Scrap Engines

Gino

Senior Member
Hi, I have two not well engines. I hate to scrap em but I can’t take em with me. Any suggestions? Thanks
 
Last time I talked to the engine builder at Bert’s he said that only one out of 10 A blocks can be rebuilt. Double or triple that for B blocks.
 
These engines would have to be re- babbited and all the rest. I won't rebuild them and will give them away or scrap them but they must go. I will feel bad if I must scrap them. We know everything meets its demise. I love on Cape Cod if anyone in the area wants them. Thanks
 
Last time I talked to the engine builder at Bert’s he said that only one out of 10 A blocks can be rebuilt. Double or triple that for B blocks.

I was at Bert's last year and saw the pile of blocks they were going to discard. WHAT A WASTE! A goodly proportion of them were quite savable, IMO. I suspect you guys don't bother repairing stuff that we have to. Things like stripped head stud threads is NOT the end of the block. I think they were super fussy because their reputation is so important to them.
I've seen blocks successfully saved after rust had gone through cylinder wall. A sleeve within a sleeve and the engine has done LOTS of miles since.
 
Even a junk block can be useful for experimentation, drilling for oil pressure, cutting open to study wall thickness and construction. That way you don't screw up a good block messing around.
 
I donated my cracked block to be used to verify line boring for inserts. Before that there were no shops capable of doing that in Alaska.
 
Back when I lived on Cape Cod I used to go Route 149 down into Cotuit. There was a gentleman on the way who had TWO Model A engines attached to saw rigs parked just off the road but within sight.

The Model A engine used to be the prime mover of choice for homebrew. At the time I had TWO Model A engines myself so didn't feel the need to accumulate more.

Now I have FIVE. And that doesn't count the Gordon Smith Compressor.

Model A parts kind of multiply while you don't look methinks. I'm almost certain they have a sex life.

Joe K
 
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Joe K; Model A parts kind of multiply while you don't look methinks. I'm almost certain they have a sex life. Joe K[/QUOTE said:
I've maintained that for years. I believe they get up to what we don't want to know about during the night and have young in the form of wire coat hangers and ball point pens.:eek:
 
What are the engine numbers? That may have some bearing on whether someone would want to go the distance to save them.
 
Its rare you find one good enough for an inexpensive rebuild.I bartered some welding for a nice one with a blown center bearing,Ill sink some dough in this one.The other 3 I've come across has original ford babbit and no shims or one shim..Ford built them at .000 and added a .002 shim for clearance,got one that will make a good ice cream runner..also have a B block with 21 crack pins in the deck :).Pull down enough scrap engines and a pattern emerges,you can see where a businessman shys away from them.

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I had 9 blocks that were hot tanked and sonic tested and came with like on size cranks and couldn’t give them away. The only one that was taken if I bought it to him was a early 28 with the extra bearing. It maybe the area your in more then anything and was sad but after 10 years of asking and bringing them to swap they went to scrap..
 
I had 9 blocks that were hot tanked and sonic tested and came with like on size cranks and couldn’t give them away. The only one that was taken if I bought it to him was a early 28 with the extra bearing. It maybe the area your in more then anything and was sad but after 10 years of asking and bringing them to swap they went to scrap..

Thanks for that :rolleyes: You've ruined my day! Pity distance and freight costs are such an impost.
 
I'm out near Sturbridge about 1.5 hours West of you. I have a place to store them, but too busy to drive out there. How fast do you need to get rid of them?
 
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