Jump to content

The Car Which Shall Not Be Named III (1935 Lincoln K)


Recommended Posts

1 hour ago, franklinman said:

Just received the info on the set-up from Matt today. I’ve already ordered the pump and will pick up the necessary fittings and tubing tonight to put one together for a current project. By dumb luck I mentioned what I was planning to a buddy that stopped by the shop today and he offered me a new unopened 5 gal bucket of evapo rust he had leftover from a recent project. Wow, sometimes things just work out. Sort of scares me though. Looking forward to seeing how clean I can get this block!


Ne sure to see my post on the White .........I bought the same pump and heater Matt did. Pump failed after 7 hours.....junk and not repairable...........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bought mine from Amazon like Matt......made a noise like a cement mixer......and went bad fast. Checked out Grainger, they had the same pump for three times the money.......168 bucks. Found the same pump at Harbor Fright, which I hate, but am in a hurry, so we bought one there........much better. Quiet, smooth, and no problems........it was 62 dollars. Be sure to buy GOOD heavy hoses, as when the fluid gets hot, the hose gets soft, and will collapse under suction....another headache I had to deal with. Green regular hose will not cut it......the harbor fright pump is green, the Amazon unit was black...you can see both of them below.......

0E76D3F4-5361-4DB6-9440-3D779FE03C23.jpegNotice the green pump no longer is using the green hose....

D3032ED6-4451-413F-92A2-7FA4319F39B6.jpeg

96F6C6E4-C325-45D6-AC0C-690044394943.jpeg

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, edinmass said:

Bought mine from Amazon like Matt......made a noise like a cement mixer......and went bad fast. Checked out Grainger, they had the same pump for three times the money.......168 bucks. Found the same pump at Harbor Fright, which I hate, but am in a hurry, so we bought one there........much better. Quiet, smooth, and no problems........it was 62 dollars. Be sure to buy GOOD heavy hoses, as when the fluid gets hot, the hose gets soft, and will collapse under suction....another headache I had to deal with. Green regular hose will not cut it......the harbor fright pump is green, the Amazon unit was black...you can see both of them below.......

0E76D3F4-5361-4DB6-9440-3D779FE03C23.jpegNotice the green pump no longer is using the green hose....

D3032ED6-4451-413F-92A2-7FA4319F39B6.jpeg

96F6C6E4-C325-45D6-AC0C-690044394943.jpeg

 

Dang, I'm sorry Ed. I feel responsible. Mine worked for like two weeks straight on the Lincoln and another week on the Buick and the only failure was the rubber impeller, which I suspect was due to the temperature of the liquid and it softened the glue holding it to the bushing. Heck, I even throttled it a bit so it was working against a deadhead and it's still ready to go on the next one. However, as an inexpensive Chinese pump, I did have low expectations. I'm just sorry that yours crapped itself and you wasted money based on my advice. Sorry about that, but I'm glad the replacement is working properly. Maybe you just got a bad one and it can be returned? 

 

Glad to see it's cleaning out the sludge and junk. There will still be a lot in there to fish out with a magnet and maybe some wire brushes, but I'm more confident in the Lincoln's cooling passages now than I was before and the Buick came out like new.

 

Sorry about the pump, but I'm glad you're in-process and moving forward.

 

PS: I found out the same way you did that regular hoses would not work. I finally used washing machine hoses from Home Depot. About 5 feet long, reinforced so they won't collapse, female couplers at both ends, and color-coded, all for about $15. That's the hot ticket.

 

 

Edited by Matt Harwood (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, edinmass said:

Could have used the hose advice in advance! You hosed me! No worries on the pump.....It’s not the extra thirty bucks......it’s the chasing around locating another close by. Also the mess from the leak.......fortunately we caught it quickly. As you know, it’s all in the details......my Home Depot bucket starts getting soft at 160 degrees.......it won’t melt, but it is on the edge of distorting. Matt.....the Amazon pump is already boxed up and returned.......easy as pie. Fortunately I kept thr box and packing. I spent a little extra in hope that the next time I need it I won’t need to chase anything down..........this is the third one I have made over the years.........will do the radiator soon.

 

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok Ed, I went out to Home Depot and got all the hoses and fittings to put this beast together (I hope). That last piece of the puzzle is the heater. What are you using and how warm/hot does it really need to get to maximize the cleaning action? Do you guys let the system run 24 hours/day? Finally, and I know this question will probably open a whole other can of worms, but now that we will have nice clean rads and blocks what is the best coolant in your experience? I’ve been hearing/reading a lot about the waterless stuff (like the stuff Leno seems to like) but have never tried it. I’ve always used the traditional 50/50 mix of the green stuff and can’t say i’ve Had any real problems but if the newer stuff has a legitiment benifit I wouldn’t be averse to trying it. Just interested in your opinion and experiences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Go to Amazon and type in bucket heater......it's the yellow one......... not too many choices. You must use heat to get it to work better/faster. Otherwise you can just pit it in the car and drive as long as your not pushing or leaking water. Yes, you can run it 24 hours a day....we run ours 8 hours a day to thermocycle it.......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I run the pre 1994 regular green antifreeze. If I were in a never freeze zone, I would run water with cutting oil. Often when working on a car, I just run water and cutting oil until I’m done dealing with all the issues. Cutting oil washes off with water and won’t damage paint. If the car overheats, pushes water, or spits out the top it’s an easy clean up till you get thr car to behave. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks again Ed. That’s about what we’ve been doing for years as well. No sense in changing things at this point. Sorry to have bothered you so much while you are busy with the White. I envy you that car. It reminds me so much of the original 1913 Jeffrey 6-cylinder touring I had many years back. Best of luck with it. Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

We've been doing some soul-searching here at the Harwood Compound regarding our old cars, including the Lincoln. Melanie, of course, supports whatever I choose to do (remarkable, but true) but I always consult her simply for her wisdom and the fact that she often sees things that I do not. I've been frustrated by the lack of progress on our old cars over the winter months and I made the excuse that we were remodeling the basement so that took all my time.

 

001.thumb.jpg.9257447d798ba8bd41e02c231a88e2dd.jpg  840550352_2021-02-2417_50_03.thumb.jpg.141c208e9f8fd94067620d15d3f32969.jpg  42665024_2021-02-2416_52_59.thumb.jpg.a4c915f2dc5a9e32edbfcc95d3e02468.jpg

 

Then Melanie pointed out that maybe I remodeled the basement to avoid dealing with cars.

 

Hmmmm...

 

She might be right, there. I have a list of projects on the windshields of each of my cars that I hope to get done during the winter, and didn't touch any of them. I was just too burned out--old cars keep stabbing me in the back and I grow weary of their assholishness. The Buick Limited needs little detail stuff like weather seals and sound insulation, but nothing that will keep it from being ready to run whenever we need it. The '29 Cadillac needed a new fuel system and fresh fluids after sitting for two years, so I tackled that last week and it's done. Now I don't have any excuses not to work on the Lincoln. It's still my goal to have it ready for the Lincoln 100th anniversary in August. I've been working behind the scenes and have a lot done--there's a fresh clutch, rebuilt starter, generator, fuel pump, and water pump, and a lot of refinished parts on the shelf. 

 

We've been doing some talking and have--reluctantly--decided to sell the '29 Cadillac. I haven't driven it in two years and found I didn't really miss it. I felt badly for it just sitting there getting old and while I could rationalize the fact that it doesn't cost me anything to have it sit there, I realized that it's money that could do some good elsewhere, either in the business or the Lincoln or even another car that I've been wanting (I bought a '67 Eldorado for myself a few months ago but quickly decided not to keep it and sold it). So with the Cadillac in top health again, I've decided to sell it. If anyone looking here is interested, price should be somewhere in the $30s and it's a reliable, sorted, correct tour car that looks great.

 

20140712_174302_Android.thumb.jpg.cf378888523a2f031661c5676017c927.jpg

 

Making that decision seemed to clear my mind and that's how I know it was the right one. So today, after flushing the Cadillac's cooling system and filling it with fresh coolant, I went back to work on the Lincoln's engine. The plan is to get the engine fit, clean, detailed, and back in the car as quickly as possible, then focus on wiring, plumbing, reassembly, and sorting. 

 

Today, the first step was to remove the oil pan. Easy enough and it came off without a fight. There's a screen sandwiched between the pan and the block and it's in good shape overall. The oil pickup tube has to be removed before the screen will come down, so I did that first.

 

4-3-21-2.thumb.jpg.40b5cf3ff4ae44fd4c6dfc4b74845308.jpg  4-3-21-1.thumb.jpg.a2dc05a1aa054cb9bb7318935e00aca5.jpg

Oil pan is a mess but easy enough to clean out the sludge. Screen is in good shape.

 

4-3-21-3.thumb.jpg.00efcfdddcee440fe38d22a73b64a5b6.jpg
Hello, hitchhiker. Stray nut on the screen.
Where'd it come from? No idea.

 

4-3-21-4.thumb.jpg.1bc9850de6f81a72ea921ced4c75f782.jpg  4-3-21-10.thumb.jpg.dce497c12ad93b7453b972f3357dac62.jpg
Oil pump is MASSIVE. Like three times the size of the one in the Buick 320. It

connects to a beautifully made 1/2" copper pipe manifold that feeds the main

bearings first then channels oil to the rest of the engine.

 

 

The oil pump came out easily after removing just two bolts. Although the engine had good oil pressure, I think that now is the time to rebuild it just to be sure. Does anyone have any recommendations for a shop for rebuilding an oil pump?

 

Looking at the bottom end of the engine, it is far, far cleaner than I expected, especially after seeing the mess in the oil pan. It was rebuilt at some point in the past (pistons are marked .030) and the mains and rod ends are in excellent shape. Everything is still bright and shiny with correct castle nuts on the rod ends. Rods are clean and the undersides of the pistons and lower skirts look great. It sure looks like it was done right. Was it? I have to hope it was.

 

A brief digression...

 

A few months ago, we sold a Jeep with a very expensive restoration, including what the seller represented as a rebuilt engine. It ran great and looked fresh, so we took his word for it (why wouldn't we?). The new owner got it home and decided to fix an oil pan leak and while the oil pan was off he did what many of us would do--pull a few main caps and have a look. What he found was that the engine had not been rebuilt and it was still running original bearings. Not that they were failing because the thing ran great, but they weren't the brand new bearings that a rebuilt engine would have, either. And now that he had found old, scored bearings he couldn't put it back together and the engine was no longer able to run. We fought for a few months over this situation--we sold him a running, driving Jeep and by his own actions, he rendered the engine inoperable. But after all, we did tell him it was a rebuilt engine. We eventually settled on a solution and we're busily suing the guy who used to own the Jeep. It sucks.

 

So why do I bring this up? Well, it has always been my intention to pull the mains and check all the important clearances with PlastiGage. It's what responsible mechanics do. But after that Jeep fiasco, I'm hesitant to open up the bearings. I don't know what I'll find, although I believe they'll be OK. For now, I've decided to leave everything buttoned up and hope for the best. Only time will tell if it's a mistake and quite honestly, it doesn't really change anything. If I need to rebuild the engine, I need to rebuild the engine. So let's hope for the best (especially since Dale Adams is dead and he was my go-to guy for rebuilding this engine). 

 

4-3-21-5.thumb.jpg.cde88b346f92c67410599d5791bf69f7.jpg 4-3-21-6.thumb.jpg.8af4be85e5a18111cbbe82037b209e7e.jpg 4-3-21-7.thumb.jpg.e7cc6f53841bf86d4fd356174acb48b9.jpg

 

4-3-21-8.thumb.jpg.4993e478ea957fea1699d46d316dd48d.jpg

Bottom end looks clean and properly assembled. I don't want

to risk taking it apart. Look at those rods!

 

OK, so I have the oil pan slurry draining into the oil drum, I have the oil pump in a box ready to be rebuilt, and the next step is get this whole grungy thing cleaned and degreased. I hosed it down with some degreasing foam and let it soak, working it into all the nooks and crannies with a toothbrush. Suck work, but that's the only way to get it clean. I mixed up a super concentrated bottle of Dawn and sprayed that into the corners and kept working on the grunge. No photos of this, it's not terribly interesting, but it needs to be clean so I can paint the crankcase and blocks. I'm also going to try to remove the pulley on the front of the engine, as well as the front cover to check out the timing chain. I can see it through the bottom end and it looks clean, but now is the time to find out whether it's loose. Replacements are available ($400!) and I guess I should find out whether I'll be spending that money. I also want to powdercoat the pulley and the front cover gloss black, so it needs to come off. 

 

Here's the front of the engine and the pulley. Do you think it's OK to turn the engine over using that bolt there in the middle? This engine does not have a crankshaft pulley or bolt, this is the only place I can grab it to turn it with a wrench. I'd like to turn it over a few times and make sure that the piston rings and valves are still limber after two years of sitting and running water and Evapo-Rust through it. Should I put a 1.5 inch socket on there and start turning with a breaker bar? Yea or nay?

 

4-3-21-9.thumb.jpg.ad4cc8ab767466249bb4f5f64f892f45.jpg

Can I use that bolt on the pulley to turn over the engine?

 

More cleaning tomorrow, then I'll gather up a second round of parts to go to the powdercoater and start aiming towards painting the crankcase and blocks.

 

 

Edited by Matt Harwood (see edit history)
  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do not turn the motor over with the bolt. Been there, done that, bad news. 
 

Your oil pump is fine, they almost never wear. You can sometimes tighten them up, depending on the design. 
 

Either take the entire engine down, or stop now. Oil lines and galleries usually have dirt and plaque in them.....so, you either take the thing all the way down, or stop before you get in too deep. If you need mains or cam bearings, you won’t make the meet. Clean the engine and pan internally as much as possible, then button it up. When starting the engine, run it for five minute with five weight in it. Dump it as soon as it’s hot. Then run 10 in in for an hour. Dump it again while hot. Then go to straight 30. 
 

Do the chain if it need it. Do all the accessories. You want to be finished by June, so you can have enough time to sort it and get 1000 miles on it. If the car will do 1000 it will do 50, you just have to sort it as fast as possible. 
 

Thought on your Cadillac. Hold on to it for now. I have my reasons, but won’t post them in the open. We can talk on the phone. Best, Ed

 

Should be back in the city in six or eight weeks.

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

More busywork on Sunday with degreasing the engine block and crankcase, cleaning the tops of the pistons, and oiling the cylinders so they stay limber in preparation for use. I rolled the engine outside so I could really get after the grunge all over it. Soak it with degreaser, hose it off gently (keep water out of the cylinders and valves!), then repeat. Blast it with the air gun to get all the water out of the nooks and crannies, then hose it down liberally with brake cleaner to get any oil that may be left and displace any water still clinging to it. Let it sit in the sun to really dry out.

 

4-4-21-6.jpg.7a9cfd1c08ad14c1052ec32884f90a31.jpg
Engine is pretty grungy--and this is after I tried cleaning

up the crankcase with a Scotchbrite wheel

 

4-4-21-4.jpg.6cde5de6413cdc6181eada61ee76ec4b.jpg
Debris screen cleaned up nicely.

 

Then I used some brake cleaner and a small bristle brush to gently clean the carbon off the pistons, then filled them with about a teaspoon of MMO (which I continue to believe is just ATF or hydraulic oil) and cycled the engine by turning it using a couple of studs in the crank and a long chunk of aluminum (don't worry, I didn't use the big bolt on the cam pulley--I removed that first thing in the morning). Then I realized I should probably clean up the deck surfaces, so I sopped up the excess MMO, cleaned the deck and valves with a Scotchbrite pad, then used a rag soaked in MMO to wipe down the cylinder walls. No scoring, no ridges, no signs of distress. All the pistons are marked .030, so obviously the pistons and rings are newer and the cylinders have been borned and honed. I believe this engine does not have many miles since the rebuild but perhaps a lot of time given the slurry that I found in the oil pan. The pistons and cylinders are in very good condition, the engine turns over easily, and the MMO did not seep past the rings so they seem to have a good seal. I am very optimistic that it will be healthy when it goes back together.

 

4-4-21-3.jpg.61c1d866a61aeaf7b9f0c8376b4ed3d0.jpg
Cleaned off the piston tops then soaked them in Marvel
Mystery Oil while I turned the engine over gently.

 

4-4-21-1.jpg.6bb4f87a189e48198ccafa23a18d2c03.jpg  4-4-21-2.jpg.2b15793db772f604407513ce4fbead3b.jpg
Scrubbed the deck surfaces with a Scotchbrite pad, then degreased everything

with brake cleaner one last time.

 

4-4-21-5.jpg.96915c662081e065ace545a372a79286.jpg
With the machined surfaces clean, I started masking

the engine in preparation for priming and paint.
Blocks will be gloss black, crankcase will be silver.
First step is a self-etching primer over the whole thing.

 

Engine1.jpg.c7df4c69f466c5d1c3ef2fffb107151f.jpg  Eng--Aa--8.jpg.29727acd58feb622866305db1866408b.jpg

All the high-end restorations seem to paint the crankcase
rather than leave it raw. Getting it clean and even-looking

seems like an impossible job, no matter how much time

you have to waste.

 

Later today I'm going to make a brace to support the bottom of the crankcase while I remove the front cover. I want to get it powdercoated gloss black and inspect the timing chain inside. Having it off the front of the engine will also make painting the crankcase easier. There appears to be a felt seal around the pulley shaft that I'll try to replace, and there are rubber bushings in the engine mounts, so I'll press those out and see about some replacements since these have started to disintegrate. Should be easy enough to find some high-durometer rubber bushings the right size.

 

Oil pan is soaking with some Chem-Tool in it to dissolve the sludge so I can dispose of it properly. I haven't decided if I want to paint or powdercoat the oil pan. Paint seems to make the most sense just to make the job easier but powder will be a lot more durable. However, I do not want to sandblast the oil pan and risk even a grain of sand staying in there. I'll probably clean it with a wire wheel and prime and paint it with the same paint I'm using on the blocks. We'll see.

 

I'm also wondering if maybe I should lap the valves? Some sources say you only do that to check to be sure they're concentric, others say it helps clean up the seats. These valves and seats appear to be in good order, the valves are new, but as long as I'm in there I thought maybe I should do it. Does anyone have any thoughts?

 

This morning I ordered a new wiring harness from Rhode Island Wiring (boy, that was expensive!) and will be sending out the speedometer and transmission adapter to have a new speedometer cable made. Of course Lincoln used a unique cable, not the usual square-end type. Why should that part be easy?

 

  • Like 12
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't get as much done tonight as I'd hoped just because re-engineering my engine stand took longer than expected. I had to get the front cover off, which meant removing the front engine mounts, which meant removing the front stand that holds up half the engine. This V12 is much too long and heavy to be supported by one stand so I needed a support up front to take the place of that front stand. No problem, just some 2x4s to prop it up and keep it steady while I paint the block.

 

Once that was in place, I removed the 22 nuts that hold the front cover in place then gently pried it away from the crankcase. It came off without much of a fight. There's a little spring-loaded button that holds the drive pulley for the generator in place, and that shot across the shop as I removed it, but I found the part and bagged it. I didn't expect that. Inside, the timing system is a work of art. Like everything on the bottom end of this engine, it's ridiculously over-built. Check out that massive three-row chain, the little oil galleys for each of the pulleys, the auto-tensioner on the idler, and the safety wire on the cam gear. I was led to believe there would be a fiber gear like on a Model A or V8 Ford, but these are all steel and in like-new condition. Nice! 

 

4-5-21-5.jpg.7f8c6879c3848ba81ee81f703f17896d.jpg  4-5-21-1.jpg.7874e9302567b2ac2d68f596247dd7ed.jpg  4-5-21-4.jpg.0ba9bd912e39ce3a52ef001bc2faae9e.jpg

Holy cow, the timing assembly inside this Lincoln is ROBUST!

 

I was concerned that maybe the timing chain would need to be replaced but now that I've seen it, I don't think so. There's about 3/4-inch of play in the chain but once there's oil pressure, the idler should take care of it. Looking closely at the chain and the cam gear, there's virtually zero wear, lending more credence to the idea that the engine was rebuilt a while ago but doesn't have a lot of miles on it. I'm glad I looked but I'm equally glad that I don't have to spend the $400-700 for a new timing chain. 

 

4-5-21-2.jpg.209d8f8ce6b212e325b5cb31f4b9e0f0.jpg  4-5-21-3.jpg.c8113130190dafc891ae23512eeb2977.jpg
A little slack, but the idler uses oil pressure to keep it taut. It looks almost new.

 

4-5-21-6.jpg.93cf7f244f43bb36ba328dd45bfff5b4.jpg

Gear teeth are in excellent shape with almost

zero wear and nice, tight fit. 

 

Tomorrow I'll clean up the front cover in the blast cabinet and gather up another load of parts for the powdercoater's shop.

  • Like 13
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Matt. Looks like you’re making some headway on that Lincoln. Did you do a compression check before you tore it down? I know when I went into mine I figured I’m this far I’m gonna pull the valves and do a valve job I had one valve that was bent so bad I didn’t know how it was sealing, barely maybe. All of my cylinders are now up to 100 to 118 pounds. I think it’s worth doing while you’re there I hate to say that, I don’t know if you can do it yourself or not. I have a machine and have done them before so and it’s a miserable job in the car. If the Engine is out of the car and on a stand it should be fairly easy. Just a thought, may not be necessary if you did a compression check before and it looked good.

Lynn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/3/2021 at 5:57 PM, Matt Harwood said:

We've been doing some soul-searching here at the Harwood Compound regarding our old cars, including the Lincoln. Melanie, of course, supports whatever I choose to do (remarkable, but true) but I always consult her simply for her wisdom and the fact that she often sees things that I do not. I've been frustrated by the lack of progress on our old cars over the winter months and I made the excuse that we were remodeling the basement so that took all my time.

 

001.thumb.jpg.9257447d798ba8bd41e02c231a88e2dd.jpg  840550352_2021-02-2417_50_03.thumb.jpg.141c208e9f8fd94067620d15d3f32969.jpg  42665024_2021-02-2416_52_59.thumb.jpg.a4c915f2dc5a9e32edbfcc95d3e02468.jpg

 

 

I bet nailing up, taping & painting the sheetrock, laying the laminate floor and installing the new cabinets was far easier than trying to find and make room elsewhere for all those items that had to be moved in the first photo!

 

Craig

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

I bet nailing up, taping & painting the sheetrock, laying the laminate floor and installing the new cabinets was far easier than trying to find and make room elsewhere for all those items that had to be moved in the first photo!

 

Craig

 

Yeah, there was a pretty significant trash pile...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, AB-Buff said:

Hi Matt. Looks like you’re making some headway on that Lincoln. Did you do a compression check before you tore it down? I know when I went into mine I figured I’m this far I’m gonna pull the valves and do a valve job I had one valve that was bent so bad I didn’t know how it was sealing, barely maybe. All of my cylinders are now up to 100 to 118 pounds. I think it’s worth doing while you’re there I hate to say that, I don’t know if you can do it yourself or not. I have a machine and have done them before so and it’s a miserable job in the car. If the Engine is out of the car and on a stand it should be fairly easy. Just a thought, may not be necessary if you did a compression check before and it looked good.

Lynn

 

I did not check compression at first, unfortunately. I was just writing the car off at that point, so being objective wasn't really on the to-do list. The valves are new and the seats look good, and I'm not sure I want to start tearing it apart even more at this point.I might lap the valves but a full valve job probably isn't going to happen. Moving the engine, finding someone willing to do it assembled, putting everything back together again, I'm not sure the risk:reward equation works out right. I don't know, now it's in my head and I'll regret it later if it needs to be done. Maybe when I take my heads to the machine shop to be decked, I guess I'll ask them about it.

 

I did order the ARP studs and washers like you used. Like you said, expensive, but it's cheap insurance. Why risk it?

 

 

Edited by Matt Harwood (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matt

It sounds like you took a peek at them and if they look good you will be OK, I could tell on mine they were not doing a good job, I think over 50% of them were leaking a bit so I just did it.  It is a lousy job for an older man to do in the car, It took me a while, I have a crappy back and it wasn't happy. 

On the heads, if they are not badly eroded around the water ports and if you have access to a hot water parts washer they will be OK.  I will attached a photo of what they look like inside, just flush a lot of water through them.  They can be eroded a little , place a head gasket on them and if it sits on good metal you are fine.  If I lived closer I would help you put it together.  Anything I can do to help let me know.  One other thought when you wash them ion a parts washer it takes the shine off them so they need to be polished again, if they were in good shape some poling compound with a foam buffing pad works great.

Lynn

The heads are cut right down the center with it sitting on it's edge, this is one of Ernie Fosters cast heads, from what I can tell and see inside the originals are made the same, makes since.

Decker_IMG_5786.JPG

Decker_IMG_5787.JPG

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cleaned up the front cover, pulley, and a few other parts to send them to the powdercoater tomorrow. Had to pull a felt seal from the front cover and I'm reasonably certain I can find a replacement. Looking at the photo of my gasket kit from Olson's, it looks like it might be included. I'll open up the package tomorrow and see if it's in there and fits. Otherwise, I'm sure I can find one.

 

4-6-21-3.jpg.fa7a38aed1f886f2e0959e06da87ebe0.jpg
Fresh parts ready to get some gloss black powdercoat.

 

4-6-21-2.jpg.00b6bc76cdf8497c7d8087c62e45475f.jpg  4-6-21-4.jpg.bfb6c00c744189c93421d9a5e8305a78.jpg

The felt oil seal for the camshaft pulley. Any idea where I might find one?

 

GasketSet.jpg.4675d80e05e9a17a46b0ad3b012e7c9e.jpg

I have a full gasket set from Olson's. Is that the seal (arrow)?
I'll have to look.

 

Likewise, I need to find some fresh rubber bushings for the front engine mounts. I pressed them out today and they came out without a fight. They're pretty hard and deformed, so I'd like to replace them. They measure about 1-5/8 in diameter and about that long as well, with a 1/2-inch metal sleeve through the middle. I've found a few leaf spring bushings that are roughly that size if I can cut them to length. They're surprisingly soft rubber, too, not hard crumbly rubber, and I assume that's to help quell vibrations. Does anyone have any thoughts on where I might be able to find replacements?

 

4-6-21-1.jpg.655ac6ffa415d9d1b3caab465c8708ea.jpg  4-6-21-5.jpg.2a4ac36e5678451cff5086e72db0c0d4.jpg

Front engine mounts use these rubber bushings with metal inserts. I have not
found replacements yet. Any suggestions?

 

 

Edited by Matt Harwood (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In a conversation with Ray Theriault I mentioned if there were any replacements for the front shock, he mentioned that usually nobody changes them. But to me they look like shock rubbers mounts.  I would be willing to bet you could find something close in a shock absorber rubber mount. 1940 Bantam uses a couple of rubber mounts like that for the rear mounts that are the same as shock absorbers. I’ll look tomorrow and measure them to see if they’re close.

L

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A rubber supply house can provide material of the right durometer to machine and press the sleeve in. The felt seal is probably something you will have to make up. On Pierce covers, we remove the internal plate, spin up a ring on the lathe, weld it in, and run a modern seal. Over the years we did so many, we started to sell them exchange with a new seal and ready to paint. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Found the felt oil seal in my gasket kit. Nice!

 

4-7-21-1.jpg.6f4c66f5572725262f3484eb1b541612.jpg

 

A few more parts to sandblast and clean before going to the powdercoater, so I did that and threw a bunch of hardware into the tumbler to clean them up. Earlier in the day, I ordered a new wiring harness from Rhode Island Wiring and was told it would take 10-12 weeks. Yikes! That'll be cutting it close for the early August show. Hopefully that's worst-case, but they didn't exactly fill me with confidence when they said, "Call us in 10 weeks to remind us to get busy on it." They're the only game in town for this harness, though. Fingers crossed.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm very eager to get to the more enjoyable stages of this project, which is making things shiny and reinstalling them. Unfortunately, there's one obstacle in my way that I've been avoiding for more than a year. Back when the head studs all broke and I was at my most miserable, our former mechanic, Dr. Francini, decided to show me how easy it would be to remove them. He grabbed a 1/4-inch drill bit, a cordless, drill, and promptly broke off the drill bit in one of the broken studs. The studs were hard enough to remove, but hardened tool steel drill bits? Ugh. So I put it off and pretended it wasn't there. The rest are out, there are threaded inserts (Time-Serts) in the damaged holes, but this is the one I was dreading.

 

Well, no time like the present. If I want to paint the engine, that accursed stud has to come out. I didn't take many photos since looking at a hole isn't particularly interesting. I bought a special drill bit designed to pulverize hardened steel and chucked it into my die grinder and it did indeed slowly eat away at the remains of the drill bit. After about an hour of grinding, I broke through to the softer stud metal underneath. Then I used standard drill bits to gradually enlarge the hole (which was slow going because the drill bit was still in there). Unfortunately, I discovered that not only was Francini's bit broken, but it was crooked, so I couldn't make a round hole--it was slightly oblong. I eventually got all the drill bit out of there and used the Time-Sert bit to drill an appropriately-sized hole, which went OK. Then I used the special counter-sink tool which acted squirrely and seemed to make a spiral rather than a round counter-sink around the hole. Craps. I pressed on, tapped the hole, and installed a Time-Sert with some red Lok-Tite. It looks crappy and I'm not sure I trust this one so I may install one of the junk heads and torque it to see if it'll hold. I don't want failure to come when I'm trying to do final assembly.

 

4-10-21-1.jpg.4ad47d179c78ac9a91c74827967c7d34.jpg

Time-Sert installed but it doesn't fill me with confidence.
I'm not proud of the work but this hole fought me from

start to finish.

 

Oh, and I broke a stud on the front cover the other night because I'm too stupid to learn from previous mistakes and decided to remove them to make painting and cleaning easier. Remarkably, this was the only stud on this entire engine where I successfully welded a nut to it and extracted it with a wrench. Part of that is surely due to the fact that it was a press-in stud, not threaded. I hope I can find another one (I bet my friends at the Canton Classic Car Museum have one I can use) but if not, I'll tap it and use a threaded stud. 

 

4-10-21-6.jpg.f84632c205133287b74133c61649dc17.jpg  4-10-21-5.jpg.3bd95c0d8b3655f90c07ade2f257af4b.jpg
First time on this engine that welding a nut to a broken stud resulted in a 

successful extraction. I'll take it.

 

While I was working, I found a third serial number stamped on the crankcase, for a total of three. They're all on the same chunk of aluminum, so it's not like parts could get switched. But one doesn't match--two are K5790 and one is K4223. K4223 is the car number and how it is titled. So why two numbers? I don't know but I suspect that the main number, K4223, is a re-stamp, which means this is not the car's original engine. I don't really get hung up on matching numbers, especially not on cars of this vintage, but that's kind of a bummer. It may have an impact on the car's value in the future, depending on how a future buyer feels about matching numbers. I don't think it would have changed my decision to buy it (hole in the block notwithstanding) but it's a bit of a disappointment nonetheless.

 

4-10-21-2.jpg.94633b7efe51842a5088ff60201ce187.jpg  4-10-21-4.jpg.eda3b7ff96916af779f5fb3a32969d2e.jpg  4-10-21-3.jpg.1a8b9fc589d882d27c5843755cf4fe28.jpg

All three of these numbers are stamped on the crankcase. The third one I believe

to be a re-stamp, suggesting this isn't the car's original engine.

 

Tomorrow more cleaning, some masking, and hopefully a coat of primer on the engine.

 

Edited by Matt Harwood (see edit history)
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matt.........I don’t think I would be happy with that repair either. Hard to say what the best avenue is without actually seeing it in person. Maybe a stitch repair would be an option. Just what you wanted to hear. The try it without the engine installed is the way to go. I would probably test it to 15 pounds over the called for regular torque. If it holds there, then I think it may be a gamble you can try...........but I’m guessing another R&R will bum you out. I think a certain fix even if it causes a delay is best. Maybe a few other eyes would be helpful.

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Two people have sent me PMs asking how I removed the broken studs from the engine--I described the process in one of the old threads and I regret that the information was lost. While this isn't necessarily the best or only way to do it, it's what worked for me. The key ingredient is patience more than anything else. And you need to be prepared with a back-up plan when the hole is damaged so badly that the original threads can't be saved. Whether you're using heli-coils or the Time-Serts that I prefer (and described a few pages ago), it will be part of the deal. It is incredibly difficult to remove broken studs that have welded themselves to the threads without damaging the threads themselves.

 

The most critical part of removing studs is drilling them out through the exact center. Then you gradually enlarge the hole with successively larger drill bits (reverse drill bits can sometimes help back out the studs but I've never had it happen). If you do it correctly, you can gently pry the paper-thin remains of the stud off the threads or clean the threads with a thread chaser. If you're lucky and careful, you can save the original threads. If you're good, that happens about 40% of the time.

 

Bolt1.jpg.d212fd41afd76c79ae21b4584c0182ed.jpg
Here's the starting point: stud broken off at deck surface.
You might be able to use the weld-a-nut-to-it trick,

but I've rarely been successful with that one.

 

Hole5.jpg.bc37e9038076e0bfd9261f0f95241b6e.jpg

Once nice thing about Lincolns is that the same guys who

designed the Model A designed them. As a result, I was

able to buy this bushing with a reverse drill bit from a Model

A supplier. By using a spare cylinder head bolted in place, the

bushing guides the drill bit down the center of the bolt hole,

theoretically saving the threads. Sometimes it worked,

leaving a nice hole.  Sometimes it didn't work, leaving option 2...

 

Bolt7.jpg.dc5c97196e690a8ae3f0a199349cf0a7.jpg  TransferPunch2.jpg.ee203c77e175068dc3f93e3e0065fe89.jpg
Option 2 is to use a transfer punch to create a pilot hole in the center of the

stud. Again, having a spare cylinder head helps and it's critical that the punch be

exactly the same size as the hole. If you're going to have a chance to save

the threads, there is only one center.

 

Hole66.jpg.0997bdc2b141f411538fbb11c1c03f01.jpg

Transfer punch gives you a nice pilot hole in the center.

 

Hole4.jpg.56f3139df6fa7bc237c28f932f2bc79c.jpg  1720843955_2019-04-2813_30_39.jpg.8ad13ac256478dfc1e43d032fb2c2c40.jpg

Start drilling. Start small and progressively enlarge the hole until

the threads are just barely visible. I use reverse drills but have

never had a stud back itself out. I keep trying nonetheless.

 

Bolt10.jpg.bb15601f2d5360164fd1dec57c1204d6.jpg

Oh, and keep the drill bit square. Check your

progress now and then.

 

Bolt12.jpg.d897438729c71b901ef85513e231bd8a.jpg

Once there's just a skin of stud left in the hole,

you need to get it out. I use a variety of 

techniques, including using a small center

punch and hammer to gently tap it away from the

threads.

 

015-flathead-tech-pliers-taking-out-thread.jpg.872f8510c89e36dcffd83b673d63d883.jpg

Then remove the chunk with pliers.

 

Bolt14.jpg.1a18aa49966da6316018ce88b56db31b.jpg

Or sometimes, if there's no easy spot to pry loose, a

thread-chaser down the hole can peel the remains

of the stud off the threads. Be sure to use a thread

chaser and not a tap--you just want to remove the

stud, not cut new threads in the stud material.

 

 

As I mentioned, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to save the threads. In many of my studs, they were just completely welded to the threads and my best efforts couldn't save them. Even the thread chaser often only pulled little pieces and further twisting only mangled the threads. That's why you need your B plan, because some of those holes will be a total loss. For something like cylinder heads, there's just no point in trying to make sub-standard threads work--if you have any concerns, drill it and use an insert. 

 

Alternatively, you can drill the holes one step larger than stock and use oversized studs. Those in the Lincoln are 7/16" but there are studs that are 1/2-14 on the engine side and 7/16-20 on the head side, so it will look authentic on top and you can tap fresh threads in the block. I did not use this solution with any of my studs, but with that insert above that looks questionable, it might be a solution. 

Edited by Matt Harwood (see edit history)
  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A magnitic drill press works great in these situations. Keeps everything square. The nightmare situation that Matt ended up dealing with is all too common. At a certain point, pulling the block becomes your only option. Problem with pulling the block is now you may end up doing the crank and main bearings.......adding ten grand and 18 months to the project. It's always hard to tell when the perfect time to stop is.............good enough is never good enough. But the reality of time, money, aggravation, and life in general can make people do the repair in a certain fashion........which I understand 100 percent. Short term these asinine projects get you down, drive you crazy, and make you want to light the car on fire. After forty years of it........I'm numb to it all. I just keep pushing forward. When pushing forward in the face of these bleak projects becomes routine and you don't even notice it? That's when you know you have gasoline in your veins. 

 

Friday night I drilled and used a timesert in two critical holes on my 1917 White. It was get them perfect, or tear down the entire motor and do an overhaul. It took me 10 days to screw my head on straight, and not be too tired, aggravated, and pissed off to make the attempt. It came out fine. None of this stuff is easy, if it were, everyone would do it. The only thing that is a necessity to restore a car, is insanity

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, edinmass said:

Friday night I drilled and used a timesert in two critical holes on my 1917 White. It was get them perfect, or tear down the entire motor and do an overhaul. It took me 10 days to screw my head on straight, and not be too tired, aggravated, and pissed off to make the attempt. It came out fine. None of this stuff is easy, if it were, everyone would do it. The only thing that is a necessity to restore a car, is insanity

 

I have exactly the same reaction to fussy, delicate work on original components. I have to wait until my mind is clear, I'm not too stressed and, preferably, in the late morning before I've gotten tired. It is the underlying reason why I'm more comfortable making parts than fixing them. If something goes wrong, you can always start over. That isn't the case where the part you are working on is irreplaceable.

 

13 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

Those in the Lincoln are 7/16" but there are studs that are 1/2-14 on the engine side and 7/16-20 on the head side, so it will look authentic on top and you can tap fresh threads in the block. I did not use this solution with any of my studs, but with that insert above that looks questionable, it might be a solution. 

 

I think you mean 1/2-13. 1/2-14 is a real thread but it is VERY archaic - I doubt it's been used much since before WWI. There was also 1/2-12 - which was a little more common. Early Cadillac's used it, again before the SAE standards were agreed.

 

If you have to go that route, beg, borrow or steal (or buy) a magnetic base drill. It would be impossible to drill the necessary hole straight enough to tap correctly and you would want the drill to align the tap as well.

Edited by JV Puleo (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Irreplaceable parts are my everyday occupation. It can be tiring, and stressful. I usually try and figure out every avenue that can occur........and plan for each one ahead of time. Just like my water pump shaft and impeller on the White. Hurrying to make repairs is a disaster in this hobby, and causes more problems an money spent just because people don’t think things through. Just like a doctor........DO NO HARM.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matt

I am not familiar with time-sert inserts, I have had extremely good luck with that type of insert though.  I looked on there web site and under FAQ they state this

 

TIME-SERT will state that if the thread repair is done correctly and with the proper length of insert used for the application e.g. the insert is the same length of the original thread engagement, the result should be a hole that should match the original torque specification of the hole.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

While I was working, I found a third serial number stamped on the crankcase, for a total of three. They're all on the same chunk of aluminum, so it's not like parts could get switched. But one doesn't match--two are K5790 and one is K4223. K4223 is the car number and how it is titled. So why two numbers? I don't know but I suspect that the main number, K4223, is a re-stamp, which means this is not the car's original engine. I don't really get hung up on matching numbers, especially not on cars of this vintage, but that's kind of a bummer. It may have an impact on the car's value in the future, depending on how a future buyer feels about matching numbers. I don't think it would have changed my decision to buy it (hole in the block notwithstanding) but it's a bit of a disappointment nonetheless.

Matt

I'm pretty sure you have the correct engine, I believe Lincoln just cast engine and as they were cast they just put a number on them to keep track of the casting date etc, When they wanted the next engine case no one when out to look for the next number they just grabbed the next block. After the engine was assembled and tested it got an ID number and when a body was set on the chassis it got a matching ID number.   On my 34 and 35 those numbers don't match either.  I doubt if any of them did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had one of those nights where my brain wouldn't shut off, so I got up early (5:30 AM) and went to the shop to deal with that Time-Sert that has me concerned. I grabbed one of my old head gaskets and a scrap head and started screwing studs into the holes. Two or three were a little stiff but they all ultimately threaded in without any issues. Yes, the buggered one above didn't want to go in smoothly. It was tougher than I could do by hand but with a wrench it was easy and did not strip the threads. With a few drops of oil on the threads, I ran it down a few turns then pulled it out to examine the threads. No damage, but some shiny spots on the edges, so it's not perfect. On the other hand, taking the Time-Sert out is going to make things worse and the hole will still be crooked. I decided to leave it alone for now. I reinstalled the head and torqued that particular hole to 70 lb-ft. It took the torque held without any issues. Fortunately, the torque spec on the heads is only 50 lb-ft. so it's adequately strong.

 

I'm not thrilled with the repair but I'm also wary of doing any more drilling, tapping, and fussing. I'm not sure doing it over would yield better results. I'm not saying I'm calling it done, but I am saying I've been drilling out studs for 18 months, this thing has 6:1 compression, 29 7/16" studs to hold the head down, a copper head gasket, and only spins to 3000 RPM. I believe in doing things right, but I'm not convinced this is wrong enough to demand more potential headaches given the over-built and under-stressed nature of the engine itself. It's a primitive machine, does it need NASA-grade repairs? Am I a hack if I call it good enough? I'm just not sure anymore.

 

Anyway, satisfied that the head studs will all hold the head in place, I did a little more disassembly in preparation for masking and paint. I note in my gasket kit that there are TWO gaskets for the generator drive, and looking closely at that area, yep, there's a plate there. So I removed the mounting screw and the bolt holding the oiler in place and removed the mounting plate. I'm surprised that it's just a bushing on the drive pulley, but it is fed oil directly from the oil manifold and I see no scoring or other signs of distress, so it must work.

 

TimingChain4.jpg.8c721ef123bce6db7deb34ba642542a7.jpg  TimingChain3.jpg.d90516681bbd97ba09ab4f3ed60a5810.jpg

The generator/water pump drive pulley spins on a bushing on the back

of this plate. Bushing is in good condition, so some clean up

and a fresh gasket should make it ready to reinstall. 

 

TimingChain1.jpg.c83242f31cd6f7063cb55fb17737a5cc.jpg

It has its own oil supply which explains why the bushing

is in such good condition.

 

Then I wiped the whole engine with lacquer thinner, blew out all the nooks and crannies, and then wiped it down again. Satisfied that it was as clean as I could make it, I started masking. And masking. And trimming. Two hours later, it was ready for primer.

 

4-11-21-3.jpg.47c70cc46c4a2f7beb22ed382fe0dad0.jpg  4-11-21-4.jpg.f686e0ebdc0585fe500b61e9c6846b70.jpg

All masked off and ready for primer.

 

I shot it with two coats of 2-part epoxy primer, which should have no problems clinging to the various materials on the block: iron, aluminum, brass, whatever. I was careful not to go too thick but also to ensure that areas like the mounting nuts for the blocks were adequately covered. There's a 48-hour window for top-coating the epoxy without scuffing, so tomorrow (Monday) after work I'll shoot the blocks gloss black, mask them off, and shoot the crankcase on Tuesday using the silver paint that Lynn (AB-Buff) recommended.

 

4-11-21-2.jpg.cc4115c5adc85eb39f5047b8b4bdcca0.jpg

Primed and ready for finish painting.

 

I should have parts back from the powdercoater shortly and then I can start reassembling the engine in anticipation of putting it back in the chassis. Or maybe I should just bite the bullet and build a test stand so I can verify that all the repairs are good before I go to the reassembly stage. On the other hand, without the sheetmetal installed, the chassis will make a pretty good test stand. Don't worry, Ed, I already know what you're going to say.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, AB-Buff said:

Matt

I'm pretty sure you have the correct engine, I believe Lincoln just cast engine and as they were cast they just put a number on them to keep track of the casting date etc, When they wanted the next engine case no one when out to look for the next number they just grabbed the next block. After the engine was assembled and tested it got an ID number and when a body was set on the chassis it got a matching ID number.   On my 34 and 35 those numbers don't match either.  I doubt if any of them did.

 

Thanks for that information, Lynn. Has anyone compiled a list of all known K Lincolns? I wonder if there's a K5790?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Matt Harwood said:


I must be getting predictable. 😎

 

I think your suspected threaded hole will be fine. Just be sure to go to church for the next few Sundays. 
 

I would build a wooden test stand..........for two reasons. First, it was a nightmare to R&R the engine with the steering box and other items. Two, it’s easier to find oil leaks and figure out any other issues while on the wood stand. To be honest, I would run ten gallons of fuel through it before reinstalling it. That’s a judgment call. 
 

Engine looks like it’s coming along fine. Your getting close. Best of luck, Ed.

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

 

Thanks for that information, Lynn. Has anyone compiled a list of all known K Lincolns? I wonder if there's a K5790?

Yes there’s a gentleman in the club that has kept track of Lincolns for many years, he is getting up in age and isn’t doing real well but if something happens to him I believe the book will end up with Ray Theriault. Somehow it needs to be archived somewhere. I don’t think the club has ever done a roster of any type on K’s. Linus Tremaine has done one on L or is working on one. I took a picture of my number that is on the rear of the engine by the motor mounts. It’s the same as on the front but my engine number is much lower, 38xx

677F8CFF-ABA4-4D07-8FDE-E51AF4605C55.jpeg

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A few hours this evening and more work got done. As long as you keep taking steps, eventually you'll finish the marathon. I was on a ticking clock to get finish coats of paint on the engine before the primer dried completely, so the first thing I did was shoot the blocks in gloss black. I'm using a high-heat enamel, which may or may not make a difference--is the primer high-heat also? Meh. It should withstand the 250 degrees or so that the engine block sees. It went on nicely and with three coats left a nice shine that's ready to go. It does need to cure with heat, so it won't be fully dry until I can fire the engine and run it for a while, but it's as good as I can make it.

 

4-12-21-1.jpg.0ee0ab36e8b7313e5e7aa648b3ea2c0a.jpg  4-12-21-7.jpg.8d8f85aa20f4242f228885b7ea8b38fb.jpg
Gloss black on the blocks turned out quite well. Tomorrow I'll mask them off and

spray the crankcase silver.

 

4-12-21-4.jpg.d664326be904851351601aff5a77e08e.jpg  4-12-21-5.jpg.96346229f0ffbc5f594563895c383790.jpg  4-12-21-6.jpg.51a0f212422009703c2952ed96b91ad8.jpg

Metal stitch repair is nearly invisible (arrow). Nice!

 

It's worth noting that the patch in the side of the block that was repaired using metal stitching is nearly invisible. Some of the high-end restorations actually sand the block smooth (and you wonder why a show-quality restoration costs six figures?) but I figured as-cast is good enough for my driver. I think it'll look pretty darned good. 

 

While it was curing between coats, I test-fitted the threaded plugs in the exhaust crossover. I've had them sitting on my desk for months, so I figured I'd see if my thread job was any good. They fit perfectly--perhaps too perfectly. These are not tapered threads, so they went right through the manifold. I will have to figure out how to secure them since even high-temp Lok-Tite probably won't work in that application. Perhaps deforming the threads somewhat will make them bind in place. Or, failing that, I'll just have Remflex make me a set of gaskets without this hole. Easy enough either way.

 

4-12-21-8.jpg.b208f385903fc7a1194a637b25719788.jpg  4-12-21-9.jpg.97d27e5191bcd46eb0ee3ae0b8923a69.jpg
Threaded plugs fit neatly in the manifolds. Too neatly. I'll figure out

how to secure them permanently.

 

As long as I was painting, I decided to clean and paint the air cleaner assembly. For the same reasons I'm not going to sandblast the oil pan, I didn't sandblast the air cleaner and while I thought about having it powdercoated, I think I'll use the same gloss black paint that I used on the blocks. I put the parts on the wire wheel and cleaned them up as well as I could, hosed them down with lacquer thinner, and gave them a shot of primer. 

 

4-12-21-3.jpg.b6dbd8fb94b7188939e456167b440b26.jpg  4-12-21-2.jpg.ced28d851022c270c0169438c2bad51c.jpg
Air cleaner assembly cleaned up nicely on the wire wheel. Primer will be ready
for a coat of high-gloss black tomorrow.

 

I've seen Lincoln Ks with polished aluminum air cleaner elbows, but I don't believe that's correct. I think the entire assembly was black, as were all the other accessories. Lincoln was quite deliberate in their use of shiny stuff on this engine and it was designed to have an impact. Everything was black except the crankcase, heads, and spark plug conduits. Simple but elegant. Polishing the elbow looks wrong. It is a beautiful casting, though. Kind of a shame to hide it. I still don't know what that hole in the top is for--it's threaded but in an odd location. Nothing was attached to it and I've never seen anything bolted on there. Mine, of course, was simply covered with Scotch tape. If I can't figure out what is supposed to be there, I'll use a little chrome screw to close it up.

 

 

 

Edited by Matt Harwood (see edit history)
  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matt, as for your plugs go, you have 2 options. 1 is to take a pair of channel locks and grab the plug by the threads and give them a good squeeze. It will deform the threads just enough to hold them in place. 2 is to find some tapered plugs. Either way, I would do a gasket as well just for looks. I would also use some antiseeze so if they need to be removed they will come out. Mike

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I painted the crankcase tonight and it turned out pretty well. I spent a lot of time masking off the blocks, starting with some 1/4-inch fine line tape around the base. It's critical that the line be crisp and in exactly the right spot so that it doesn't look like the engine was painted after it was assembled.

 

4-13-21-2.jpg.ee5fe7ccb282669fbcf3b132d7d2d4ad.jpg   4-13-21-4.jpg.1fc8fa302827facf83c6040ad586cb21.jpg

Blocks masked off and crankcase ready for paint.

 

Then I gave it another wipe-down with lacquer thinner and sprayed it with Plasti-Kote cast aluminum paint. This paint was recommended by AB-Buff (Lynn) as the same stuff a lot of restorers use for their crankcases and I can see why. It looks and feels exactly like a surface that was sandblasted. It has a nice even silver color, a little metallic, and a slightly rough texture. I sprayed three coats to get it as even as possible and it looks great. Good coverage and it's thin enough that none of the critical details are hidden. My only thought is that maybe I should clear it simply because the texture surface might be difficult to keep clean. On the other hand, I have a hard time getting clear paints to behave. Maybe best to quit while I'm not behind.

 

4-13-21-11.jpg.af758ff84be8db1e9bcae35bd889514b.jpg  4-13-21-10.jpg.f1806a054de9ddfe9c4d71dd108862e5.jpg

Silver paint covered well.

 

4-13-21-3.jpg.164e0422579bf9dbcdf86ddd85555572.jpg  4-13-21-1.jpg.2f0eb153bf9566d0b5fefbce39baa09f.jpg  4-13-21-6.jpg.54a067669b11e0341ee6f0701e336759.jpg

Details still readily visible.

 

I let the paint cure for a while so I sprayed the air filter parts. Unfortunately, I must have gotten a defective can of paint or something and it just splattered all over the parts, mostly solvent and not much color. Ugh. I'll have to strip it and try again--maybe I will use powdercoat after all. It certainly delivers a brilliant, smooth gloss black finish.

 

Anyway, frustrated there, I decided to remove the masking. The paint cures incredibly fast and was dry to the touch after only about 10 minutes, but I was afraid that if I left it too long, the tape would peel off the paint. Better to pull it when the paint is still sort of soft. The masking came off easily and all that time spent getting the lines in exactly the right place paid off. It sure looks like the blocks and crankcase were painted separately and then assembled. Nice!

 

4-13-21-8.jpg.32ac1d360db02c13f401f0268575d32f.jpg

Super crisp tape line is exactly what I wanted.

 

4-13-21-7.jpg.7ae7c7868747624aa939b09927a06209.jpg  4-13-21-9.jpg.c7c99a30cd0bc7d5f44dca36cdb86fef.jpg

Finished result looks pretty authentic. 

 

I'm hopeful that I'll have my parts back from the powdercoater in the next day or two and then I can put the front cover back on and hang it on the engine stand properly again. Still need to find some rubber bushings for the front engine mounts. In the meantime, I'm going to take the heads to the machine shop to be decked and spend some time cleaning out the oil pan. That's gonna suck.

 

I've also started collecting my thoughts on an engine test stand--I think I'll use the pallet we made to transport the engine. It sits on there perfectly and it should offer enough stability to hold it in place for some modest runs. Some basic wiring, some gauges, and it should be ready to test fire.

 

1-8-19-1.jpg.39da27c04ae360410a5dc4f3de8748d0.jpg

Pallet should make a suitable engine test stand.

 

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...