MTFCA Forum

Forum Chums!……. First of all, thanks to all the folks who gave me some fabulous input on Rod bearing Babbit replacement…. I’m thinking what the heck, if one rod bearing self-destructed maybe it’s time just to do all of them….. I thought it would just be easier to pull the head remove the pistons dress the cylinders possibly replace the rings and all rod bearings…… give the engine an overall freshening up….the mains seem tight and intact……thoughts?

Makes sense but I'd pull the engine and go through the engine and transmission while they are out of the car. I have done it both ways and found pulling the engine to be easier in the long run.

To your point Dan….. I hear that that oil line and funnel system is accessible after you pull the hogshead….. Spinning that Bearing makes me wonder about a clog….. I’ve heard from several people that the cotton from the bands can cry havoc on the lubrication system….. Which brings me to the fact that I might replace the cotton bands with either Kevlar or wood…after a thorough cleaning

You can clean out the oil line by blowing air though it. But that means removing the front timing gear cover. It’s in the Ford manual how to do it.

But if you plan to pull the engine to rebuild it you can clean it out then.

If you don’t know the history of the engine that might be the thing to do.

Like Dan, I too went through 2 rod bearing adjustments before discovering a blocked oil line. Fortunately, my work was not a burnt bearing, but simply some shim removals...

TEST LIKE THIS: remove the right-forward pan bolt. Place a catch pan underneath...start the car. After started, a steady stream of oil should emanate from the hole. If it does, you're golden...just replace the rod. If it does NOT, you can clear the oil line, and then replace the rod.

Feel free to contact me as to how to clear the line.

In any event, it is all but certain that the other 3 rods are a bit loose, too. After buying my '19 and finding 90wt oil cushioning loose rods, I wore one out, fixed it, wore it out again, and found oil line plugged...the other rods were loose, too. Unplugged line and adjusted all 4 rods for the last time. This car still retains its cast iron pistons and has run numerous National Tours on those same adjusted rods. Runs like a top.

Likely time to add an external oil line.

I lost two rod bearings on a tour years ago due to a clogged oil line that I neglected to clean after the first rod went bad. Upon return home I did a full refresh - pistons, bearings, valves, cam and lifters as well as adding an external oil line. The car was new to me (got it a month before the tour) and should have done better prep but that's always easy to say in hindsight.

I second what Walt said regarding outside oil line. The one on my car likely limited the damage to just one rod as it was the only functioning oil line on the car.