Very bad sound in engine...

[55 Fargo]

Don "What do you have in mind for enhancements?"

Joe "Could this be the start of the advancing line in the sand for Chris?"

Jeez I hope not. A little more power would be welcome, but I will get that from the stock rebuild of a tired engine. Beyond that, I understand the crank/rods/pistons from Canadian DeSoto/Chrysler engines will fit in my dirty old block after a 1/16 overbore. Jerry is agitating for this approach. If I could find a set of these in good shape at an attractive price then maybe. Alternatively, I have read up in back threads about shaving the head a bit to improve the C:R — this is often done in Model T Ford engines whereby the C:R can be bumped from 4.25:1 to 4.75:1 with a 0.120 shave. Skimming the head is something that could have been done in the day and allows reuse of more original parts... that's more my style.

Don't see it going much further than that. Comments always welcome.

Chris there is an Industiral 265 in my area, near Winnipeg, you can get it for $100.00.

If I decide to sell my 55 fargo engine, it's a 228 or a 251, it was used and running until 5 years ago when it was pulled.

I have a seized 251 here at home.

So if you are in need of any of these, let me know. You can use the innards in your D25 block, if you need and want originality....

[Jim Yergin]

a testament to the work that these engines will do inspite of problems.

This is what my number 3 cylinder looked like after the piston disintegrated but it still ran in that condition, just not very well.

Jim Yergin

[wallytoo]

Just thinking that made it up Pikes peak in what was likely pretty near that condition is a testament to the work that these engines will do inspite of problems.

yup. as i've discovered with mine, prior to its rebuild. can't believe it was even running. top and 2nd ring lands hammered on most, 5 of 6 skirts cracked, and one skirt actually in 3 pieces, but still had no problem moving 8,000 pounds of payload.

[PatS....]

The pistons in my 1949 251 were similar at the top...also missing the skirts on 2 and a broken valve as well. Original owner said it ran well, but made a bit of racket!

[bamfordsgarage]

Jim & Pat, you guys with those pictures are making me think there's another few thousand miles in my engine before it really needs an overhaul.

[Don Coatney]

Jim & Pat, you guys with those pictures are making me think there's another few thousand miles in my engine before it really needs an overhaul.

You might want to take a closer look at Jim's picture. Notice the hole in the side of the bore.

[bamfordsgarage]

I saw the hole. My comment was mostly in jest, though as I don't use Smilies it can be hard to tell.

On the other hand it is remarkable how some old engines soldier on with minimal and/or makeshift repairs. In 1995 my Dad and I were on a Model T road trip through the Canadian Rockies and one morning we climbed the long steep road up to Lake Louise. Within site of the summit we heard a tick tick tick Tock Tock Tok RAP RAP RAP BANG! BANG! BANG! as the front rod starved for oil and pounded out the babbitt bearing. Model T engines are totally splash lubed and I had neglected to stop and level out the car occasionally to resupply the front bearings.

Model T rod bearings are very thick poured babbitt. We stopped in time to prevent steel-on-steel wear but the rod rattled around the journal with almost 1/8" clearance. So we cut a piece of leather strap off our luggage tie-downs, soaked it in oil, wrapped it around the journal, bolted the road back up, and proceeded gingerly up to the summit. The next day we took off the inspection cover for a look and gave the rod nuts a couple more turns (leather had compressed).

Drove it the 300 miles home, gradually increasing to our normal cruising speed of 40 mph without problem. I actually left the leather bearing in there for the next year and a half before replacing it when I had the engine apart for something else.

[Don Coatney]

My first street legal car was a thirty five dollar 1947 five cylinder (with eleven working valves), P-15 coupe. I bought this car in late summer of 1964 when I was 17 and a senior in high school.

This was a zero oil pressure (at idle) car and carried around 20PSI max at speed until the engine warmed up and the oil pressure dropped to just off the lower peg. I discovered that adding STP upped the oil pressure quite a lot when the engine was still cold. So I added a can of STP along with a ten cent per quart of re-refined oil at every gas fill-up.

I can only imagine how gunked up that engine was if and when anyone ever pulled it apart.

I had a lot of feiends who lived 40 miles away and I drove this car to visit with them most every weekend well into the winter months. It never failed to bring me home. One night when I had about 10 guys in this coupe a rear spring broke. That repair was beyond my youthful ability to repair at the time so I sold the car for fifteen bucks and bought a mid fifties furd with a Y-block V-8.

That furd is fodder for another thread.