07-27-2012, 10:17 AM
As some of you know, I love to restore antique vehicles/engines/machinery.
My most beloved, My originally restored 1949 Ford F-1 Pickup, I refer to as "My Mistress". (my wife named here, LOL!)
Well, her engine started missing on me last Thursday on the way home from work and I ended up pulling the heads last Saturday to see what was going on. I kind of wish I hadn't.
Not only did I find that it had dropped a valve seat (which could have been repaired) but I also found a nasty crack in the block between an exhaust valve and the #3 cylinder (which cannot be reliably repaired).
Unfortunately, Ford Flathead engines are notoriously poorly cast and cracks like this are not uncommon as the engines age. This one's limit was apparently 63 years.
So, I'm now out in search of a machineable 8BA Flathead Block and my mistress is garaged indefinitely.
Tugboat"I miss driving her already"Cap!
My most beloved, My originally restored 1949 Ford F-1 Pickup, I refer to as "My Mistress". (my wife named here, LOL!)
Well, her engine started missing on me last Thursday on the way home from work and I ended up pulling the heads last Saturday to see what was going on. I kind of wish I hadn't.
Not only did I find that it had dropped a valve seat (which could have been repaired) but I also found a nasty crack in the block between an exhaust valve and the #3 cylinder (which cannot be reliably repaired).
Unfortunately, Ford Flathead engines are notoriously poorly cast and cracks like this are not uncommon as the engines age. This one's limit was apparently 63 years.
So, I'm now out in search of a machineable 8BA Flathead Block and my mistress is garaged indefinitely.
Tugboat"I miss driving her already"Cap!
[b][i]"It's always funny until someone loses an eye!"[/i][/b]
