I went to inspect the flathead I found today that is from the 48 F-6. Upon pulling the left head I found a small crack going from the valve port to the cylinder. It goes down about 1/8 inch in the cylinder. I cant tell yet if it goes all the way to the valve seat. Other than that, I don't see anything wrong with the engine. The truck was being used regularly on a farm until just three or four years ago. The present owner said the engine runs great. Is this engine worth buying or should I keep looking? What would be involved in fixing the crack?

Thanks,
Jesse

 

The cracks can be pinned and the cyl sleeved. If you are planning a race engine I would look for another block. For a stocker, if it was cheap enough I'd pick it up.

 

Would there be a chance that this crack could get worse with further use. I can't quite afford a complete rebuild yet but I'd like to get my truck on the road. If I left the engine as is for now with light use, could more damage occur? Since the engine has been run regularly up until recently, it would probably be safe to assume it has been run with the crack for a while. I don't want to do any more damage for sure.

 

The engine I pulled from my panel has a crack from the cyl to the exhaust port. Its about 3/8" down the cyl and goes under the valve seat. Engine ran great.
I'm not going to use this block for the current project as I'm putting a built engine in.
I would think that it would remain drivable for awhile under normal conditions, whatch for steam out the pipe and check the plug and oil for signs of water.

 

http://www.locknstitch.com/
heres a link to a company with some great products for block repair. on that motor i would stich it install new hard valve seats and sleve the hole

 

Take a look at this site it's also a good reference for Flathead information.
http://www.btc-bci.com/~billben/flathead.htm