Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Engine Swap

Reply to Discussion | New Discussion << previous || next >>

Posted By Discussion Topic: Engine Swap -- page: 1 2 3     drkbp 02-22-2013 @ 10:41 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 180 Joined: Aug 2010 dicky, I have a '35 with a 21 stud that came with it and I am following this thread. I changed out a thermostat this morning and decided to check all the water temperatures out of curiosity and this discussion. The stats I have in there are 160 degree and are called "standard". Checked them on the range wth a temp gage. Miss Happiness wanted to know what in the world I was doing cooking parts! Mounted them back in the car and ran it for 30 minutes sitting in the drive. Temp stabilized at 155 degrees in the top tank (by thermometer). Fast idle I could get 165 degrees. Ambient is 70F. I cleaned out the radiator and block last week with a water hose because I had the hoses off but used no flush or anything. I now know that 165 in the top tank is just a little below center of my dash gage "normal" range. So I learned what the gage says/means after all these years. I do have a flat tube radiator but it has been in the car since 1975. I have a vented radiator cap, no pressure. The NOS stat I put in this morning had the instructions still in the box. It recommended: 1. The "Standard Temperature" for use without a hot water heater or for use with hot water heater when alcohol is the anti-freeze. 2. The "High Temperature" is for use with a hot water heater when prestone or glycerine is the anti-freeze. It also talked about "adjustable stats" and there is a pair on tbay but I've never used that kind. I don't know what the High Temp is but it probably is the 180 degree. Super probably knows. The bottom line is this car just does not run hot unless something is wrong. I surely don't have the only ice cold V8 in town and can't quite figure out why we hear so much about pressure systems etc., unless your radiator is no good. Model T guys throw water pumps, water wetter and everything else at them but all they need is a GOOD radiator. I just put a radiator on a brass '13 Ford. I know it's $$$ but there is no practical/real substitute. I do want to say that this thread has helped me understand a lot more about other engine issues. There are so many pitfalls on the rebuilds and you fellows really impress me with your savy on this. Ken in Texas supereal 02-19-2013 @ 10:00 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Thanks, Tom. Cross threading is epidemic now that so many new cars and trucks have aluminum heads. Often we find that the threads are almost all gone because the person removing the plugs didn't reckon on a carbon ring on the combustion end of the plug, and turned the plugs out with some force. Some dealers insist on removing the heads for repair, or even replacing the very expensive heads. We invested in a special set of tools that allow us to install Heli-coils while the heads are in place. Most of us learned, some the hard way, that unless you can thread the plugs almost all the way down by your finders, it is likely they will be cross threaded, regardless of the vehicle. With today's plugs deeply recessed in the heads, it is difficult to achieve. Penetrating oil should be applied and allowed to soak, then the plugs should be worked out by turning them until resistance is felt, then running them in again, then out. This is particularly true of late model Fords. TomO 02-19-2013 @ 7:18 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7264 Joined: Oct 2009 Bob, I think that he did not have a good seal at the plug gasket. He said that some of the plug holes were cross-threaded. That would make it difficult to get the correct torque to compress the plug gasket. I hope that he has the spark plug hole checked for good threads and a good gasket surface. I think what he is calling oil is a mixture of gas fumes and oil fumes that have bypassed the spark plug gasket. I had a similar problem on a 1967 Comet after I took it in to a Ford Diagnostic Center in 1969. I was headed on a 7,000 mile vacation drive and wanted the car checked over. Ford used trainees at the Center, unknown to me at the time, and they cross-threaded one plug. The engine started to make a terrible knocking noise as I drove into Denver. The plug had worked loose. There was all of this oily substance coating the valve covers and inner fender. The Lincoln Mercury dealer in Denver had to replace the head as it was under warranty. Tom dicky 02-18-2013 @ 6:10 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 41 Joined: Oct 2009 I want to again thank you all for your input. I am not able to look at my car this week. I do know that new head bolts were used on the rebuild. When I noticed that all the studs that came out helicoils, I did not notice how they were in the block. I will look this weekend. supereal 02-18-2013 @ 10:29 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Right, Tom. I suggested it as Dicky said he was considering a 59A swap. I'm still mystified as to how oil could be leaking around the spark plugs, yet no exhaust smoke is seen. Bad rings or loose valve guides could allow oil into the cylinders, as you know, but show up as smoke and poor compression. It would take a lot of oil to be forced out at the plugs. TomO 02-18-2013 @ 6:53 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7264 Joined: Oct 2009 Dicky, I am concerned that the studs came out of the block when you tried to remove the nuts. Did you use all new studs? This is the recommended procedure on a rebuild. Are the Helicoils installed with the top of the coil 1/4 to 1/2 turn below the surface of the block? ( http://www.helicoil.com.sg/HeliCoil-Installation-Instructions.shtml ) Was the tang of the coil broken off when the coils were installed? (part of the installation procedure) Did you install the studs so that the unthreaded portion was flush with the top of the block? (Makes sure that the studs have maximum threads in the block) The head modifications the Supereal suggested are for 24 stud heads, not your 21 stud heads. Do as Alan suggested about the thread sealer. Tom ford38v8 02-18-2013 @ 12:26 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2780 Joined: Oct 2009 Dicky, before reinstalling the studs, check with Permatex and/or Loctite for the correct sealer for use with helicoils. Tell them high temp, threadlock, sealer. Check also with Helicoil, as you may have the wrong helicoil in there if it continues to loosen up. Caution though, remember you might get a "tech" that's fresh out of high school. Alan dicky 02-17-2013 @ 7:09 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 41 Joined: Oct 2009 I did forget one thing. The studs that came out with the bnuts attached are the ones that had helicoils. dicky 02-17-2013 @ 12:26 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 41 Joined: Oct 2009 Took my heads off this morning. 10 studs came out with the bolts attached to them. Looked at the cylinders and .060 is marked on the ones I looked at. Also one of the valves was a light tan while the others looked good with no discoloration at all(looked like new valves). I will take my heads to be looked at next week. Will let you know how they are. This message was edited by dicky on 2-17-13 @ 12:26 PM supereal 02-15-2013 @ 10:26 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Be sure to inspect the heads to see if they have been modified for better flow. With the heads on the bench, lying engine side up and the valve pockets at the top, the the center hole at the top should be 3/4" in diameter, and the middle hole should be 5/8". This is to bring the old style 41T heads to match the later 59A. The correct head gaskets have round holes in the middle, instead of he triangle openings of the old design. Early aluminum heads should also be checked for sufficient valve clearance.

<< previous || next >>

PAGE: 1 2 3

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED USER AND BE LOGGED IN TO POST (and reply to) messages in this forum. If you are a first time user, please click the CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT in the masthead above to register and Log In. After that, all you do is LOG IN to enjoy using this site.

DISCLAIMER: The V-8 Club does no independent testing of any of the opinions, thoughts or suggestions presented in the website on the Forum, in the Tech Tips section, or any section. A reader should consider the website to be a forum wherein differing solutions to a particular set of circumstances may be discussed. Ultimately, the selection of an item for an individual's vehicle must be based upon the independent study of the vehicle owner in consultation with people in the hobby and restoration experts.

EFV-8 Club Forum Home | Back to Home Page | Contact the Webmaster

Copyright © 2009 - EFV-8.org
Powered by < CF FORUM > v.2.1