Hello HAMBers, I'll be going to but a newly rebuilt flathead Merc this week that is still on a test stand. Is there an acceptable procedure to test the soundness of the build? Any help will be appreciated! Richard
Ask to see any invoices for parts and machine work. If you are encouraged by what you see, ask to pull the pan and heads to inspect the innards. If you buy it, then it's on you to put it back together. If you don't buy it, pay the seller at least the cost of gaskets and misc bits to put it back together. Ray
Is there a genuine reason for selling ? Most guys don't go to the trouble and expense to rebuild a flathead, and then sell it unused. I would be more dubious of this than anything, but Most people are genuine, just check it out!
You mentioned it is on a "test" stand. If this means it is actually on a test or run in stand rather than just an engine stand, fire it up and fun it for about 20 minutes, with water in it. Visual inspection will help but is not thorough enough for me. You can look at new gaskets, look through a spark plug hole etc, but there ain't nothing like hearing them run. Neither method is 100% fail safe. If you can tell by the receipts of the seller, see if it was checked for cracks , any machine work done etc. Good luck.
I understand the issue there Clem. The guy is a retired ford mechanic. He has rebuilt the 8ba's in his 40 ford Tudor and 35 PU. He said he bought 2 of thes late Mercs at a swap meet and did this one as a winter project. What occurs to me is that the Merc 8ba should be enough of an upgrade to the ford that he would want to swap them out. I can ask, I guess. Yes Tim, it is on a test stand and he has had it fired for 15 minutes, to his satisfaction. He will fire for me and let me test as I please. He has receipts; I hope for the machining too. Thanks alot fellows. As you might guess, I am nervous, because my only (2) experiences with flattys have turned out bad!
For what it's worth, I have seen fresh rebuilds fail 2 months after install....it's a gamble no matter who built it and with what parts. Thats why most of us like to build our own...buy it and run it...nothing is a sure bet.
Ok! I guess it is time for me to take the gamble. The 40 has been down for too long. It is time to get it rolling. This package is as probably as atractive as I'll find within a reasonabl distance.
Appreciate your interest, Tim. I can stop by Louisville and pick you up. It is just a short piece up to Greenfield, Ind! LOL!
Agree completely Btw: Some guys are just engine heads and enjoy tearing engines apart and putting them together.
Gotta agree with chopped tudor---it's a crapshoot at best and NOT a cheap one to say the least. You can't rebuild a flattie cheap.
Dude, if someone wanted to pull heads and the oil pan off my motor, I'd tell them to go screw. If the guy has a bunch of Flatheads and seems like a legit guy, go for it.
And, if you told me that as a buyer, expecting me to pay serious money for an unknown engine, I'd be inclined to tell you the same thing. The heads and pan coming off a flathead is no big deal, labor or moneywise, especially when compared to the risk of not seeing what you are getting. The seller is asking for the buyer's money.....seems only reasonable to me that the buyer can verify what he is getting for that money. I am not suggesting 'just kicking the tires', but a commitment to buy, on the spot, if the engine checks out when inspected. Ray
Clem I got a 394 Olds that is built to the hilt and fresh. I have yet to reassemble it but when I do it will be for sale. I have several reasons for selling it that may or may not sound reasonable to anyone but me but I doubt that I will ever get a chance to use the engine so it really needs to go to someone who will. This is not a sale ad it is just a lame attempt to explain that not everyone is out to get you. There are lots of reasons to sell a fresh mill. Hearing it run is very helpful as has been mentioned as well as looking inside of it. heads and pan are easy on a flatty. And cost is minimal compared to purchase. I pulled the pan on a fresh 283 for a fella a couple of years ago, he was just going to throw it in his car and I mentioned it wouldn't hurt to take a look first. I found some rings laying in the pan, and one rod on backward. it got freshened again, to the tune of a crank grind and an overbore, along with cam and lifters to replace the pitted cam shaft. Some one had freshened it alright they just didn't have a clue when they did it.
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