Help with turning over flathead on 1940 Ford Convertible

C

cplnorton

Junior Member
It's been about 15 years since I know the engine was turned over, so I've been spraying PB blaster down the spark plug holes for weeks. But I got the car out of the barn today and washed it off as I'm thinking about selling it. I'm more a 60's era mechanic, and not so much on these older ones. But usually when I turn over a motor, there is a bolt on the crankshaft and I use a socket and a breaker bar clockwise, but on this one I do not see anywhere to do that. Do I need to take the fan off to get access to it? I do not even see anywhere to put a big wrench either. I just want to see if I can get it to turn over or if it's stuck.

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You do not say where you are, I am sure there are some EV8 folks close to you. I sure would like to have that shed piece in my barn!
 
CPL
Look in the center of the grille above the bumper
there should be a hole to insert the crank.
Next step is find the crank.
Bruce
 
remove spark plugs, put 1/2 ATF 1/2 acetone down each cylinder-wait a few days, put car in gear and rock it back and forth

where are you?
 
If you have the original split radiator, you can access the nut of the crank (fan) through that. This was set up for the old hand crank.
 
I'm in Northwest Ohio. The Radiator must have been changed because it does not have a hole to put a tool in there.

I might just pull the radiator out. If I do that, I imagine I will have access? I do have a complete spare flathead and that one turns over, so worse case scenario I have that.

I'm just to the place I need to either start working on it, or sell it. I have to admit cleaning it yesterday, it's actually in pretty good shape for sitting in a barn since the mid 60's.

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If it were mine I would keep it just the way it is a get it on the road. You should be able to grab the fan with 2 hands and turn it. Or put it in gear and rock it back and forth. Another is put a battery in it and bump the starter. I had a 40 4dr with a stuck motor but wasnt that tight and the battery broke it loose on the other hand ive had them that dynamite wouldnt break it loose. Use the atf/acetone.
 
I would say the gas tank is full of tar, maybe rust, the fuel pump will have the wrong kind of diaphram, brakes will have stuck wheel cyl and points will be fuzzed over. Those are the things that happen when a car sets for that period of time. If you try to run with a gas tanks that has had bad gas in it, valves are likely to stick in the guides.
 
If you get it to turn over and then move on to trying to start it. . Something I always so is look the wiring harness over good before hooking up a fresh battery. That old wiring could cause a fire. I usually unhook the main feed at the starter solonoid and then hot wire the iginition with a wire and aligator clip and start it with a bumper button or the button on the bottom of the solonoid.. as mentioned bypass the gas tank. New ones are cheap and easy to change
 
If trying to turn by fan, first loosen the belt by the bolt on the generator. By doing this first will eliminate the possibility of frozen water pumps preventing engine to turn over. Also you can put a medium size pipe wrench on the fan mounting tube. (It will scratch it up pretty good though). Good luck, nice car!
 
I would try to put it in gear and rock it. But the driver side rear tire is stuck. I think the brakes are probably rusted to the drum.

When I pulled it out of the barn yesterday the other wheels broke free, but that driver's rear didn't want to move.

I imagine the wiring is toast. 40 plus years in a barn, God only knows what mice did to that wiring in there.
 
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On the crank nut...its hex is 1 1/8", and since it has claws on the front for the hand crank pins you need a deep socket...it also needs to be thin wall, since the nut lives in a deep hole barely big enough to allow access. Get a good quality 1 1/8 12 point deep and you can grab it. This is not going to help an a very stuck engine, because most sockets can only partly engage...
It can be turned by long extension through the crank hole through radiator.
 
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cplnorton said:
I'm in Northwest Ohio. The Radiator must have been changed because it does not have a hole to put a tool in there.

I might just pull the radiator out. If I do that, I imagine I will have access? I do have a complete spare flathead and that one turns over, so worse case scenario I have that.

I'm just to the place I need to either start working on it, or sell it. I have to admit cleaning it yesterday, it's actually in pretty good shape for sitting in a barn since the mid 60's.

DSC_0077_zps8zgo4xdr.jpg


DSC_0075_zpswkox2lwn.jpg


DSC_0074_zpsvbrfteos.jpg


DSC_0071_zpswkmmbdu8.jpg


DSC_0067_zpsemhtlipv.jpg


DSC_0057_zpsiw9xaums.jpg


DSC_0036_zps5h5ljlru.jpg


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Pull the radiator. You'll have to do that at some point anyway. They come out fairly easy.
 
Just a note to say, I would pull the rear wheel off and pound on the brake drum
to loosen up the rust bond from shoes to drum.

Also, put the grill in place with a few bolts, it will be more pleasent to the eye.

Curious if your dad saved the chrome that fits around each winshield, as they
are very hard to come by.

Asking people here about the value is always interesting, but actually a waste of time.
The value will be different to everyone, and throwing numbers out there is meaningless
unless the greenbacks are in hand to back it up.

It would be nice if you could fix it up to enjoy yourself, but if not, then best of luck
with the sale. :):)












.
 
Lanny said:
Just a note to say, I would pull the rear wheel off and pound on the brake drum
to loosen up the rust bond from shoes to drum.

Also, put the grill in place with a few bolts, it will be more pleasent to the eye.

Curious if your dad saved the chrome that fits around each winshield, as they
are very hard to come by.

Asking people here about the value is always interesting, but actually a waste of time.
The value will be different to everyone, and throwing numbers out there is meaningless
unless the greenbacks are in hand to back it up.

It would be nice if you could fix it up to enjoy yourself, but if not, then best of luck
with the sale. :):)












.
Click to expand...

Judging by the "project" 40 convertible cars listed in the classifieds with the asking prices and then compare the pctures to this car should tell you something. This car is cool the way it sits with the old quickie paint job and over spray. .

Try backing off the shoe adjusters and loosen the three bolts that hold the wheel cylinder might be enough to get the wheel to turn.
 
I had one of those back in 53. It had a 100 gal bootleggers tank in the trunk. It had been in a roll over and the passenger side windshield post was bent. I bought it from a body shop in Richmond Va. Engine looked stock, but boy was it fast. Didn't know much about them in those days, sure wish I had it back.
 
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