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Posted By Discussion Topic: New engine     ole_Bill 10-13-2010 @ 12:15 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 165 Joined: Dec 2009 I received my rebuilt flathead engine from the builder about a month ago. Since then it has been sitting here on the engine stand without oil. My garage is on the first floor of my house and while it (the garage) isn't air conditioned, there is no history of items rusting while stored in the garage. The car is in the paint shop right now and won't be returned to me until mid-November. Should I go ahead and install the break-in oil? Is there anything else that should be done? Few drops of MMO on top of the pistons? Assuming there is oil in the crankcase, would it help to manually turn over the engine using a breaking bar on the crank pulley? supereal 10-14-2010 @ 7:07 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Bill: We send out engines with the crankcase oil installed. All brand name oil contains a rust inhibiting package. If the engine sits in a moist environment, a bit of "fogging" of the cylinders may be necessary, but if the engine hasn't been run, the cylinder walls should already have oil from reassembly. If it will be a while, tape off the intake and breathers. Be cautious about turning the engine over prior to installation, as it may scrub the assembly lube from vital parts. The first few turns when starting a new engine are critical, as oil pressure and distribution lag a bit behind, and the assembly prelube protects it. 51f1 10-14-2010 @ 7:40 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 573 Joined: Oct 2009 I would crank a new engine w/o plugs until the oil pressure builds up. That will assure that everything is lubricated before the maximum pressures build up on the bearings, etc. Richard trjford8 10-15-2010 @ 6:22 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 4215 Joined: Oct 2009 Bill, which motor do you have? 49-53 or 48 and earlier. Your post about having the motor on the engine stand caught my attention. If you have the 49-53 motor a conventional engine stand is fine. If you have the 48 and earlier motor you need to make sure that the motor is supported by the sides at the exhaust ports. Bolting the early motor at the bell housing to a conventional engine stand(without additional support) is a recipe for a broken bell housing. 37RAGTOPMAN 10-15-2010 @ 6:49 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1961 Joined: Oct 2009 I would install the flywheel,clutch etc and bell housing, and install a starter and leave the plugs out and crank it over with a jumper, using a mechanical oil pressure guage,and get it ready to install, with attaching the transmisson.so everything is ready, my 3 cents worth 37RAGTOPMAN an KEEP on FORDIN,,,!!! TomO 10-15-2010 @ 7:06 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7253 Joined: Oct 2009 I would wait until the engine is installed in the car before adding oil to the oil pan. When the engine is on the way into the engine bay, you may have to tip it enough to get oil where it should not be, like your floor. If you have a 32-48 engine and it is not mounted on the engine stand,by the exhaust parts, do not try to install any accessories or move the engine and stand. The bell housing casting is not designed to take the stress of the weight of the engine. Several flatheads have been turned into scr*p metal by mounting them by the bell-housing. Tom supereal 10-15-2010 @ 8:29 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 There are two reasons we send the engines out with the oil already in: it prevents forgetting to put it in, as has happened more than once in the excitement of installation of the engine, and it allows us to select the proper oil for the initial startup. Full synthetic should be avoided until the rings seat, and we advise customers that the use of synthetic will likely result in seepage past the old rope crank seals, leading the owner to suspect we installed them incorrectly. ole_Bill 10-15-2010 @ 5:42 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 165 Joined: Dec 2009 The engine is a '47 and it is mounted by the right (passenger) exhaust ports. Everything is already mounted on the engine except the carbs and right header. I hadn't considered using a jumper to turn the engine over using the starter. Think this would be safe? This message was edited by ole_Bill on 10-15-10 @ 5:47 PM supereal 10-16-2010 @ 9:30 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 If you feel it is necessary, at all, to turn the engine before installation, I'd do it with a socket and breaker bar on the crank nut. Your engine builder should have seen that the engine will turn correctly. Rotating the engine before the oil galleries have filled and pressure is up is taking a chance of scrubbing the bearings. It is better to wait until the engine is in, then pull the spark plugs, and then run the starter a bit to prime the oil pump and system.

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