pulling apart my 390 :)

[MY 59]

So I have done the inevitable and started stripping my motor to rebuild it.
cant wait to get it back together because I hate the thought that even though it smoked and vented oil fumes through the crankcase vent tube etc.. I cant start her and listen to that sweet sound or drive her
Pistons have no oversize stamp on them, and head gaskets were paper thin steel... I am thinking this motor is a virgin and orig??

Not that it matters, just interested if the steel gaskets were factory?? would be cool to know she lasted this long on the original build

[Dan LeBlanc]

I'm using a Fel-Pro gasket set on mine and the head gaskets are thicker than the original steel but look like they'll seal well.

[Ken Perry]

Steel shim head gaskets are original! Most of these engines went the distance,from what I have seen. The cars with no A/C went longer becouse of the rear gear was higher. I drive a 60 flat top for my every day car,it has 130000 miles on it and is still going strong!engine and trans have never been apart.The new head gaskets are thicker and drop the compresion,this helps with todays crappy gas!Ken Perry 

[Dan LeBlanc]

The last 390 I did I used a Best gasket set and it had the thin steel gaskets in it.

[Dave Shepherd]

As stated the .040 plus head gaskets vs 020 shim gasket, drop the compression about .4 of a point.

[MY 59]

cleaned the gaskets up to try and diagnose a problem, end they are stamped felpro, but look ancient!
buying a full rebuild kit from FalconGlobal on Ebay, my friend got one from them for his 312, all felpro stuff, very good quality

[Dan LeBlanc]

I've used falconglobal. Watch his kits. On some parts he'll say x or y. When I bought my rod bearings for my 61 390, the ad said Clevite or Rebuilders Choice. I got the latter made in China.

If you really want to do things right, source everything yourself from made in USA stuff.  Some things you will pay more for, some less.  In the end you'll know exactly what you've got. 

[Dave Shepherd]

I've used falconglobal. Watch his kits. On some parts he'll say x or y. When I bought my rod bearings for my 61 390, the ad said Clevite or Rebuilders Choice. I got the latter made in China.

If you really want to do things right, source everything yourself from made in USA stuff.  Some things you will pay more for, some less.  In the end you'll know exactly what you've got.

Agreed, lots of junk out there.

[MY 59]

So entire thing is apart and in acid bath, had only 1 cracked compression ring, bores are as smooth as glass though. pistons and all bearings standard sizes.
never knew these engines has a steel crank??

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

These engines were built to last, and with the best available materials at the time.

Looks like you are in for just a de-glaze of the bores, and a polish of the crank pins, and re-assembly.

But, get the crank journals checked for size to ensure that it will take Standard shells.

Bruce.

[MY 59]

Hi Bruce
we chacked the journals, all standard.
will go the full toss, rebore, regrind, new pistons 20 thou over.
just sussing out who to get the rebuild kit through, waiting on a few responses with regard to bearing, gasket & camshaft brands used in these kits.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Dave,

I question the need for all the extra machining if everything checks out as standard.

The only time I machine parts is if they are requiring machining, and replacing the pistons is only a requirement if the bore is worm, out of round, or marked.

Bruce.

[MY 59]

too true, but there is a noticable ridge/lip in the bores from wear,

you have rebuilt using standard shells before? and it worked out fine - never occured to me, I just assume after so long a regrind & +10 thou

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Ah ha, the lip does mean things aren't as they seem, and looks like new Pistons and Rings.   After a re-bore, that is.

As far as using Standard size bearings, I don't have a problem with that when the Bearing Journals mike up to within specs.

Over the years, and having rebuilt many engines, I have only done two that didn't require crankshaft grinding, and the same engines were good in the bores to use the original pistons, and simply new rings.   One was a 1969 Ford 352", and the other a '61 Cadillac 390.   The Fords had travelled 50,000 miles, and was in a Hearse, so the use was not harsh, and the Cadillac was of unknown mileage.   All the rest required boring, grinding and everything else that gets done to a rebuild.

I treat an engine to be rebuilt as having reusable parts as the Block, Heads and other cast parts,  Crank, Rods, Fastenings and Tinware.   Anything that can be reused gets inspected very thoroughly and is treated as a bonus.   By the time an engine requires rebuilding, it is usually worn out in every way.

By the time an engine arrives here in Tassie, it is totally worn out.   If I want a Cadillac engine, then if I don't have the car, it has to come in from the Big Island up north, or USA.   I did import one '60 engine to rebuild for my own '60 CDV, and when I stripped it, it turned out to be a parts motor as two of the cylinders were full of water, and had been sitting for years, and the pistons had to be removed by soaking the block, with the pistons and rods stuck in it, to let the Caustic liquid eat the aluminium away.

Bruce.

[Steve Passmore]

  I did import one '60 engine to rebuild for my own '60 CDV, and when I stripped it, it turned out to be a parts motor as two of the cylinders were full of water, and had been sitting for years, and the pistons had to be removed by soaking the block, with the pistons and rods stuck in it, to let the Caustic liquid eat the aluminium away.

Bruce.
[/quote]

Had one just like that myself Bruce, Found a 39 engine in a wreaking yard in Birmingham, water had got into 2 cylinders and continually frozen over the decades imploding the cylinder walls into the water jacket. They make good anchors though

[MY 59]

I just cant wait to have the old girl running again!
I find the design and placement of the oil filter odd, it seems to me it just filters a little oil from the top of the motor, not directly from the pump/sump as one would imagine? (unless the gallery that feeds it is routed from the pump?)

Good news is - just refitted wipers (man fitting them over the cams and setting them is difficult!) and rebuild washer pump, fitted new vacuum actuators to aircon/heater vents, and am about to fit a new heater core as old one leaked.

fitted a new fuel sender, but it appears to be reading low - will throw in a few jerrycans until she is full to confirm, then think what to do

[Scot Minesinger]

Please spare your self trouble later as I second the advice about USA made parts only.  Don't put anything made in China in your engine.  USA made only.  China seems to cheat on metallurgy and their engine parts are soft as butter compared with high grade hardened steel parts that should go into the engine.  I purchased one China rocker just to see if it was any good, sections that should have been machined were not and a file cut through it like it was balsa wood.  You get what you pay for.

[MY 59]

Any advice on who to use for a rebuild kit would be appreciated, waiting to hear back from 1.
Falcon global is another I have spoken with, he uses felpro gaskets, Isky cam, however his bearings are rebuilders choice/packard, which I have heard mixed reviews on?

[Dave Shepherd]

Egge makes their own pistons, Trw and Clevite for bearings and there are others.  There are plenty of American ring manufactures also. I used Hastings on my last job.