new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

I blew a piston in the old engine a few months ago and took the replacement
engine for a 100 mile test ride today. Mostly open roads at 45/50 MPH.
Outside temperature in the 90's temp gauge never got to normal line.
Ran 1/8" to a 1/4" below normal. Checking with the laser thermometer
it never got over 170. Radiator was rodded out before last engine went.
Skips pumps, tight radiator cap and plastic overflow bottle. Radiator was
full up near filler cap and had 1/3 fill of coolant in small recovery bottle
after shut down. Will check tomorrow when it cools down but I expect
the coolant to return to the engine as the engine cools below 155 and a
vacuum in the system pulls the water back. At the half way or at 50 miles
we were low on gas 1/8th showing on the gauge. Couldn't find a non corn
station and drove back at 45. Got to the station I use and the recreational
pump was being worked on so I got 2.4 gallons of corn gas and the gauge
went to right on 1/4 tank so we limped the 50 miles at about 25 MPG.
Engine is smooth and quiet, checked valve clearance and intakes were
.012, exhausts .013/. This was an engine someone gave me about 20
or more years ago. The guy Charlie White from Ohio then Florida now
resting in peace gave it to me for doing some welding for him. He had it
rebuilt and started it and water was leaking into #5 cylinder. The heads
were off and there was a crack from the stud below #5 about 5/8 long
above and below the stud. I stitched the cracks, peened the stitches and
smoothed the stitches flush with the block. Installed new studs with
The Right Stuff, copper head gasket and 3MMM copper spray. Retorqued
4 times and after getting hot checked again and all at 53 inch lbs. Didn't
see any leaks around head nuts or edges of head. On to the next one.
G.M.

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

Hi GM, sounds like you made out pretty good.
I hope you meant 53 ft lbs. as inch lbs convert to about 4.5 ft lbs. like you my 276 with Skips pumps only reaches 175 sitting in traffic in 90 deg. weather. It gets tested every yr at Syracuse.
Regards, Don

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

G.M. - Are you running stats in that flathead?

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

Hey G.M.

Glad to here the old girl is back on the road.

Tim

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

How many # pressure radiator cap ?

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

No stats. Stats don't do anything to help cooling, they only raise the
temperature ABOVE the rating of the stats. Most stats restrict the
the flow so your better off without them in warm outside temps. G.M.

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

No pressure cap just a tight sealing stock cap with a good gasket
in it. Over flow go's into a small plastic over flow bottle. I THINK
the small ID holes into the bottle and hose to the bottle give it a little restriction so very little go's into the bottle below 200 degrees.
Keep in mind this radiator was rodded out which I believe is required
for a good flow through the radiator so not much flow is restricted.
Plus Skips high flow pumps almost double the flow. G.M.

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

No pressure cap. Good tight stock cap. G.M.

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

Wish I was down there to road test with you. Will never forget the good times being down there with you.Its still fresh in my mind. I am glad you are doing fine. I have learn a lot from you that I will never forget. Love to deal you out of that 32 you have. I have a good home for it.It doesn't hurt to dream about a 32. Barb says she doesn't want to hear about it. You take care of George and maybe someday I wall make it back down there. I still have the key for the gate you gave me. Are you going to the V-8 National meet in June?

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

Which 32 do you want the roadster, cabriolet or woody they are all
available?? It's starting to get hot down here, wait until next year the
key still fits the gate, haven't changed it in 30 years. I'm flying up in
late June so won't make the V/8 show. Maybe see you this summer,
good to hear from you. G.M.

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

I find it encouraging that you were able to successfully repair the crack in the block. Although it doesn't sound like a major problem, it might be enough to put some people off.

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

Almost all early engines have a minor crack off a stud to a water
hole. Copper spray sealant will stop most of these. Stitching is a
time proven way to repair cracks so why not fix the problem rather
then put a band aid on it. Google "engine block stitching repairs" and
see how large holes 3"s X 8"s are stitched back into the side of the
block which were frozen. There are several companies that do this
as the major part of their business. They also supply the stitching
screws and instructions. G.M.

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

Are we talking about the famous "part number" cracks here? I thought they were harmless and could be ignored. When I was a poor college student I had a '52 Ford that lost a piston. I got one from the junkyard, installed it with new rings and put it back together. When I was assembling it, I counted 7 cracks between the cylinders and the valve pockets. At that point all I could do was shrug my shoulders and put it back together. A couple of bottles of stop leak and it was good to go. It was still running OK when I gave it to a friend's little brother 3 years later. The radiator had given up in a major way, and I couldn't afford to fix it. $1.95 at Long Lake Auto Supply for a set of rings and $.50 for a used piston I could afford, but a $20.00 radiator, not so much.

You wouldn't have pictures of the repair by any chance, would you?

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

Thoose cracks from waterhole to stud aren´t an issue until you overheat the engine badly then they can go to the other side of the stud and continue up to the valvepockets.
Have a patient down the shop that has been badly abused and they poored all kinds of leakfixes into it.
If they had stopped and fixed it right at the first crack...now its just a base for a coffetable at the best.

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

The Cabriolet would do fine. I do I get to see you this summer. I still have my Motor Home and it still looks new. Just can't get the wife in it to go anywhere. Her Mother is 92 and we half to take care of her. That ties us down a bit.

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

I didn't think you could be tied down!!

Re: new engine in 36 phaeton G.M.
 

Didn't you ever hear of "Hen Pecked"?? G.M.