Gents,
I sent my 1940 Cadillac 346 engine off for a complete overhaul. The block is not cracked, the rods, crank, cam, etc. are in good condition. However the engine has pistons that are 120 over and too much clearance on the cyl. wall. The company JAM/JARs ??? or something like that.... who made the existing pistons are no longer in business So it need a 140 over piston and they do not exist. The shop has found a piston manufacturer that may be able to custom make a set for me...but that remains to be seen. The rings are available.
My only alternative is a to find a good block, either 322 cu. in. or 346 that has not been bored out too much or is still standard. I know that may be a ridiculous idea to begin with. But I am in a pretty tough spot with my engine.
Any leads to a reputable source would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Bob
I have honestly never heard of a 140 thou oversized piston in a 346?? Never knew that the cylinder walls could take it? That aside I would not be looking for pistons or another block, I would get yours sleeved back to standard with new pistons. Job done.
Steve,
Your point is valid for sure. I talked with the shop about sleeving the engine. He said that he has done that and could do in this instance. However he felt that sleeving all 8 cyl. would affect the integrity of the engine...even more than honing the cyl. walls and putting in a custom made 140 over piston. He said that he never sleeved more than two cyl. in an 8 cyl. engine before.
I am left kind of not knowing which direction to go. One main concern is that I want to drive this car 10's of thousands of miles during my remaining lifetime. If I just wanted it for show or a few miles each year, I would have left it as it was. I drove it 1,200 miles last summer. It started easily, ran fine, ran cool, had lots of power, used no oil....just knocked pretty bad.
Appreciate any thoughts you or others may have to help us make a wise decision.
Thanks,
bob
I would follow Steve's advice and get it sleeved.
If not, there are firms who could make pistons for it. One of them is Egge Machine, https://egge.com/
The engine was bored 140 over and 120 over pistons which had been" nurlized" were installed by the original restorer. The engine ran this way for 5,300 miles. Everything worked fine, ran great, very little oil consumption...it just knocked pretty loudly. After purchase and driving it 1,200 miles last summer I wanted it overhauled. I am in favor of sleeving the engine. But I'd like opinions on engine longevity if that is done. My desire is not a show car, although it is beautifully restored....rather something that I can tour with and drive 10s of thousands of miles for the remainder of my life.
Any thoughts on the integrity of this engine with all 8 cyl. sleeved? We checked with Egge and they say they cannot produce a piston larger than 130 over for this engine.
What a mess.
bob
What part of the country are you in? There is a 40 in the Seattle area or at least there was. These blocks are all over the place. If you watch eBay you will find that some people think they are worth something but they are not. The main issue is about 50% are cracked (another reason why they are worthless unless they have been cleaned and checked) but can be repaired best by stitching. If you want everything right you need to find a 39 or 40. 41 to 48 will work but you need to find the matching bell housing for stick shift and get the starter from a 41 to 48. If you are worried about cosmetics all of the 40 heads, etc. will make the 41 look like a 40 except for the most expert. If you have a good 40 starter that is fine but you have to change the nose on it. Sleeving all eight will cost a lot more than the new block. Have done it on a V-16 but you can't find V-16 blocks cheap.
Brad,
I sent you a personal message also. Did you put many miles on the V-16 after it was sleeved? How many of the cyl. were sleeved?
Thanks,
bob