Technical V8 engine

Is this amount of sludge normal? I got close to a quart out of it? Do I just take the head bolts out and pry the heads off? I guess I mean is there any certain order or special way I should pull the heads? This will be my first ones.

 

The sludge is not uncommon in an old engine. I just take the bolts out any old way. Seems OK so far.

 

if you want to be fancy, you could take them off in opposite order of tightening them....basically, start at the outside, and work your way in towards the center.

 

Looks like my first engine in my first car.

 

I wonder how long its been since that old Flathead has been run? back in the day the oils were different there were a lot of NON detergent oils, and folks also were known to go forever between oil changes. I think that may be the reason that so many old engines have a lot of sludge in them. I have a 392 Hemi that I just got the pan and valley cover off of and it looks a lot like that flathead in the sludge department. It is not something you need to worry about.

 

This is how I was taught and still do it that way. If you don't already have one you will need a Motors Manual that covers ,,, L.O.L..! Now that right there dates me. You young guys just use Google or something. I walk over to my book shelf. Find the head bolt torque sequence and go backwards.
The Wizzard

 

wtfr>>>Is this amount of sludge normal? I got close to a quart out of it? >>>

No. Close to 5 quarts of sludge would be normal. 8^) Jack E/NJ

 

Start in the middle and work your way out in a more or less circular or crisscross route

 

Not quite right to loosen. Start out and work your way in. 8^) Jack E/NJ

 

You guys are “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic”......it doesn’t matter...unless you think it does.

To the OP....that sludge....and worse...is normal for an old engine that hasn’t been apart in a very long time, or ever.

Ray

 

Thanks guys the man said it was a good engine but don't they all? Lol. I'll pull them heads tomorrow and see what it looks like in there.

 

flatheads are usually pretty gunked up, but man, thats the worst one i've seen!

 

And yet, there are still people out there recommending non-detergent oil for freshly rebuilt older engines.

 

The only engine I've ever seen close to this was in a camaro and the people used Quaker State.

 

I remember as a kid working at a gas station in the 60's and changing oil in 50's cars that used Quaker State oil, when you took the oil pan bolt off the oil wouldn't come out so I would use a ice pick to get the oil to flow out.

 

You could stop by the local car wash and use the vacuum system to clean out the gunk.

 

I think it was Quaker City candle wax, not Quaker State oil. Jack E/NJ

 

You'd need an air chisel with the car wash vacuum to clean that gunk.

Wow, the bottom insides of my gas bbq looked cleaner than that.

 

After scraping as much out as I can what do I was the rest out with?

 

A good solvent is almost non existent anymore. Gas works but not a real good choice if your a smoker. Myself I use stove oil, heating oil. It works pretty well and once done with it you can use it to light your burn pile with it.
The Wizzard

 

My flathead looked about like that. I scraped out the lifter valley, keeping the shop vac hose close to the scraper. Then I used kerosene and a couple of rags. The oil pan and heads went to the hot tank.

 

If your oil pan has the aluminum dipstick boss, you may want to drill the rivets and remove it before taking it to the hot tank.
Some of the hot tanks will destroy the aluminum parts.
Happened to one of mine.

 

Kerosene

 

Someone has done you a favor and used head bolts rather than studs. On gunked up engines with studs getting the heads off was a trial. When we had a Storm Vulcan agitating vat (extinct now) flathead V-8's would come out of the tank absolutely clean grey cast iron. Worst for nasty was Slant Sixes (but a good engine).

 

..........and if you ask them if it runs they will say "they drove it in there". Of course it has been parked there for 15 plus years.

 

As far as removing the bolts...just loosen them a turn or so on each one before trying to take them out one by one.

To remove the heads on an older flathead, you will need some type of pry bar beause the heads and gaskets will be stuck (almost glued) to the block. Be very carefull when you pry the heads so that you don't damage the block. You can get heads almost any place.

I used a putty knife to loosen the heads nd gasket on my older motors. Just pass it around the heads to break the bead, so to speak, and then your big screw driver or pry bar to finish.

Sent from my SM-G930T using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Great advice everyone thanks. Feel free to add anymore tips at anytime.

 

That’s a good one Ray.

 

Probably won't matter what order you remove the bolts since about half will twist off. I remember the oil companies advertising in the '50s about how great the oils were that came from "pure Pennsylvania crude". Quaker State, Amalie and the others would turn to the gunk you have in your Flathead. I bought a 303 Olds engine for a project and the inside of the valve covers looked like someone filled it with Vasoline.

 

That's what my engine looked like when I opened it up. The good news is that the metal underneath will look really nice when you get that waxy crud off!

I used dollar store spatulas (like for baking, not burger flipping) and oven cleaner on a warm day. I still need to do a final cleaning to get it spotless though.