Projects Noob - 8BA Build (plenty of questions)

A buddy of mine convinced me to get serious on this, so rather than slap it back together and make it run I've decided to do a proper build. I ordered a magnaflux yoke today so I'll be ready when I have it all torn down and clean.

I picked up the engine about an hour away for $300. It was stuck and no starter/flywheel/bell so kind of an average deal imho.

#6 cylinder was the culprit. If you let water in and don't get it out soon engines stick. I have it free and spinning now, all in all not bad.

#5 and #6 intake valves are sticking. They'll move but won't fully close under spring pressure alone.

Looks like someone took the spark plugs out and used something to beat on the pistons at one point. FYI that's not a good way to unstick engines.

1 water pump bolt broke off in the block. I'll deal with that later.

Still full of nice black oil, but no water. That's a good sign.

Bores are scratched a bit from the aforementioned piston beating, but not bad. They are stock bore for a 239, but with 15 to 20 thou of ridge. #6 has rust damage, but it doesn't look bad enough to sleeve. Time will tell.

 

The plan is a nice street engine for a lightweight (sub 2k if I'm lucky) car.

In the end I really want an engine that is interesting to look at. Crab distributor conversion and Judson supercharger would be my dream, but we'll see if I can find the parts.

 

pressure test also. good luck

 

I put feelers out to guys on the parts buy/sell who had flywheel/bellhousing/starter stuff for sale. I'm thinking the sheet metal car bell would be a better part for my application?

 

either bell is fine, but make sure you get the correct starter plate for that bell. check van pelts sales web site for the scoop

 

Removed valves and springs


Then the pistons, rods, crank cam


It kinda looks like a chunk is missing from this crank. Is it normal?


There are a bunch of 1's stamped in the corner of the oil pan rail, do they mean anything?


The driver side cylinders are all sleeved, but there looks to be cracks between them. Any issues with pinning this area?


The crank journals look really good, one of the best I've ever pulled. I'll inspect it in more detail later. The rod bearings were showing some color, but nothing out of the ordinary.

 

Sorry to say, if those are really cracks you show in your last picture, that block is useless without heroic (read : expensive) remedies.

 

Instead of magnafluxing I ran up some plates to pressurize mine..Put 40 pounds or so in the water jacket that will tell you if that's a crack..I found some leaky stud holes but everything else is good.I just picked up two 8BA's and two 59AB's with all the fixins,headed down the same path you're on

 

Nice job on the plates! I was thinking about doing the same thing. I may make the head plate out of aluminum so it can double as a honing plate too.

tubman - you thinking welding the block, or something else? Thanks for the info just the same.

 

Hmmn, last I recall, Ford had a p/n for those cracks.

Seems they could be stitched before machining the block.

 

If it really is irreparable, is this worth it?
https://portland.craigslist.org/yam/pts/d/lafayette-flathead-ford-eab-engine/7163554309.html

 

Your search for a good block will be the toughest, of the parts needed. I have known guys that have torn down a half dozen before finding a good one.

 

Anything can be fixed, but the cost may be prohibitive. I have a friend who bought a '28 or '29 LaSalle roadster that had a cracked block. He took it to a place that specialized in repairing such. They put it in a furnace for several days to heat it up and then welded it. As I remember, the cost was $1500 and this was about 40 years ago. A '28 LaSalle is a milestone car and the expense was probably justified. Given that there are still are good blocks out there, it's probably not worth it for a flathead Ford. As to the "broken" area on the crankshaft, that's normal. They were cast in groups of four and then literally broken apart. As to the remark about "part number cracks", that refers to the common cracks between a head bolt hole and a water passage in the engine block deck, not those shown.

 

If the seller will offer some kind of guarantee (you get your money back if it's cracked) or at least allow you to pull the heads and do a visual inspection, I would buy it if it looks good. These things are always a crap shoot.

As a reference, I sold my second to last known good 8BA block for $800 two years ago to a guy who had gone through 5 engines, all of which turned out to be cracked.

 

Generally if you can see the crack you can fix it,cracks between water holes or in head stud holes are not that important,you can seal the stud threads..

 

You’re not friends with a guy named Phil McCracken, are you?


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H and H repairs a lot of blocks, some others too ,,,,,like Denny said,,,they are put in a furnace to preheat the iron,,,,and some very talented men do magic .
And,,,,,after the repair,,,,,it is almost like it never happened .
Very talented welders,,,,,not just out there,,but several places around the country .

Tommy

 

Back away from the crack pipe..Ford had a 96% casting rejection rate in '32,any other auto company would have been run broke trying to make that engine,cracks,core shifting,sand blow holes,the ones that passed would fail before they left assembly. The profits from the model T made that company rich beyond comprehension..allowed them to tough out that casting..

 

You can buy a really nice plate to do both from CCARACINGPRODUCTS.COM

 

His boyfriend isn’t BENDOVER. is it.

 

Build a million bridges no one will call you a bridge builder..take it in the keister once and you're a kiwi for the rest of your life..

 

Now that just might piss off a few of our New Zealand brothers!

 

Come on, guys. let's get back on topic and try to supply some good information for this guy; remember, he's "noobie" and may be dismayed by some of the "light-hearted banter" that goes on between some of us who have been on here for a while.

 

Nah, just treat it with the contempt it deserves.

 

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Nice. You guys crack me up.

It sounds to me like this engine would be a good candidate for an epoxy 1/2 or 3/4 fill. Then I can put it in my FED project. My goal on this project is to keep it in the 10's just to have fun (saves a lot of expense and hassle on certs and safety stuff). If the car comes out around 1750lbs, 350-400 flywheel HP is a good goal. What solid combos do you recommend for a 1/4 mile car?




Pictures are several years old from the last time I worked on it. Car is buried in the loft ATM.

 

I should probably say that I'm not too interested in forced induction on this project and I like injected alcohol. If there is a really good reason to change this I could consider it though. Also, the car doesn't HAVE to run 10's, 11's would be fine.

 

I think the 32 blocks were an issue in pre production,,,,,,but it was an all new design .
The engines had terrible oil issues,,,but I think some of it related to pistons .
Any new design will have manufacturing problems,,,,,,,but even Ford ,,could not,,,and would not ,,have a 96 % failure rate in production. There wouldn’t be enough hours in the day to cast the blocks and machine them .
Also,,,this guy (speedbug ),,is asking about an 8BA,,,,,,this design had all the bugs worked out by then .
And the crank in the picture is the normal way they look .
Denny,,,(Tubman,),,,, was right,,,these cranks were cast in a large mold,,,,,4 at a time,,,,,and broken apart with a hammer,,,,,there is video on the tube that shows these cranks being cast.
Also,,,,they are cast steel,,,,,even the video narration from back then states that .
They are very hard,,,also,,,,,back in the day,,,,racers used to weld them up and stroke them,,,that takes steel .

Tommy

 

I've even seen a HAMBer who fills the lower inch or two of a street flathead water jacket. Maybe it was Auliz? He said it didn't effect the cooling, and added strength to a suspect part of rusty blocks.

 

I could believe that Alchemy,,,,,,the Flathead water jackets go all the way to the bottom .
I wouldn’t think it would affect the cooling capabilities,,,,and it would help strengthen the lower block,,,,especially in 70-80 year old iron block that might be rusted thin in a place it two .

Tommy