I've got a 48 ford truck F1 that has a flathead V8 in it. I took the heads off it and yes I seen the famous cracks between #2 and #4. They don't look real bad but I'm not going to chance building it right now. B/c I have a perfectly good 1950 226 just setting there waiting to be used. It has not ran it 2yrs but when it was running it ran great. I put trans fluid in it b/c I didn't want it to sick on me. So here's my question, it didn't smoke any and it started up great and ran great. So should I drain it and put it in the truck and try to start it or should I take it apart and check things out before I put it in the truck. One more thing, where is a good place or company to buy 226 flathead stuff from. Just in case I decide to rebuild it anyway. Thanks for any help.

 

I see no reason to take it apart at this time. Put it in an run it. I would use a lead substitute in the fuel to protect the valves from burning on unleaded fuel.

 

My 51 F1 sat for 12 years prior to my purchase. The 226 wasen't frozen but the valves had all stuck so it had no compression. I dumpt a bottle of Marvey Mistery oil in it and let it set for a week then added more and just kept working and turing it over till it loosened up. I was afraid at the time to try to pull the head for fear the head bolts would break. I did manage to get it running and drove it 25 miles home, over the next year I ran it probably twice a week. There was a couple valves still hanging up but STP seemed to do the trick. As I was getting close to getting it to a point to where I could drive it my Accord started having a lot of issues. Not being real intrested in the Accord anyhow I started driving the truck daily 10 miles to work and around town. That was a year ago and the 226 just keeps running better the more I drive it. It was using and blowing some oil but I added some Lucas oil stablizer and to my suprise the oil usage has dropped a lot. I took it on a 120 mile run last Saturday and at a constant 50 mph ( It still has 4.27 rearend gears) it went through one quart of oil. Anyhow to this point I haven't taken the 226 down at all for any repairs.