Flathead Disassembly Help

D

diiulio

Junior Member
I have the valve spring assemblies out of the 8ba and the connecting rods and pistons. I am sure you will laugh when you read my questions, but how do you remove the key from the crank? Then how do I get the slinger and timing gear off the crank? Also, how do I get to the (4) 1/2" bolts from the timing gear on the cam? It is behind the distributor gear and I don't know how to get the dist gear off also.

What plugs do I take off the engine before bringing it to the machine shop for hot tank and magnaflux?

What is the flathead screw behind the timing gear of the cam? (I slipped the cam out with the gear on it)

Thanks for your time and help.
Jason

If anybody is in the Alexandria, VA area I wouldn't mind a hand or someone stopping by to check it out that knows flatheads.
 
diiulio, Welcome to the forums! I'm sure you'll get helpful answers here. I'm not knowledgeable enough to help. In the northern 'burbs. You should hook up with the nova Early Ford V8 Club.

Northern Virginia (RG# 96) Contact: John Sweet
EM: northern_virginia_rg@verizon,net
PH: 703-430-5770 Location: Vienna. PO Box 1195, Vienna, VA. 22183

Good Luck,

-VT/Jeff
 
Actually it is better to use a punch near the end of the key. Pound it down and the other end will come up, then pry it out. There is no way you will get the slinger out without removeing the crank gear and sleeve. Use a stout gear puller, it is a tight fit. Probably need to heat it also. The gear will push the the sleeve and slinger off. Also need to remove the cam bearings. By the way, the distributor gear does not need to be removed.
 
welcome to the 'Barn, Jason....hopefully you have or are getting your answers....just keep asking....are you referring to the cleanout plugs in the crank journals?? before getting the crank cleaned??....good luck.....Mike
 
Welcome aboard! Just remember that the only dumb question is one you don't ask. We were all novices once (and many of us still are!).
 
Thanks everybody. I did talk to Walt last night and he is very knowledgable. He walked me through exactly what I needed to do. It was a pleasure talking to him.

I was able to get the key out of the crank by hitting it with a punch on the back side and then using pliers to pry it out. I loosened all the main caps so I can get the crank out tonight and put a puller on it. Hopefully my puller is stout enough.

I think I need to get one of those impact screwdrivers to get the oil galley plug out because when I tried to unscrew the plug it wanted to just ruin the notch in it.

We'll see tonight.

I guess my last question, what is the best way to get the plugs out of the crank, drill or punch and hammer? How many are there?
 
diiulio said:
Thanks everybody. I did talk to Walt last night and he is very knowledgable. He walked me through exactly what I needed to do. It was a pleasure talking to him.

I was able to get the key out of the crank by hitting it with a punch on the back side and then using pliers to pry it out. I loosened all the main caps so I can get the crank out tonight and put a puller on it. Hopefully my puller is stout enough.

I think I need to get one of those impact screwdrivers to get the oil galley plug out because when I tried to unscrew the plug it wanted to just ruin the notch in it.

We'll see tonight.

I guess my last question, what is the best way to get the plugs out of the crank, drill or punch and hammer? How many are there?
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Morning Dil----, give me a simplier handle to talk to you. Something like, hey you. LOL. i'll tell you a simple way to get that plug out behing the cam gear. If you have a torch or even a Burnsmatic torch. Stand the block on back end, heat that plug up, then go in the house and steal one of your wifes fancy candles, put that candle on the hot plug and melt some wax, it will run down around the threads on the plug, then you can unscrew the plug with you fingers, OR, you better use a big screwdriver. Don't tell everybody that trick. Walt
 
I have the block all disassembled except for the oil tube that goes down the intake. Do I need to pull that tube out? If so, what is the best way so I don't ruin the tube?

Also, I have read the books and lots of threads on here. Of course everyone has their own favorite cam, Litero, 400jr., Max1 etc.

I am leaning toward the 400jr, but how does it compare to the Max1? I know the 400jr sounds more lumpy, but actual performance differences is what I am curious about. Does anybody have a torque/hp curve comparison? I realize I am getting a small hp engine, just looking for something to have fun in.

My build is a Ford 8ba w/stock crank, conn rods, two 97's, edelbrock intake, stock heads, T5 ****** and it is all getting slapped into a 30 coupe with no hood or fenders. My goal for the car is just to drive around 2-3 times per week and a couple of long trips a year.

Thanks
Jason
 
Just to be clear I was asking about the tube that goes from the front to the back of the block between the lifters, not the filler tube.

Ronnie, is that the one you were talking about?
 
diiulio said:
Just to be clear I was asking about the tube that goes from the front to the back of the block between the lifters, not the filler tube.

Ronnie, is that the one you were talking about?
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Stays put. After machining you can run something like a gun cleaner in it just to get any residual stuff out.
 
Hey, Joel, how you doing? My cam is a Winfield SU1-A. Very similar to the L-100. Has a nice throaty idle, but still has plenty of low end torque.
 
If you're building up a flathead V8, you would be well advised to get two books. The first is entitled "Nostalgia" by Ron Halloran and the second is "Flathead Facts" by John W. Lawson. I can't recommend them highly enough. The combination of the two books will take a lot of guess work out of your build and give you the benefit of a couple of real pro's experience. Both of the authors post here on the 'Barn and their literary works are excellent referrence material. FWIW
 
I second Henry's suggestion for reading material. I purchased JWLs book last week. It's just loaded with dyno pulls comparing the common mods and speed parts. You're likely to make better use of your budget if you read it BEFORE you start buying parts like cams and induction.
 
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