilt my 1946 Flathead V8
Gasket set- 150
Rod bearing set- 90
Main bearing set- 85
Carb kit-50
fuel pump- 75
points and condensor-35
These were my prices dealing through Jitney auto parts in Canadian dollars, he is located in Saskatoon Saskatchewan but he specializes in Flatheads only which is nice.

Buy plastiguage and guage your bearings .015- .035 is acceptable for a flathead motor.

I used a generic valve remover tool because my guides were too seized to remove the other way

[effie_man]

sounds about right there ryan (considering i was there when you bought them)

[55 f350]

hmmm i been doing some looking , and of course there's gonna be some goodies , as i think mine is due for a look see and machining . it isnt cheap to do it right that's all i can say .................. time i'm done , and being a penny pincher it could be 4-7 grand . if i just wanted to leave well enough alone and just rering it , new bearings etc. still gonna be a couple of grand ........ kinda the reason why im latching on to a y block from stu , i love my flatty and it's going back in , but i want to drive her and do it right so a temp must be found as it's gonna be pricey and take awhile .

[Snowking]

Originally Posted by Snowking

I just rebuilt my 1946 Flathead V8
Gasket set- 150
Rod bearing set- 90
Main bearing set- 85
Carb kit-50
fuel pump- 75
points and condensor-35

I wont bug ya too much cause my math skills arent that good but if you dont do remachining the cost is much less then a couple grand.

[55 f350]

i am going to assume mine is gonna need some machine work , plan for the worst hope for the best !!!! it's a tough old turd but it may be hiding something ya know . i still havent figured out my " knock " in mine . you hear it from start up , but softly , and its not a spun bearing sounds different for a lack of a better way to phrase it . it increases with speed , and yet i can run her hard all day and she'll be none the worse for wear . it won't even make any more noise than it did before . been through pumps , dizzy , all sorts of things . put a breaker bar on the no.3 cylinder though and put my ear on it and heard it plain as day . me thinks with pointers and info from all you i may have a bad piston pin , so some machine work is gonna be neccessary i'd assume . i'd rather spend the money and know it's right than roll the dice like i would with one of them belly buttons we ran in the dirt cars !!!!!!! probably can be done cheaper but ..............

[Snowking]

True you never know, 9 times out of 10 a knock from a Flathead motor when it is at all idle speeds.

The problem usually is the fuel pump pushrod, it wears down a little then it starts smacking the fuel pump rocker thingy majigor

[55 f350]

you know i had to take the fuel pump and driveshaft out as it went beserk and bent itself , i made a plug out of it with a washer welded to it . i wonder if it's too long and getting slapped around and making the noise ??? HMMMMMMMM...... last time i had the intake off it had come out and i cant recall hearing the knock then , but the oil pressure was weak , snowking you good sir are a genius , i'da never thought about that !!!!!!!!

[Snowking]

Originally Posted by 55 f350

snowking you good sir are a genius , i'da never thought about that !!!!!!!!

wow thank you, tryin to help. This is the best comment Ive had since, you aint as stupid as you look

[55 f350]

heard that one many times but in reverse , you are as stupid as you look !!!!!!!!!!!

[jmadsen]

Maybe the knock is the top half of your valve guides sliding up on the valve and hitting the base of valve stem repeatedly? this 8RT had a couple broken guides.....Wierd!

[mossyoak1992]

dang i hope my engine wont cost a whole lot like you guys are talkin i completly disasembeled it and then took it to the machine shop to get it cleaned and bored , the valves ground , and they also said they got to cut the crank so hopefully it wont be more than a grand and ill put it back together

[effie_man]

im siting at over 4000 as it sits right now without machining and pistons/rods/rings

[55 f350]

well now i was also wondering about the keepers coming off . when i first got her she had several of them off and thats how the valve got bent and two other guides were popping up and down . just gotta find the time to pull the intake and check both . i know it's not the bottom end as it carries way to good 'a' oil pressure for sloopy enough tolerances to let one spin { bearing } . like i said before my estimates range from a couple to purty high , but you wanna play ya gotta pay , and i like being the only fool in town driving his flatty daily !!!!!!!!!!!