Hot Rods Flathead blew up today

Time to reinstall the Chevrolet


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Guess the lakes headers will be on hold.

 

Looks pretty dry, did you wash the oil off for the photo?

 

Yup with a rag

 

Heart breaker, I feel your pain. HRP

 

Somebody with a lot more experience than me might be able to diagnose why it let go. Like whether the bolt had some torsional stress prior.

A friend of mine who drank too much put an engine together and forgot one rod nut. It also ran for half a minute then let go looking very similar.

 

Shipping a couple of rods from Arkansas (or even Minnesota) shouldn't be very expensive. (I'd probably get 4, just in case there is a bad apple in the bunch.) I will tell you now that I don't have any pistons. They should be easy to find. When you know what size, I'd try an wanted ad here and on The Ford Barn.

 

What cause this .

 

Slightly bent rod at time of assembly; overtightened con rod bolt(s); possible mixed rod and cap, (not numbered from factory) Any number of things.
Good reason to have rods magna-fluxed, sunnen-honed and aligned.

 

Ok I think flathead rods are pretty tuff. This one did not break. Ive kept it for over 50 years. I removed this bent rod & damaged piston from a 53 engine from the bottom after I took out the Crankshaft. the piston was almost completely out of the bore. I know what caused the failure. I will let you all guess first? I still have the block and some of the other undamaged pistons & rods.

 

The traditional fix for a blown up flathead in the fifties was a 265 or a 283 from the junkyard. How ironic!

 

I replaced the flathead with a 61 FE 352 two bbl from a car. Used a JC whitney Adapter. It was in a bob truck. I could smoke the 750 x20 duals after the swap.

 

That hurt! Keep the small block Chevy. He will be happier.

 

I bought a 390 FE from a friend that bought it as a "rebuilt" engine. It had a knock after I installed it and fired it up. I had to pull the engine to check the bottom end, and it was worn out. I was suckered, because I know that my friend really did think it was a good engine. Fortunately, when I miked the crank, it was still good, and I was able to save the engine by putting in new bearings, timing chain, and oil pump. That was the last time I ever trusted anyone on an engine I couldn't run first.
I hope it is an easy repair for you, and that the customer understands. It looks to me like the rod bolt could have been stretched by over torquing.
Bob

 

Funny the customer wanted to go the other way........reads like help is on the way for the flattie.....following....

 

Old Wolf....that's one bent rod right there ! Lots of guys trying to duplicate that for trophy's !

 

What caused that was water, It had a cracked head and I had stop leak in it. however on a hot day It began to overheat and the crack apparently got bigger and was dumping water into the cly. and the rod started bending and more water kept coming in till it locked up. I was 16 at the time but should have known better. The block and crank is still good.

 

Hydro locking was gonna be my guess!

 

Not sure I'd trust any of the remaining rods/rod bolts/main cap bolts after this. At least not if replacements are easily available and not crazy expensive.

 

You're probably right. Especially since he stated that engine was a 239. Actually, this may be a blessing in disquise. Now the owner has a chance to put a decent engine in the car. From what I can see from the pictures, that car desrves better than a used 239 8BA.

He already has a good start, because the block is probably good. It needs to be tested, though.

 

Flatheads are good engines until you get them hot. Trouble was back in the day folks ran tap water in the cooling systems and they clogged up the water jackets. The exhaust passage exiting thru the side of the block added extra heat. However If the owner had a choice and was a gear head. A expired flathead was replaced by another type of engine. Ive got a offenhauser adapter that adapts a 322 buick to a flathead trans. They made adapters to adapt a variety of engines to the flathead driveline.

 

Unless I can see and hear it run, a used engine is nothing more than a core

 

Man I feel your pain - I have had my problems but once you get things sorted out, flatties are one solid, super running little motor. And I can say this from first hand knowledge with my avatar. Check the block and if good, make sure there’s no sand ( I took a gallon bucket of sand out of mine) left in the motor by Henry and build it back up .....

 

And a complete set of new rod bolts!!!!

 

Lotsa guys don't know that rod bolts in flathead rods are integral to the rod. Not replaceable.

 

A local machine shop thought flatheads had 5 cam bearings, freeze plugs and replaceable rod bolts. They would balance by putting washers under the rod nuts.

 

That ain’t right.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

That's a shame about the used engine, hope it's fixable without a complete rebuild. Neat looking car otherwise, the car definitely has the period look of a flathead.

That rod that Old wolf posted is amazing! It doesn't even look fissured at the bend.

 

Very surprised that "Old Wolf's" rod bent like that instead of splitting the cylinder when that cylinder 'hydrauliced' : That's why you see the sprint cars roll them backwards to clear the cylinders of any fuel that might have leaked out of the injectors so this problem doesn't happen.

 

lame ! , broke something in my 36 last night … not sure what at the moment... limped it home a couples miles...and parked it and walked away... ah hot rod ..