Alex D. Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I am getting ready to pull the V12 from a 1932 sedan for a major overhaul. I cannot find any procedures in the service manual so I am turning to the forums for advice on the dos and don’ts specifically for the V12. To start What would be the best location to attach a chain or strap to the block? Can the engine be pulled separate from the transmission or should they be pulled together? How is the enclosed driveshaft detached from the transmission? Thanks in advance for any advice on this project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Are you intending to do the rebuild yourself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex D. Posted June 7, 2016 Author Share Posted June 7, 2016 2 hours ago, Restorer32 said: Are you intending to do the rebuild yourself? That’s the plan… The car came to me out of 50 years of storage with a broken piston and a badly scored cylinder. I will have a local machine shop check for cracks, sleeve and re-bore the cylinders. The heads will be rebuilt with new valves and guides. I will need to find someone to re-Babbitt the bearings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Sounds to me that you and the local rebuilder do not have the skills to properly rebuild this engine. Don't want to offend, but a Caddy V-12 motor has no learning curve, trying to sleeve one is possible with skill, but it would be better to get a another motor for a core and spare parts. Do you realize what it costs to do Babbitt on that engine? And plan on spending at least 1500 for new Pistons. I would only use Aries or Ross, not the other junk currently offered for sale by some others. The car has a torque tube, also a problem area for Cadillac in 31 and 32, parts can be difficult to find, and the reproduction stuff is rather poor quaility. If sent to a professional shop I would expect that rebuild to run 75k. Factory shop manuals are available, but offer almost zero help. I would only recommend a pre war car motor builder with experience in multi Cylender motors, not a ford or Chevy guy, but someone who knows big cars. There are very few compentant shops left. The good ones will be busy and have a LONG waiting time. Not trying to be negative, just be careful of what you bite off. Good luck, Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex D. Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 I have rebuilt over a dozen different engines beside Ford and Chevy’s but no V12 Cadillacs. The Machine shop I use does have some experience on prewar engines and said he might be able to sleeve that block. Once the engine is pulled and the true condition is determined will be a deciding factor on the direction I will take. I will not spend $75,000.00 on a rebuild of that engine! I was looking on the Egge web site at pistons but will also check out Aries and Ross. Can you be more specific on the problem area of the torque tube? I know I am taking off a big bite, but I can’t just let the car sit and do nothing with it. If I find the motor beyond repair I will pass it on to the next person and they can part it or street rod it or whatever. Thanks for your input Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 I'm sending you my cell number by PM, call me between 7 and 9 eastern time tonight. Ed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex D. Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 I received some good advice from edinmass that makes a lot of sense for the direction that I want to take with this car. Here are a couple of pictures of the project. Notice the missing piston Alex D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 Ed always has good advice! I notice the missing piston, also looks like the connecting rod is broken? Wonderful car, I hope your plan works out for it, too rare and desirable of a car to street rod of course, needs restoration but that's going to take a lot of checkbook signatures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 What a great car. I feel for your situation as Ed is speaking the truth on the cost of the engine rebuild. The "special"engines of the 1930s: Duesenberg, Marmon V16, Packard V16, Caddy V12/V16, etc are really really expensive to do. You can cut corners but it will come back to bite you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 My Stutz engine is only a straight 8 with an overhead cam and I will have 35-40k in to that when it is all done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Wright Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 On 6/22/2016 at 8:04 AM, alsancle said: What a great car. I feel for your situation as Ed is speaking the truth on the cost of the engine rebuild. The "special"engines of the 1930s: Duesenberg, Marmon V16, Packard V16, Caddy V12/V16, etc are really really expensive to do. You can cut corners but it will come back to bite you. Packard made a V-16? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 9 hours ago, Morgan Wright said: Packard made a V-16? A slight typo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herm111 Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 On 6/7/2016 at 10:06 AM, Alex D. said: I am getting ready to pull the V12 from a 1932 sedan for a major overhaul. I cannot find any procedures in the service manual so I am turning to the forums for advice on the dos and don’ts specifically for the V12. To start What would be the best location to attach a chain or strap to the block? Can the engine be pulled separate from the transmission or should they be pulled together? How is the enclosed driveshaft detached from the transmission? Thanks in advance for any advice on this project. Alex, If you want a perfect job on you engine, contact J & M Machine Co., In Southborough, Ma. Phone 508-460-0733, They also have a real nice web site, under J & M Machine Co. All should look at it. They do the engines that no one else will, or even should touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex D. Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 1 year has passed . The motor has been pulled and taken to a machine shop. The heads have magnafluxed for cracks and are good. The crankcase, crank and rods have been sent to a shop in Pittsburgh for re-babbiting and should be done shortly. The machine shop will install one sleeve in the bad cylinder, bore and install new pistons. The cam shaft will need reground due to pitting from moisture. We will then move on to the heads with new valves and guides. After the machine work is completed the engine will be returned to me for final assembly. I have just started researching gasket sets for this engine. I have found sets from Olson and Egge. Does anyone have a recommendation on a source for gasket set? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hidden_hunter Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 3 hours ago, Alex D. said: 1 year has passed . The motor has been pulled and taken to a machine shop. The heads have magnafluxed for cracks and are good. The crankcase, crank and rods have been sent to a shop in Pittsburgh for re-babbiting and should be done shortly. The machine shop will install one sleeve in the bad cylinder, bore and install new pistons. The cam shaft will need reground due to pitting from moisture. We will then move on to the heads with new valves and guides. After the machine work is completed the engine will be returned to me for final assembly. I have just started researching gasket sets for this engine. I have found sets from Olson and Egge. Does anyone have a recommendation on a source for gasket set? Given the prices are almost identical, I suspect Egge sources from Olsens for some vehicles - Olsen's are quick and have good service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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