Replacement Blocks?

[Stephen1915]

Any Model T replacement blocks out there? Newly made or original? Would like to buy a unused, Unstamped, Nos or whatever you would call a mint condition block. Hard to find? Probably! But someone has one!

[Steve Jelf]

I bet "hard to find" is an understatement.

[Original Smith]

First of all this is a classified ad! I have seen a few nos blocks in my lifetime, but there is nothing wrong with a good used block. It depends on what you want. A new block is almost out of the question. If you want a block that is the same year as your car, that's a good start.

[Norman Kling]

I have an aftermarket block in one of my T's. But it has been running for at least 30 years in my car, and I bought it from Lee Pierce who had it for sale at a swap meet, complete with transmission. So I don't know when it was originally made or used.
Norm

[Les Schubert]

I made 8 of them about 10 years ago. Finally got the one I wanted (aluminum)! I won’t be making any more (getting too old). I’ll sell you the casting patterns if you want to take it on!

[Stephen1915]

I made 8 of them about 10 years ago. Finally got the one I wanted (aluminum)! I won’t be making any more (getting too old). I’ll sell you the casting patterns if you want to take it on!

Les, I would be very interested in those patterns!

[TXGOAT2]

Burtz offers a really nice improved Model A block, rods, and crank at what appears to be an attractive price. Counterbalanced crank, 5 main bearings, and more....

Nothing like that available for the Model T that I know of.

[Mark Gregush]

I have a 1926/27 unstamped block, but it has the valve chamber cracks, one right next to a lifter boss. So, they are out there. No, I don't want to sell it, besides, shipping and building a box for a cracked block would not be worth the time it would take. Along with the cracks, it would need a full redo as it was used for a while.

[Les Schubert]

Stephen
Email sent!

[Stephen1915]

Burtz offers a really nice improved Model A block, rods, and crank at what appears to be an attractive price. Counterbalanced crank, 5 main bearings, and more....

Nothing like that available for the Model T that I know of.

I bought one of those blocks, one problem, it’s NOT Model T.

[John kuehn]

A NOS Ford Model T block might have been available fairly easy as late as the 70’s but not these days. A quest will probably be in vain if your trying to locate all NOS parts to restore a T.

[Distagon2]

For what it's worth, last NOS Model T block I saw was at Otis Clinton's place near Seattle in the late 70's. It was an unstamped 26/27 variety. I should have bought it but Otis was already getting more than enough of my money.

[Adam]

This one was at Hershey 2019 and I think also in 2021. I didn’t get to that area to see if it was there this year.

[Stephen1915]

This one was at Hershey 2019 and I think also in 2021. I didn’t get to that area to see if it was there this year.


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Phone number?

[Joe Bell]

I have had four of them through the years, one is in my car, still not stamped! Charlie Jenkins got another one I was going to use for one of my projects.

[TrentB]

Actually, NOS blocks are not all that hard to find, and a dozen years ago I assembled one into a running motor.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind if you are thinking you might like to build a motor using an NOS block. First, a NOS block is still going to need to make a trip to an automotive machine shop to have valve seats installed on at least the exhaust valves if not all eight. Second, it will have to be rebabbitted anyway. While the NOS blocks, like the one shown in the pictures above, have babbitt in the main bearings, the caps are missing. I do not know if new blocks were shipped from Ford with the caps present. Trying to fit random NOS bearing caps to a NOS block is difficult because the bearings in the caps and the block should be line bored together. When I built the NOS block into a running engine I could not find caps that would line up with the bearings in the block. In the end I ended up taking the babbitt out of the block, pouring new mains and caps, and align boring them together. Which brings me to another point, even if you could find NOS bearing caps that would align with the bearings in your NOS block, where are you going to find a NOS crankshaft to put into your NOS block? The bearings in the block were machined to fit a standard sized crankshaft.

For the reasons I listed above, I would just as soon begin with a good used block and a good heavy crank (preferably an EE) when starting an engine build.

Respectfully Submitted,

Trent Boggess

[ModelTMark]

Les,

I'd be interested in buying them as well and have the ability to cast them. Please message me.

R/Mark

[Wayne Sheldon]

Why? What for? What year block for what kind of car? Most remaining NOS blocks for the past three quarters of a century have been the 1926/'27 style blocks, as they were the only ones made after 1926 until they quit making them about ten years later. Occasionally, a 1922-'25 single valve chamber NOS block has and likely will again show up. I don't think I have ever seen a true NOS two chamber block. I have seen a number of them that were being used with no serial numbers, but still NOS? I don't think so.
Early style open valve blocks have been reproduced a few times, but I think it has been a couple decades now since the last ones were cast. And those are NOT true NOS anyway.
1915 blocks are tough, because for more than fifty years they have been the "magic number" for the HCCA! Probably literally a thousand people have searched out and bought any 1915 block to qualify a marginal car. I doubt there would be any NOS 1915 block available in the world! Might be a couple hidden in the back vaults of a major museum. Maybe? If the Henry Ford had any? They probably would have been sold off during their infamous deaccession sales.
Good 1915 blocks are still around, and surprisingly affordable (if you consider $400 to $800 affordable?). I have a couple 1915 blocks with relatively minor issues I bought for under a couple hundred. (No they are not for sale!)

Later years blocks are still generally available in nice condition for very reasonable money. I just don't see the need for NOS. But maybe that is just me?
To me, the right year is far more important than whether it is a really nice used or NOS block.

[Stephen1915]

Prefer to find the last design block, “27 style with non punched cylinder web.

As for those who say “why” there are as many reasons as “why not”.

[Adam]

This one was at Hershey 2019 and I think also in 2021. I didn’t get to that area to see if it was there this year.


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Phone number?

I have no idea who had it. Here are screenshots of the location of the photos. They were taken in 2019. Maybe you can contact AACA Hershey and they might be able to give you some leads.

[Stephen1915]

Adam, Thank You. Your photos, and others have proven there are still some unused replacement blocks still out there, as for them being defective, which may have kept them from being used, is another story.

[LOCParts]

We have a NOS Model T block available.

This block is the the 1926-27 style, and still in the original shipping crate. We can also supply NOS front and center finished bored main bearing caps. We do not have any NOS rear main caps.

$2500 fob Baldwinsville, MA.

If interested contact Ashley@modeltford.com.

Thanks,

Lang’s

[Joe Bell]

I have found through the years for some reason the 26-7 blocks have more crack issues from exhaust valve into cylinders and in lifter galley between 2 and three cylinders , was it core change, different material, or they just ran them more? my scrap pile out in front of my barn has more 26-7 block laying in it than anything?

[TrentB]

1926-27 blocks are notorious for cracks in the valve chamber under the water inlet. The casting is very thin in that area and not supported by the cylinder walls or the center walls of two piece valve chamber blocks. 1923-25 single valve cover blocks do not seem to suffer from this flaw for so often.

Respectfully Submitted,

Trent Boggess

[Dan Hatch]

Ditto on what Joe said. There is a pile in front of my shop waiting on a slow boat to China.

[Les Schubert]

Possibly the Canadian blocks were better castings! I have only encountered 1 of 6 26-7 blocks with cracks as mentioned. The one American block I have did have crack as mentioned.
Not enough statistics to really say.
And perhaps Canadians were just more careful about using antifreeze and/or draining?

[Harry Lillo]

Some Canadian blocks also suffer the same fate.
I had one completely machined before we found the cracks.
Our friend Terry found similar cracks when ready for assembly on a Canadian 27 block.
Just saying.........
Harry

[TXGOAT2]

The later blocks were often put in heavier vehicles, and probably many of them operated at higher speeds more often and accumulated hours in service faster than earlier ones. Most of the later ones probably were in service through the Depression, with minimal maintenence. Is is possible that bolting the hogshead to the rear of the water jacket trapped stress in the block that could lead to cracking? A block that had done duty in a TT would be more likely to have cracks.

[George Mills]

Not to stir anything up, but for a point of reference to memorialize since the question came up and a lot of people who contributed to the 're-created' Greenfield '14's manufacture have now moved on...

Ford Motor Company has a set of patterns that they had made for the Greenfield Village '14's. They want nothing to do with using them again, will not let them be 'borrowed', apparently will not sell them for supposed liability concerns, but...someday, someone will find them in storage and ask what they are and why they are there...and might have a different view????