Rebuilt Engine

S

Shoat

Member
I had my Model A engine rebuilt as a local machine shop. It has been stored in my shop, which is insulated and sealed inside, about five years sitting up right on the flywheel housing. The mechanic that did the engine said he put a newer type rear main seal that was better than the original. I have putting oil in the spark plug holes and in the intake manifold ports when I turned the engine every few months. I lowered the engine down on the oil pan and I noticed oil in the flywheel and under the bottom of the flywheel. It was also around the small round bearing in the center of the fly wheel. No oil has been put in the oil pan except what was put in the oil pump before the oil pan was installed. Is it possible for any of the oil I put in the ports and plug holes to get to the flywheel without the main bearing seal being bad? I put the oil in the holes will an oil can and put a good bit in each time I turned the engine. Could it be possible for the main bearing seal to be leaking or is this caused by the engine being stored on its end? Any thoughts?
 
Five years?? :eek: Sitting on end means whatever little oil is in there is gravity pressing on the pan gasket and bearing cap. There is no such thing as a 'perfect' oil seal- crank, gasket, or otherwise. In five years I'd expect every drop to find it's way through stored that way.
 
Take the engine, mount it up with some wires and hook a gas line and water to it and check the compression, cross your fingers and start it up. My engine was 3 years sitting, but not vertically stored. I wish you luck, I think you'll do fine.
 
an unusual way to store an engine. Why put oil in the cylinders repeatedly? Store it in the same position it is in a car, that is how it was made to be (people don't sleep on their heads), put oil in the cyls once , about 1-2 oz each cyl, rotate the crank 720 degrees to distribute the oil all over, seal off the manifolds and water connections, and the crankcase breather, and that's it. Should be fine for 5 yrs.
 
Along with what the others said. Is the gasket between the flywheel housing and engine, if not it will leak out the rear camshaft hole.
 
Shoat said:
about five years sitting up right on the flywheel housing. The mechanic that did the engine said he put a newer type rear main seal that was better than the original. Could it be possible for the main bearing seal to be leaking or is this caused by the engine being stored on its end? Any thoughts?
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I consider this the correct way to store an engine. No load from the crank
resting on the seals in one direction.
 
When I had my spare 1928 motor rebuilt about 33 years ago, I was told to fill the cylinders up to the head with oil and leave the engine horizontal during storage. I didn't forsee it being 33 years before I would need that engine. I wonder how much oil is still in the cylinders above the pistons after this much time. Probably not much. I'll have to look. One thing I remember about the 1979 rebuild is that it was a complete rebuild and reassembly of the long block and it cost $290. What does a complete rebuild cost today?
 
southfork said:
When I had my spare 1928 motor rebuilt about 33 years ago, I was told to fill the cylinders up to the head with oil and leave the engine horizontal during storage. I didn't forsee it being 33 years before I would need that engine. I wonder how much oil is still in the cylinders above the pistons after this much time. Probably not much. I'll have to look. One thing I remember about the 1979 rebuild is that it was a complete rebuild and reassembly of the long block and it cost $290. What does a complete rebuild cost today?
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That is about 10% of todays complete rebuild.
 
I wonder how much oil is still in the cylinders above the pistons after this much time. Probably not much

I agree, prolly not much. But to be safe, check. If you try to crank it over and there is too much oil in any one cyl, you will bend a rod or worse when it hydrolocks
 
Now you will have to store it for 5 years on the pulley so the oil migrates back in.

If it is sitting one of the ends and you put oil in the cylinders it will only oil the side to the bottom, if it is sitting the normal way the oil will go all the way around the rings and cover all the cylinder

With the original type slinger the oil would go out as fast as it is poured in if it was sitting vertical---if it took 5 years it must be an improvement and seal better than the original

If you put the engine in the normal orintation, pour a quart down the dist hole you can lube the mains
 
My comment, un-related to your rear main seal question, is this: If you've waited five years, seriously consider waiting another couple hours and remove the pan. Visually check for the possibility of rust. Pull a rod cap and main cap to get an idea of how well it is pre-lubed, and use a good cam pre-lube on the lobes and lifters. I would go further and remove the head to check the cylinders, valves and seats for rust. 'Better now than after it's in and back out of the car. It will only cost you the price of a gasket set. Gibbs sells a break-in oil with lots of ZDDP.
 
What with the low spring pressure of a Model A, you do not need any zinc. Standard break-in procedure up through at least the '60's was to use non-detergent oil "to let the rings seat". This was just plain oil, no additives and camshafts survived just fine, even with newer OHV engines.
Remember, oil in the '20's, '30's, '40's and early '50's did not have zinc, or very little, even less than oils of today.
The only problems I've seen are in race engines with extreme valve spring pressure or a failure to properly break in the cam; i.e. letting a new engine idle instead of running at 2,000 RPM for the first 20 minutes.
 
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