Great thread! Answered a lot of my questions. I have located a Flathead that looks very complete in a truck that is beyond repair. I want to make an offer for the engine and trans. I have no idea the condition of the engine and will remove the heads to see if there are cracks and try to spin the crank. What's a fair price to offer? Most information I find on line is for stuff already removed from whatever it was in.
Don't even go that far by removing the heads. I haven't bought a flathead core in about 10 years, but I don't think it has changed that much. For a complete, as it sits motor that turns over when turning the crank bolt, $200 at most. If you do get it, try to get it running before you tear it down. It is runs, doesn't smoke too bad or puke water, you've hit the flathead lottery. If it doesn't run, tear it down and strip the block. No easy task on any flathead motor, let alone one that's been sitting for any length of time. Look it over real good. If it passes the visual test, then get it tested further. Clear as mud?
Going to check this out Friday. The owner is basically a junk dealer and told me over the phone he'd sell anything off that hulk of a truck.
"Why would anyone want to build one for a hot rod.?" When the sound of a flathead starting up and running can transport a senior like me back to the time he was 10 years old ... I'm hard pressed to find a reason not to.
ZZZzzzzz. Why did man walk on the moon? Why did explorers set sail to unknown lands? Why does science continue to look for new advancements? Why do the items on the McDonald's $1 menu taste so darn good? Stop, dude.
I had driven the 50 Coupe to work.... My supervisor comes out, gets in it and grabs the wheel. He takes a big sniff. "Ahhhh Flatheads. That old upholstery smell with just a little tinge of gasoline. It smells just like my dads car when I was a kid". It's more than performance.
Because I wanted a flathead when I was in jr & sr high school. This was the 70's and nobody I knew then wanted one. It's just cool that they are still around and are still wanted. -Dave
So far, so good with the one I picked up last year. Testing will tell the real story but from everything this new guy has been told to look for, it looks pretty solid with no visible cracks. As a couple of people already mentioned, it may have a lot to do with it being a Mercury.
ive got a 50 truck engine that I think isn't cracked. One piston is stuck. Ive beat the crap out of it but it will not move. I think I will put the block in a molasses electrolsis bath and let it eat away the piston.
Interesting that it has studs. That is actually works in your favor. You can align a 2X4 or a block of wood with the studs. Holes can be sloppy. Place the block of wood on the studs a smaller chunk of wood on top of the piston. Install some nuts on the studs and spray the shit out out the piston with Aerokroil or ATF/Acetone 50/50. I mean soak the heck out of it. Top, bottom, sides, all over. Each day keep cranking down on those nuts and spraying down the piston. By week's end, it should break free. If that doesn't work, the bore is screwed anyway, so just used a punch a crumble it out. It didn't grow there, so it will come out eventually.
Its a 24 stud block. My brother overwound it and bent several rods and locked the engine. It set 40 years before I retrieved it. It was still in the truck and still had antifreeze in the block. The carb was missing and the fuel pump and stand. and mice had nested in it. Ive got the crank shaft removed . and all the pistons out but that one. and Ive soaked it in all the popular shure fire lubricants ect. I know that the electroilisis will work. I just need to wait until the freezing weather is over. I need to derust the lifter galley anyhow. Those Mice got in there and really rusted it up. The worst is I will need to bore and sleeve that one cyl. Ive got another that's a 53 block. I rained down the intake and froze and busted one cylinder from the inside. I don't know if a sleeve will fix it.
Some of us like flatheads over other motors. Obviously, you have never had one. To have one and work on it is a treat. But, yea, you can build a flathead to out power any small block.
The Jalopy Journal
