Cracked Block Quastion

KMeredith87

KMeredith87

Senior Member
I have finally gotten the chance to pull the engine out of my '30 pick up and have now found a crack in the #3 exhaust valve. It is hard to see in the picture but the crack goes from the valve seat through into the cylinder wall. Would this block be worth trying to save or is it something that would make a nice table? I have only done a visual inspection and have not had it magnafluxed yet but the crack can be seen without that being accomplished. If the block is not salvageable where is the best place to pick up an engine without having to have a core?

​
 

Attachments

  • 20140412_104544.jpg
    20140412_104544.jpg
    45 KB · Views: 232
For what it would cost to repair and the for the chance it may not hold. I would
find another block, they are still cheap enough.
You would have to sleeve the block and do a crack repair plus a valve seat. Plus
if the crack is down in the valve port your pretty much done.
 
Yes it can be saved and give long service so do not scrap it
repair maybe easier then finding a crack free block
you may find a 2nd hand block cheaper but until you crack test it
it is a crap shoot
 
Does your motor number match the frame number? In other words, is it the original engine that was in the rig? If so, you may want to get it fixed. Can you check with your grandfather to see if he knows if the numbers match. It gives you a rig worth more if they do agree.

Like Ray mentioned above, a good machine shop should be able to give you a good idea what you can do.
 
Like Dodge said; Pin the crack on the deck; install a valve seat; sleeve the cylinder. Expensive, but those kind of repairs do not fail once accomplished. Change blocks, and you have to deal with everything else.
 
KMeredith87 said:
I have finally gotten the chance to pull the engine out of my '30 pick up and have now found a crack in the #3 exhaust valve. It is hard to see in the picture but the crack goes from the valve seat through into the cylinder wall. Would this block be worth trying to save or is it something that would make a nice table? I have only done a visual inspection and have not had it magnafluxed yet but the crack can be seen without that being accomplished. If the block is not salvageable where is the best place to pick up an engine without having to have a core?
Click to expand...

That doesn't look bad at all. Doesn't look to be 'into' cylinder wall, BUT you should have a machine shop look at it closer and give you an estimate..which probably would be free (estimate,eh:) ! If that is the only problem, I'd feel pretty good about that, as it looks like stitch/lock would be effective. I just had a B block, with much worse and more cracks than than pictured fixed successfully. Hey, it won't hurt to get a shop professionals opinion. James seems to think it can be fixed also. Give him a call for details ?
 
I find good engines around here in the 250.-450. range all of the time. I buy them from guys that are building rods, so the engines have been good. Would never consider the repair, as I still know the engine was cracked and wouldn't mentally be happy with that.
yes I know I'm a basket case! We all have preferences and mine isn't to patch crap, even though it might last forever. to each his own...................
 
ronn said:
I find good engines around here in the 250.-450. range all of the time. I buy them from guys that are building rods, so the engines have been good. Would never consider the repair, as I still know the engine was cracked and wouldn't mentally be happy with that.
yes I know I'm a basket case! We all have preferences and mine isn't to patch crap, even though it might last forever. to each his own...................
Click to expand...

Patching crap and repairing what is broken are too different things.
 
if you can live with it Mike-no problem
so when you sell your car, do you tell the "new" buyer about all of the cracks in the engine that were repaired "correctly"..........?

just a moral question for thought
 
IMO, when you buy an antique car....it is a crap shoot ! To look at it any other way, moral or otherwise, is fooling yourself. Maybe the guy/gal is not car aware at all, maybe guy is older than dirt, maybe dementia has started (hm..what was subject anyway ?). Well , you should get the idea. There are as many reasons as there are humans. Best you can do is be knowledgeable and ask a million questions before buying or not. At least, that way you can make up your mind...maybe informed ?
 
funny Hardtimes, because there was another response after mine from CA, that sort of ran into the "moral" dilemma and was burned- his post has been eradicated. He sort of agreed with my point and wish he had known about the "crap" motor he was sold in his A.
Feel like I am in Russia here with the censorship!

I am not passing judgement, just that guys on here will spend 10k on a busted up engine, never acknowledge the fact that the motor was rubbish, but let the new buyer know that there is 10k in the motor. I can check rust on any A, but when it comes to the innards of a motor, we are at the mercy somewhat of the seller.
So many guys on here play the poor widow got ripped off on the sale of her A routine,
when her husband dies, but my question is..............
how honest are you or do you really just think you are honest and everyone else is a shark?

rhetorical question......... not trying to go off topic, but would never buy an A if a guy told me the motor was "stitched and pinned".

and the room grew silent..............
 
Never read where anyone spent 10K on repairing an engine. As for telling the new owner about the repair why not?

Stitching and engine has been around for a great many years.

Do you replace the body parts with new or have the repaired by reforming and welding?
 
If the babbit is still good and it was a running engine with no knocks when you tore it down,I'd put rings in her and use it. Was it having water or oil in water problems? No!
 
ronn brought up a very interesting point when selling your car. How much do you share to get the sale completed? Personally I would probably say that I had the engine gone over by a professional engine builder. If they asked specifics then I would elaborate.
 
About 1, out of 2 or 3 Model A blocks are cracked. We have fixed them all, except 1 in the past 47 years, and none have leaked.

And that is a lot of engines of all kinds.

That doesn't mean that you turn your local black smith loose with a welder!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top