Re: Installing engine question

Posted by Joe on March 20, 1998 at 08:24:51

In Reply to: Installing engine question
posted by Fred Murphy on March 20, 1998 at 02:17:46

Fred
From the way you describe it, you have removed the engine block by methodology a little different than usual.I suspect you may have done this in the interest of weight.The completed engine weighs in the order of 475 pounds whereas the block alone weighs just under 200 pounds.
Normally, an engine is removed and replaced as a unit: i.e. the engine block, flywheel housing, bellhousing, and transmission including universal joint are all removed together.This operation requires the use of an overhead crane or hoist.
This subcomponent (engine & tranny) is then generally worked to completion while out of the car or frame and replaced as a unit.This is more or less how it was done when the cars were originally assembled by Ford.
On replacement, the other miscellaneous covers and parts (including the head) are usually all in place.This may include the generator, starter, manifolds, carburator and even the distributer, although I generally leave all these other smaller parts off in the interest of preventing a hangup or scraping off of paint.
At this point I would suggest you continue your disassembly and remove the transmission assembly from your frame.The reason for this is that the alignment between the flywheel housing and engine block is somewhat critical and is adjusted by placing or removing "C" shaped shims between the ears at the top of the flywheel housing and the short block itself.
The specific alignment procedure is done using a dial indicator and is somewhat involved in that it uses "holders" for the dial indicator that I can't show here.The whole thing is described in one (I forget which) of the 5 "How to Restore Your Model A" books by the MAFCA.These books are an excellent resource and I would recommend the entire set.
Of course, once you assemble and (if you're not a gambler) test run your engine, you will have to use a small crane or hoist to put it back in place in the frame or car.
A "useful trick" that I have used is to take a defunct sparkplug and somehow remove the porcelain insulator.This is then replaced with a 1/2" eyebolt of the type used to lift machinery.The eyebolt can be welded to or tapped and threaded into the sparkplug base.
This eyebolt assembly is then threaded into the 3rd spark plug location in the head.The entire engine including transmission can then be removed using the single eyebolt as the lift point and the whole rig more or less balances at this point.
While this all sounds like a lot just to get a proper alignment, it is probably worth it.On aligning one of my engines in the manner described in the books I found the "before" alignment to be as much as 0.023 inches out at the edge of the flywheel housing.By placement of shims, I was able to bring the error down to less than 0.003.It's amazing how flexible the flywheel housing really is.This engine has been a good runner since with little vibration.
Good luck on your project.Hope this all helps.Let us know how you make out.
Best regards,
Joe

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