55 Fargo

Thanx Harold, I think it sia stuck valve to, will try your suggestion, right now it is soaking with oil in the cylinders and I poured some all over the valves too, hopefully I will free them up, then will clean up the mess, and see what I got.....Fred

I know it sounded like some "belly aching", I do not think for 1 minute the old guy slickered me, as he did not know the difference between the flathead displacements, he just knew it was a Mopar flat head, was a darn god engine, thats why he pulled it off the combine when he junked the machine. He has stuff all over his farm yard, in the grass in the bush etc. I will give you an example, he has a , complete, sitting in the grass and brush, it was his Aunts car, but it has been deterioating outside since about 1975. He leaves most of his stuff outside, even though he has a garage and machine shed, which are full too. I meant I slickered myself as I had my heart set on a 251 or 265 Indutrial flat head. So I got another 218, no big deal, I have the water out of it, I cleaned the outside, and the cylinders are soaking with oil right now, the whole engine is standing up, and is on a sheet of plywood, and is covered with a tarp, eventually it will be on an engine stand in my garage. I plan to dismantle it, and get to know these engines, I do have another 251 with a full flow oil filter in a car, it is seized, it was also rebuilt in 1956, with .030 over rings and/or psitons, everything else standard. The valve chambers are spotless on this engine too, and there appears to be no cylinder ridge either. I had no trouble undoing the head bolts on both engines, which is not a bad sign. I also have my 218 in my coupe which is running well at the moment, she leaks oil, but has great oil pressure and eccent compression. I also have a 228 froma 1955 Fargo 1/2 ton, it is in decent running condition and was in use until 4 years ago, that one I could pull out the water tube with ease, and it was very clean inside, but I do not the compression or oil pressure on it. So I have 4 flathead engines 2 are running engines, 2 are neeed of rebuild......Fred

You could use a sponge brush, or a high quality paint brush like a badger hair brush, this is what the Boat painters use. I have painted in the areas you have mentioned with a sponge brush, turns out not bad.....Fred

Thanx Deez, the freeze plugs weren't knocked out, nor was there any cracks on the outside of the block. This engine may very well be okay, for rebuilding. Do you think I should pull the head again, clean up the oil in the cyls and wirewheel everything out? I am able to move the crank pulley about 2 inches or so, but it stops there.....Thanx Fred

Yah Don, both some ??and some info statements on the state of this engine, from my initial findings. I am asking if this engine can still be rebuilt if rain water got into a couple of cyls via the exhaust manifold as the engine was lying outside in the elements. I also want to know if the block had a weak mixture of coolant, would it crack the block in the winter freeze? Basically I thought I was buying a 251 or a 265 as this engine was in a combine, but in reality it's a long block 218 by it's engine number, so I slickered myself, not blaming the old fellow I bought it from...

Thanx everyone for your input. The oil pan is in great shape still paint on her, the lifter covers are in great shape, this engine had next to no grease and dirt on her. The manifolds are the updraft type sued on a combine, it's got extra pulleys etc too. I pulled the water pump, the water tube is brass, but she is seized in tight right now. I had the head off, filled all the cyls with oil, put head back on, and removed all spark plugs and re-filled with oil, filled crank case too, drained all coolant out of block. I just opened the drain **** on the blockagain, some oil came out, must have been when I filled the cyls with the head off, I spilled over a bunch, could have went down water galley holes. I can move the crank pulley a few inches, but she is then stuck, must be something other than seized piston. The valve chamber was super clean, no sludge whatsoever. I would be surprised if this engine is any good for rebuilding, maybe something good for me to learn about the internal mechanisms. I also have a 251 in my parts coupe, but it is seized, and I do not know if the block is cracked or not either. I also own a 228, that is in good running shape, but she has miles. My idea was to build a nice engine , and then drop her into my Chrysler, but not sure what I will do now. I can always drag this engine to the smelter not far from home, sure I will get my money back in that case. The bottom line is this the Engine #T112 141458, was used in a combine, but the engine number is for a Dodge truck 1941 to 1948 apparently.......Fred

Hi all, last year I found another flat head engine, it was ot of a combine, a local retired farmer had it. So I figure it's gotta be a 251 or a 265. Today I finally bought it for $65.00 US, get it home, it had water and maybe some antifreeze mixed in, bad sign, might have froze witha cracked block. I also notice it has the external by-pass water pump, which is a 40s engine, then lastt night a fellow member checked the engine number which is T112 141458, which is a truck engine from 41 to 48, and is a 218 long block canadian. Okay so I can live with this, I unbolted the head, came off easy,bolts were also in good shape, but some cyls had water in them, the engine was laying outsdie, so got rain and snow melt no doubt. I cleaned all of the crud and water out of the cyls and filled them with oil, re-filled crankcase too. I then put the head back on. The oil pump cover has the Chrysler penta star emblem on it, so not sure about that. The vlave chamber was clean as a whistle, even the inside of the covers were clean. Now could this engine still be rebuilt, or should I stick with a seoized 251 I also own. I do not know if either block is cracked yet at this point...........Fred

Yes Dave did roller the truck, it looks great. But Dave used Interlux Brightside Marine 1 k urethane enhanced enamel. It was a big job for Dave, very time consuming, but the end result is good. This type of paint is meant to be brushed,rolled or even sprayed. A lot of the Automotive Acrylic Enamles have to have a hardener added, they dry/flash very quickly, not some thing you really want when rolling/tipping...........

Norm , the trouble with Automotive Acrylic enamel is this, it is based in Xylene, toluene and mek....Thus it will, flash quickly, dries to the touch quickly, not exactly what you want when rolling. The Synthetic (alkyd) Enamels, with Rustoleum and XO rust paint being in this class, are often based with Mineral Spirits, Stoddard solvents, and possibly Naptha, and small amounts of Xylene. The end result, it flashes slowly, dries slowly, will self level, because it has much more time to do so. The rust paints have a coarser pigment, compared to high gloss enamels, which often have finer pigments., thus rust paint does not have quite as high a gloss level as high gloss Acrylic or Synthetis enamels. To roll, brush, sponge, I would suggest a medium to long resin based alkyd enamel in high gloss. This could be further thinned with naptha and/or mineral spirits. I do not know how it would work with an enamel hardener added, it may work just fine, just never tried it for rolling only spraying. I have to do some brush/roller soon with some high gloss enamel, I will add some hardener, and will report back on my results. Patrick, the Moparts, "paint job on a budget", has been discussed here many times before, I personally know 69Charger, he ls a great guy, did nice roller paint worl on some of his cars........Fred

You guys could come to Gimli Dragways here near Winnipeg Manitoba, or maybe meet in Brainerd............

Here is a link for some cool Earl Edgy stories on his racing flat head Chrysler. http://www.moparmagazine.com/2008/sept-oct/edgy_mopars.html

Nice pics, ah life in a simpler time...

Thanx a lot for the great info and reading Gary, hope anyone else with this stuff or pics will add to this thread.........Fred

Hi all, was just reading 2 features in Hot Rod Deluxe, on Ed Bingelli, and Ed Iskendarian. They both ran 4 cyl Model A engines at Bonnevile and other lake beds, before they started using Flat Head Furd V8s. I cannot believe how fast these old Model A 4 bangers would run. Did Mopar Flat head 6s run speeds like the old Flathead V8s? Were Mopar flat 6s used for racing during the 40s, 50s ,60s? How did the Mopar 6 stack up against the Furd flat head V8 for performance in the old days? Just figured I would post this on this rainy day..........Fred

I have to agree with Tim 100%, the use of Rustoleum primer and topcoats, for frames floors insdie fenders, trailers etc with the addition of quality reducer and Hardner is excellent. I works well lasts long, is very compatible with most paints, once fully cured, would not hessitate to use these products as Tim has described. I don't think Eastwood's products are any better than this, and the Rustoleum products cost a fraction of the price as Eastwoods, POR 15 etc............................Only my opinion

Nice pics Robert, sounds likea great time, Plymouth ran great too, by the sounds of it...........Fred

Does East wood sell a primer, for this purpose. Is the intended metal you plan to paint, clean, sandblasted, or rusty or just wire brushed? If you have clean metal you could either use, 2 k epoxy primer, or something like Rustoleum's rusty metal primer, the Rusty metal primer needs to be good and cured before you paint over it with a different system, but it is a tough primer. The epoxy primer you can rer=coat within the window, or you may have to scuff it up, prior to painting it. If you do a decent prep, use quality primer, your Eastwood paint should last a long time. I would guess you would only drive your car in summer, not in winter with high mositure,snow/slush/salt etc..............Fred near Gimli, Manitoba, largest Population of Icelandic people outside of Iceland Islendingadagurinn

I think it's time for you to drive over to the Elko Old Mopar repair shop, for a thorough diagnosis, if that fails there is a Gentleman in the Dublin Ga area you could call on.....Fred

Don, with the right equipment and experience, you could do this job, don't be so hard on yourself. Modern engines and drivetrains can be a nightmare, sorry your Daughter may have to shell out so much cash for this repair. Shop around, see what the best price you can come up with. Hey at least you tried, tells me you care a lot for your Kid.......Fred

Sounds like a good plan Joe, I have the same compressor, only used a water trap type filter, and and in-line filter before the spraygun, never had an issue, these compressors seem to not put a whole lot of moisture in the line, and there won't be oil as there oilless. I have shot just about all my primer with no filters or water traps whatsoever, but used them for paint, lucky for me, never a moisture issue, on those occasions. I always drain my tank, after use, and drain periodically while in use, as well as the filters.....Fred

I don't know Don, was watching Dirty Driving from Anderson Indiana:cool:, these folks was drinking hootch :eek:at there house party. Aren't you from Indiana Don:D

I agree with this, remember as a small boy, this happening in the summer heat

Sorry mis- read you first post, sure someone with the right answer will chime in....hope you locate your trouble......Fred

Once you have the sheet metal primed with epoxy primer, you should have a good seal against the elements.Get here covered well, you can then use filler right on top of this primer, then your K 36 urethane primer, can go on top for your build and surfacing, it should then block quite nicely...... Are you using DP 90, and K36 for your PPG primers?