MTFCA Forum

Well if the valves, lifters and cam were not rusted in, I might think about pinning it it the crack does not go into the port. The only stamping on the area above the water inlet is Ford and USA.

Are you sure that is a crack and not just some mark in the casting? It doesn't look like it goes anywhere. Perhaps it needs a real check.

Allan from down under.

Allan wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 05, 2021 5:47 pm

Are you sure that is a crack and not just some mark in the casting? It doesn't look like it goes anywhere. Perhaps it needs a real check.

Allan from down under.

I agree. It would be in a very odd area. I don't believe it's your typical Model T engine block crack.

A crack in that location normally goes directly into or from the core plug hole, but only on the late blocks. Get it magnafluxed and you will know for sure. Squirt some laquer thinner in the water jacket thru the hole in the top of the block- if its a crack, the laquer thinner will seep thru the crack.

Grind it smooth and Magnaflux it. Might be a surface defect. Can you see it in the roof of the valve gallery? ‘26-‘27 blocks commonly crack in the roof of the valve gallery, sometimes before anywhere else and it’s usually not a cost effective area to repair.

I plan on doing some more checking before it becomes the base for my rear end stand.

I think it is a crack and someone tried to "pin" it. Look at the top of the water jacket just before the machined surface. Looks like a bolt or pin there. If it is a crack and you can find out where it starts you might be able to fix it so it won't continue. However if it continues inside the exhaust port, you have a real problem. That was probably an after market block which was sold by Ford dealers for about 10 years after end of production of Model T's. I have one in one of my cars with no engine number on it. It runs very well. I am hesitant to stamp the engine number on it because I have the engine which came with the car with a number on it and I really don't two cars with the same VIN. Someday I might rebuild the original engine and put it back in the car.
Norm

That little mark at what might be the end of the crack was from me doing some exploring when I first found the crack not a pin. I think I was going to drill a hole but decided to do some more checking first.

I would be more concerned with the one below the nickel hole, it looks to be weeping oil out of it. If it is indeed a crack it could progress into the water jacket as Dan said. IMHO Jim

I will look but this block has not seen oil in a bazilion years! Could just be an oily thumb print.

I've never seen Ford and USA stamped into a block in that location.

“Ford USA” seems to be a usual marking at that location on un-numbered “improved car” blocks. I believe complete engines were numbered until the end of production, but not replacement blocks.

Here’s one for sale at Hershey a couple years ago.

I agree with Allen. That "crack" needs to be Magnafluxed or dye penetrant tested. Perhaps both.

MWalker wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 06, 2021 8:40 am

I've never seen Ford and USA stamped into a block in that location.

We had a thread in the old foras about just that some 5 years ago or so. It turned out as a side effect the two swedish members and I found out we all 3 had engines made on July 1st 1925, which was the first day they made the improved block.
As I recall the conclusion, these stampings where made on all blocks that went for export to assembly sites outside USA. It may apparently also go into blank replacement blocks. (And yes, that is a pretty high number and NOT the above mentioned engine from 1925, but the engine in my 1922 Fordor. Obviously a later engine (1927).

I wonder if the above engine was installed in a car at the factory? I kinda doubt it. My '27 is a March production car and has a serial number beginning with 143, I doubt that Ford built more then 600,000 cars in the next two months before production shut down. That's gotta be an engine that was sold as a replacement.

15,068,275 was a November 1927 engine. It would have been a factory built complete engine made after T car production for replacement or some other use.

I believe complete engines were numbered, but bare blocks and complete short blocks were not numbered.

Well did some more cleaning, the crack runs inside the valve chamber right next to the valve stem boss up to the cylinder wall. Oh well it could be worse like this Dodge block I "WAS" going to use.

Yup, that’s one of the “usual” cracks. You have three choices:

-Fix it with JB Weld & keep your fingers crossed. Sometimes it can be a pretty good long term repair if you do it just right.

-Have it professionally pinned or welded, which will exceed the value of the block.

-Find a good replacement block, sometimes only a $200-$300 buy or maybe much less if you’re very fortunate.

My preference would be a better block.

Really don't need it but would have been an extra that I could have used for a future project I had in mind. So I will just sideline it for now.

I may have too many pets peeves , my wifey says. This is at the top of my list. I have been on the receiving end of this type of hack repair on two vehicles I’ve purchased over the years. Both extremely costly to me, and both times were known by the seller but neglected to be mentioned. Epoxy IS NOT a miracle substance, but merely a bandaid. Now I feel better.