GaryU.
Well-known member
About a month ago I answered a local ad for a 1938 C.O.E. engine and transmission for sale for a very fair price(not a dreamer price). When I called the owner said something that really got me interested, it turns over. After he gave a description of a 59AB on heads and 59 on bell housing I let him know it was a later(1946-58) engine as a replacement. Sure enough he spotted a rebuilder tag dated 1955 on the bell housing. Drove 50 miles north and picked it up a few days later, it did turn over as he demonstrated. Back at my house I did the most prudent thing at first, removed the dual pulley waterpumps, generator and fan blade. All were sold to Barn members within a few days so my wife(uninformed by my purchase of course)had some shopping money to spend on herself. Next I checked the engine over noting 4 missing intake manifold bolts and a remote coil adapter with a warped cardboard top. Next I removed the fuel pump, carburetor and distributor which had the adapter button to use the earlier distributor with a later engine. Pulled the intake off and sure enough all valves and lifters worked with good compression in all cylinders. Also learned the oil pump worked fine as the plug next to the oil pressure sender was missing and a nice puddle of oil formed on my garage floor while I turned the engine over by hand, oops.
Went step by step through the fuel pump(brand new inside but cleaned again inside and out), carburetor (was rebuilt but again I cleaned and replaced gaskets and power valve etc.) and distributor (cleaned, points sanded,relubed). Also had an extra untested coil,condensor and old spark plug wires to work with. Now after reinstalling all parts, replacing missing bolts it was on to the spark plugs. They were barely finger tight and although corroded on outside were also brand new with gaps all over the place. The plugs were Autolite ATL4 what are now Autolite 216. If anyone has an idea when they were last using the ATL4 designation I'd like to know. Changed the oil(old oil was a carmel color), added some MMO to crankcase and through spark plug holes and cranked it over without plugs. Next with plugs and checked for spark, good spark. Added gas to glass fuel pump bowl and some to carb bowl and after a few seconds it was up and running. Blew out lots of rusty chunks through remains of exhaust system then a good running engine. This was last Saturday, today ran it again and poured some MMO down carb and getting even better. Oil pressure on a cheapy mechanical gauge reads 50 psi and a actual compression test will follow soon. Sorry for being long winded but there was a lot to go over and there is nothing like bringing something back from the dead. All I can figure is many years ago someone did some work to get this engine running and then stopped before it actually did. Last hope you enjoy my backwoods engine test stand, it did it's job and at least it wasn't sitting on an old tire looking like the engine was about to fall over.
Went step by step through the fuel pump(brand new inside but cleaned again inside and out), carburetor (was rebuilt but again I cleaned and replaced gaskets and power valve etc.) and distributor (cleaned, points sanded,relubed). Also had an extra untested coil,condensor and old spark plug wires to work with. Now after reinstalling all parts, replacing missing bolts it was on to the spark plugs. They were barely finger tight and although corroded on outside were also brand new with gaps all over the place. The plugs were Autolite ATL4 what are now Autolite 216. If anyone has an idea when they were last using the ATL4 designation I'd like to know. Changed the oil(old oil was a carmel color), added some MMO to crankcase and through spark plug holes and cranked it over without plugs. Next with plugs and checked for spark, good spark. Added gas to glass fuel pump bowl and some to carb bowl and after a few seconds it was up and running. Blew out lots of rusty chunks through remains of exhaust system then a good running engine. This was last Saturday, today ran it again and poured some MMO down carb and getting even better. Oil pressure on a cheapy mechanical gauge reads 50 psi and a actual compression test will follow soon. Sorry for being long winded but there was a lot to go over and there is nothing like bringing something back from the dead. All I can figure is many years ago someone did some work to get this engine running and then stopped before it actually did. Last hope you enjoy my backwoods engine test stand, it did it's job and at least it wasn't sitting on an old tire looking like the engine was about to fall over.
