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322 Engine Rebuild Update

Started by wheikkila, September 06, 2021, 05:02:15 PM

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wheikkila

Good Afternoon
I just got home from doing some more assembling on my LaSalle engine. I got my engine block and parts back from the Machine Shop about 6 or 8 weeks ago. I have been slowly checking all the clearances. Mains, rod, ring gap. Other then making adjustments to the rings everything was good. About two weeks ago I started the final assembly. I started with installing the valves. It took more time then I thought. I ended up using both valve spring compressors that I have. One worked better in the corners and one worked better on the middle valves. I then installed the crank and assembled the rods and pistons. After installing the pistons and rods I installed the cam. I then installed the cam chain and gears. I then assembled the lifter blocks and installed them. At this time, I have about 30 hours into this build. If all goes good, I might have the engine assembled within the next month.
             Thanks Wayne               

z3skybolt

 Best wishes Wayne,

Let us know how it turns out.  As an unskilled novice I spent over $12,000.00 on my engine rebuild. Then another $1,800 having a true expert tear it down partially again..... reinstall and set the valve to cam clearance properly.  I am sure that you will to that very carefully as well.  As you know it must be exactly correct. Otherwise noisy lifters. I admire your skill and knowledge.

Bob R.
1940 LaSalle 5227 Coupe(purchased May 2016)
1985 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series. Bought New.

wheikkila

Hi Bob
The biggest issue the machine shop had was setting the valve clearance. I went over with my manual my new cam and lifters. It took about 5 hours to set everything correctly. You have to have a minimum of 30 thousands clearance between the lifter and the valve stem. Just to let you know I'm not saving much money. Between parts and machine costs I'm in just under $10,000. If I can get it in the test stand in a month I will be very happy. If I can get the car running by the end of the year I will be extremely happy. We will see how it goes.
                      Thanks Wayne         

Jamurray

Look at it this way. What's better? A month in the convalescent home or the admiring looks of children and adults who have grown up riding in or driving Hondas and Toyotas, who have never even imagined that cars like ours plied the highways and byways of the world.

wheikkila

Just an update to the assembly on my 322. I hit a little snag while I was checking everything. Before I put the center covers on I was doing one last check. I noticed that the idler gear for the distributor tower had some play in it. I called a friend who has some knowledge of these flatheads. He said I shouldn't have any play and I should check the special washer for ware. So I thought about this for a little while. Then I looked through the few photos I have left when I tore the engine down. I did have a photo of the washer. It was the same washer I installed. But special? It looked like a flat fender washer. In April I purchased a parts manual covering 39 and 40 La Salle's. So I looked it up. It is listed as a washer with pin. Needless to say my washer did not have any pin. I started with Terrell Machine. They did confirm that the washer should have the pin in it. But they didn't have any or were to get one. I thought about it for a few days. Then I had a thought. I needed to look up the company that makes the replacement gear. Headquarters Machine makes a replacement gear and they had the special washer and the correct gasket for the shaft. I had to remove the one lifter block to install the correct washer. But a small price to pay. It is coming along. All I have left is the Intake and exhaust manifolds. I can almost hear it running.
Thanks Wayne             

Mike Simmons 938

Folks- Just a reminder of what you might think obvious- the engine has 32 valve spring seats.  It is not uncommon for a block hot-tanked before being rebuilt to be  missing some-the ones that are held in the block by grease  (that go on the top of the springs). As I can testify, the first time one takes the valves  and springs out, you don't even notice that they didn't come out with the valves.  And the  freshly cleaned and machined block goes back together without them- and  nothing measures correctly after that. Unfortunately, the top and bottom seats have different part numbers, so be careful. 
Mike  Simmons CLC938

LaSalle5019

Hi Wayne,
I'm glad to see you are moving right along on your rebuild. Once you get these engines dialed in they run great and are incredibly smooth.  Check out the video of my 1939 LaSalle with a glass jar of water on the engine while I run it from idle to about 3000 rpm.

https://youtu.be/AQq5-7TFUwU

Now that I have a few thousand miles on the car and engine since rebuilding the engine and chassis, I figured it was time to stretch its legs so I took a 100 mile round trip on the highway. It just purrs at 70 mph. The Diamondback Radials helped a lot too as it rides and handles pretty well for an 82 year old.
Scott

Poncholover

Scott, that engine yours clearly does not have enough cam  ;D
I would love to see some dyno numbers on these engines.
Flattie Caddy

wheikkila

Wow Scott That thing sounds great! I hope mine sounds that good. Do you know how many rpms you turn at 60?
Thanks Wayne

The Tassie Devil(le)

The best way to calculate the revolutions at any speed is to use the Third Member gear ratio, Tyre rolling diameter, and do the sums.   The transmission will be in top gear, which is 1 to 1 in a Manual Transmission, or still 1 to 1 in an Auto, but with a bit of an allowance for the slippage of the fluid coupling.

But, an even better way is to temporarily connect up a tachometer to the engine, and install a GPS, and drive to the required speed, and then note the revolutions.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

wheikkila

I have installed a temporary tech. Just so I'm not over revving the engine in the first 1000 miles. I was just wondering.
      Thanks   Wayne

LaSalle5019

Quote from: Poncholover on October 19, 2021, 06:23:42 PM
Scott, that engine yours clearly does not have enough cam  ;D
I would love to see some dyno numbers on these engines.
I think this one has the cam you want (start at 1:40 to about 4:30 to get a feel for the set up):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEHHOSb0X-8&t=6s

Now check out the dyno run:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89rVb497_4c

LaSalle5019

Quote from: wheikkila on October 19, 2021, 06:49:14 PM
Wow Scott That thing sounds great! I hope mine sounds that good. Do you know how many rpms you turn at 60?
Thanks Wayne
Calculated, I'm running 2950 rpm at 70 mph. Next time I'm out I'll run a tach and my GPS. The Diamondback radials are 7.50-16 but are closer to a 7.25-16 and just a little taller than my original 7.00-16 BF Goodrich Silvertown bias ply tires. I measured the tire rolling radius using number of revolutions vs distance travelled over the course of about 100 feet.

wheikkila

Watching that supercharged flathead was awesome. But I think it is a little more then my La Salle needs.
             Thanks Wayne

wheikkila

UPDATE Over the last week I have been installing my new ignition, wires, and coil. My new switch on my start stand is bad and I need to replace it. I need to hook up some ground wires. But. I was able to get it to turn over. So I jumped power straight to the coil and poured gas in the carb. It busted right off. Ran for a second and quite. It was really exciting just to hear it pop off. It has been 3 years since it has made a sound. Maybe next week I will get it running with everything hooked up. More later
   Thanks Wayne     

wheikkila

One more update on my engine. I started my engine today. Wow does it sounds great. I ran it for about 15 minutes. It was very exciting. Right up to the point were the right side freeze plug blow out. In a way I was not surprised. It was the only one that was loose when I first pushed it into place. I have another one that I will put in. I will then continue the break in. I hope to have the engine installed within the next couple weeks.
                                Thanks Wayne       

toybox

 Hi Wayne, Don't let the freeze plug bum you out.  I bought them one size bigger and filed them down so they just taped in. Then almost flattened them as  Walts work bench recommended. For extra peace of mind I put a nice clean bead of JB weld around the edge After a nice road trip from Seattle to Gilmore Corners MI. for the Fall Festival with no issues I feel pretty confident about them. I hope you will love driving you flat head as much as we do.  Tim

wheikkila

I'm not. I found some inch and 3/4 brass plugs. I'm waiting for them to come in. So I came replace them all. I was Leary of them when I got them. They measured just under inch and 3/4. That was why I ran it in a run stand. To work out any issues before it went into the car.  I have run it some more even with the leaking plug. I have about 30 minutes of run time on it. I have to say. It is running great. If all goes well I should have it in the car in the middle of January. I'm very much looking forward to it.
                Thanks Wayne   

Poncholover

Tim ran a Flathead from WA to MI? You are my hero!
Flattie Caddy

toybox

    Ponchlover,  We averaged 17 mpg at 65-70 mph. You just don't get road fatigue in our car it's more like watching the world glide by. We stayed off the freeway when ever possible. No over heating , vapor locking or anything else I've heard about with these cars. One guy at the  festival agreed with me that the duel exhaust made all the difference. We can't wait to go on a long distance road trip next summer but not sure where yet.
                                                                                                                                                                  Tim