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Old 06-23-2017, 06:16 PM   #1
iverson
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Default Oilpan off what should I check?

Removed the oilpan on our 28 expecting sludge but cleaner than expected. rods all tight except 2 and 3 rods have more end play than 1 and 4. all tapits feel tight, feels like the same valve lash on all. cylinders and bottom of pistons feel good. Cam and fiber gear look good before I put pan back anyone have any advice?
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Old 06-23-2017, 06:22 PM   #2
Tom Wesenberg
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

Yes, clean the old oil out of the pan and check the spring for any rust pits. If it has any pits, replace it.

You also need to fix the tow out on the right front tire.
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Old 06-23-2017, 06:41 PM   #3
Dick Steinkamp
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

You really can't tell how good the rod and main bearings are without removing the caps, inspecting them, and plastigauging them. I would do that while you have the pan off.

I'm not sure what you mean by "tappets feel tight". They will all have pressure on them with the valve springs assembled.

Also not sure what you mean by "feels like same valve lash on all". Are you checking this with feeler gauges with the valve cover removed?

What does "cylinders and bottom of pistons feel good" mean?
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Old 06-23-2017, 06:52 PM   #4
Art Newland
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

Tom's talking about the spring that pushes on the bottom of the oil pump. I'd take the time to actually measure the clearances on the valves/lifters and the rod and main bearings. Even if the bearing clearances aren't too far off, if they are a little loose, it accelerates the wear.
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Old 06-23-2017, 06:54 PM   #5
Art Newland
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

Dick! A couple of B'hammers on the same page!
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Old 06-23-2017, 07:05 PM   #6
Dick Steinkamp
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

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Originally Posted by Art Newland View Post
Dick! A couple of B'hammers on the same page!
As usual.
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Old 06-23-2017, 09:13 PM   #7
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

Thank you guys thats what I want to know. I dont know much about babbit and I will get some plastigauge and check the rods the mains look a lot harder do you guys think it is nessisary? I will check spring carefully. what I was trying to say from under car with pan off I turned the eng with hand crank and when valve is fully seated I can turn and feel tappet no noticeable play in tappet bores,clearance between cam and tappets is about the same on all valves from what I can tell. when pistons are all the way up cylinders look and feel smooth the best I can tell. I can see on the cylinder walls where the rings ride cant feel any wear, with pistons all the way down I can feel the bottom of piston that goes below cylinder feels smooth no sharp edges all looks good. Car is running good the only reason I took pan off was my uncle had car since 51 and he never did any work on it and I expected a lot of sludge oil gets dirty fast after oil change.Tom the picture makes it look like tires are out it must be the camera angle
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Old 06-23-2017, 11:33 PM   #8
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

Would be good idea to clean the wire screen inside the oil pump.

The Service Bulletins lists a dirty screen as a major cause for engine damage on engines returned to Ford dealers for rebuilding.

They show a screen with a light bulb inside with almost NO light shining through the dirty screen!
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Old 06-24-2017, 12:15 AM   #9
Chuck Sea/Tac
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

What is end play on the rods ? Side ways or up and down? Why did you take the pan off ? Was it noisy and that's part of the reason for removing pan. I've never seen a ring ridge on the bottom of a cylinder,only the top. ?? I know they can get tapered from wear.
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Old 06-24-2017, 12:48 AM   #10
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

There are two schools of thought here:
1. "If it's not broken, don't fix it!" (along with "Ignorance is Bliss!")
2. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Since it's apparently been in use since 1951 without any bearing adjustment, the "ounce of prevention" is long overdue! Find a Model A expert or a manual and learn to adjust the bearings-rods AND mains. View it as required maintenance-like adjusting the points.
As for what else to check, you could do a leak down check on each cylinder. That would tell more than your visual inspection form the bottom side.
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Old 06-24-2017, 02:52 AM   #11
Tom Wesenberg
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

I'd check the center and rear mains, and if they look OK, then I'd skip the front.
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Old 06-24-2017, 05:39 AM   #12
Patrick L.
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

The rear and center main bearings wear the most. My opinion, if any bearings should be checked, its them.

Check the oil pump clearances and make sure the screen is cleaned.
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Old 06-24-2017, 12:31 PM   #13
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

We went to Sharon Wi. with 4 other model A's that run 40-45 this car never went that fast since it"s been in the family since 51, at that rpm I was afraid with a pan full of sludge we could starve a bearing. before any more high speed runs I thought it would be a good idea to clean out and check things. car ran fine other than my uncle saying your going to damn fast! it was a fun day. my uncle is 99 and he says slow down! in any car when you get past 60. but he has had model A"s since he was in high school
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Old 06-24-2017, 04:05 PM   #14
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

I checked one rod so far with plastigauge not easy with the x cut in babbit the reading I got looks like .004 . I am thinking that"s ok for a used engine I think I read new it was .001 my reason to take off pan was to make sure its safe to drive without doing any damage any one have a differint opinion?
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Old 06-24-2017, 04:44 PM   #15
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

.004 is too loose, to me anyway. There are better ways to set clearance than Plasti-gage. You have to be quite careful not to get a false reading. Tapping on a rod cap to remove it will flatten the Plasti-gage some more and make you think you have .004 when it's really .007 or .008, for example. When checking mains, you need a jack to support the crankshaft so its weight doesn't flatten the Plasti-gage too much.
It's time consuming, but a good method is to remove one shim from each side of the cap, reinstall it, and turn the engine over. If it still turns freely, remove two more shims until it is very stiff to turn, then put back the thinnest, one at a time until the engine just turns over freely. Keep the shims even from side to side with no more than one shim difference.
You can search on here for more detailed instructions or different methods. Just don't keep running with loose bearing clearances. A little TLC goes a long ways with an A!
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Old 06-24-2017, 06:25 PM   #16
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

Yep ! .004" is way too much !

The rods and mains should be set to .0015" [ no more than .002"]
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Old 06-25-2017, 03:07 PM   #17
iverson
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

Thank you all for the good advice! I put it back together so we can drive the car.I know the screen is clean and no sludge in pan. I will put off the bearing adjustment until another time. I will use a heavier oil for now I put in 15-40 and will look for something heavier. the hardest part is the eng splash pans! I can see why nobody put them back on I left them off for now. a little grease on the gasket and no leaks!
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Old 06-25-2017, 03:52 PM   #18
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Default Re: Oilpan off what should I check?

Try 20-50w HD oil, my experience says it works great on engines that are a little loose. You might get more time out of it than you expect.

The engine side pans help with cooling, air flow thru the engine compartment. Also helps with dirt and dust. Don't throw away.

If car has not been used very much, try a little Marvel Mystery Oil in the gas. Will help with valves. Some people call it snake oil, I never put gas in our A's without it.
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