Do 1932 v8 (model 18) motors still exist?

[BenLeBlanc]

Just wondering. All I have seen are a couple old photos and all I heard of was ton of bad memories. Supposedly they drank oil as if it were gas and were very prone to cracks. Most people probably just traded up in 33 or later, so how many are still around? That being said, I was just wondering if there is anyone who still runs one who and what was done to make it run well...
Maybe a video? It intruiges me that I cannot find a video of one running on the YouTube...

[colin1928]

There must be a few hidden away or at lest in low mileage cars
I know of stored away swapped for a later year due to the high rebuild cost of the early Babbitt and small crank engine quite apart the low compression and non ventilation

[Henry Hopper]

I bought a 32 roadster and it had the original engine in it...it ran fine.

[Charlie ny]

Ben,
If you are really interested in '32 motors try Mark Moriarty in Warsaw , N.Y.
585 786 [email protected].......( Mark transplanted from Kansas
a long time ago )
Mark and another V8 club member drove their '32s to Tahoe and Charlotte,
Gettysburg, Fairfax etc etc.
If you were at Charlotte you will remember Marks 'barnfind' '32 rdstr, green
with black fenders. These guys still run the Detroit lubricator carbs and jack post
generators.
Charlie ny

[rotorwrench]

Those first 65 HP V8s were a new concept and as such, they had a few teething problems with Detroit Lubricator carbs an a few other odds and ends but I'm sure there are a fair amount of them still in serviceable condition since FoMoCo genrally found ways to fix the warranty problems. The 1932 had a fairly short production run and quite a few were model B engine equipped so there were not a large quantity of them manufactured compared to other production years.

[rockfla]

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Running an original 32 motor AND a Detroit Lubricator carb. Smoothest sweetest running V8 you"ll find. Have done nothing special!! We have done tours in Hilton Head twice, Palos Verdes (climbing Hills) as normal driving. No problems here. Also have an extra motor on lay-by

[KiWinUS]

I have a really really nice correct 32 engine ready to assemble & then find it a new home .
Cheers
Tony

[NealinCA]

The car in my avatar has a 32 engine in it. I was "updated" with a 34 intake, 48 carb and generator. I would like to find the correct 32 parts for it, but it run well as is.

Neal

[Andyr]

I found my original '32 motor in a 1940 COE Ford dump truck........ go figure! It now sits in a three time Dearborn winning '32 three window........runs great!

[deuce_roadster]

I know of several in my area. I don't think they are that unusual really.

[DavidG]

While a bit ragged on warm up (which Ford acknowledged at the time), when up to snuff they run smoothly and powerfully (given how much lighter '32s are compared to the models that followed). There are plenty of survivors out there, although the earliest versions are pretty scarce.

[4t8v8]

I had a friend, now deceased, who moved his family and possessions from Witchita, Ks. to southern MO with a 1932 1 ton truck with original engine. 4 trips without a single problem. Don't know what happened to the truck when he passed a few years ago.

[petehoovie]

Seems like the flathead V8 with Babbitt bearings continue to get a bad rap. Is this only because pouring Babbitt is a lost art and is so labor intensive? Or, is it because Babbitt is an inferior bearing material? I'd like someone to chime in here and give a dissertation on Babbitt good and bad. I'd especially like to know about it's durability as compared to insert bearings....

[Ian NZ]

I run a 1932 Ford V8 Engine with original Detroit carburetor and a original distributor which I have updated to 1941 specs, and other original 1932 components in our 3/W, it starts good and performs very well. When the 32 engine was rebuilt, insert bearings were fitted ito the mains by the reconditioner and the 39 camshaft was given a very mild grind.

[rockfla]

Not sure if babbitting is a lost art or if "most" people don't wanna mess with it out of laziness? I have a customer who still pours Babbitt on shrimp boat winches/bearing surfaces. I think (and in talking to him) the quality of the materials available today that babbbitt would (and could be) just as good if not better than insert bearings. I know that he has a couple of three different mixes still available to him for pouring and not sure what hardness (or percentage of mix) it would have to be for a flathead but If I could find some flathead Main bearing fixtures, could get my friend to teach me to pour with no problem.

[rotorwrench]

Finding someone with the babbitt tools is not impossible. The proper tools make the job fairly easy. A whole kit was produced that included the forms for pouring the material and the cutters to size the bearings. A person can use more modern equipment and get the bearings a little more precise but the old tools work OK in the right hands.

[Chris]

My Dad's 1934 Ford pickup had a running 1932 engine in it with 34 intake/carb. It ran fine but smoked so he pulled it and installed a 34 engine

[Charlie ny]

FYI.......Moriarty pours and line bores babbitt all day long.
Charlie ny

[40 Deluxe]

Some cam grinder used to put his hot grinds on '32 cam cores because they were steel instead of cast. How many of these '32 engines floating around still have their original cams??

[rockfla]

I would assume most likely a lot....as with the original crank shaft, like you say, you can weld both and regrind them. As a matter of fact, one 32 block we have has one main largerer in diameter than the others, the main Babbitt was worn more than the others and (the story was) that they were in a hurry to get the motor back in the car and no one was around at the time to re-pour the Babbitt so they welded two of the mains (at almost stock) and ground the one main to 15 thou over and line board the one cap to match and it runs like a charm.