DISASTER

[shadetree77]

Did a little cleaning on the block today. Scraped off the carbon to uncover complete and total DISASTER.  Anyone need an 800 lb. paper weight??? No less than THREE cracks between valve seats and cylinders. Two with old welding repairs.

[joefrazer]

As corroded as the deck looks, I'd say there was an issue with a leaking head gasket.

[shadetree77]

Jim, that makes sense. Certain parts of it are really crusty. And not that it matters much but I found a FOURTH crack. It goes down about half an inch into the cylinder wall. Geeze man, when it rains it pours.  Wonder how long the previous owner ran the engine this way before parking it in 1974?  Was it parked because of this issue? Got to wonder about those weld repairs too. Wonder how long after those were made that the car was parked? Probably never know. I do know that there's NO WAY those valves were sealing properly with those crappy welds in there. Now I'm on the lookout for a new engine. Probably tuck this one away for a future side project. Most likely cosmetically restore the outside of it at some point and use it as a display piece in the garage. Maybe I'll even build a base, put a piece of glass across the top, and see if the wife will let me use it for a coffee table in the living room!

[checker]

Ok I'm scared to touch my engine now...with those threads about cracked exhaust manifolds, broken valves, now cracked engine block !?

Since mine runs... it leaks but it runs... I'll just use it as is for the little mileage I do with it. I'm affraid to open a can of worms...

[Gordie]

Fortunately there are plenty of used engines out there and $500 parts cars that could make the investment minimal as ready to go rebuilt engines run in the $2-3,000 range.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Have you compared prices for a good rebuilt 226 with good rebuilt Nash, Hudson, Dodge, Pontiac or Lincoln lately?  Our price point is pretty good compared to similar items for other makes.

[joefrazer]

Here's a pic of the crack I found in the block of my newly purchased 54 engine. The car ran and drove but had poor performance and seemed to use antifreeze. Now I know why!

As you can see, the deck on my block wasn't nearly as corroded as yours, but it obviously was leaking for some time. The rest of the block is clean and flat. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper...

[51Deluxe]

If I were in your shoes I would heavily investigate all the $500+ parts car possibilities. I see them on Ebay all the time. If you get really lucky, you might get one that doesn't even need a complete engine  rebuild, and have the extra parts to boot if you have a place to store the car.

[boatingbill]

Maybe a pressure test on a parts car would be a good idea before buying. Bad valves are a minor thing compared to a cracked block.
If the radiator was in the car and hoses connected it would be easy to do. Of course a leaking head gasket could cause a pressure
drop too. If the pressure holds, a $500 parts car would be a bargain.

[dusty]

Hey, Call Ed Ewing he has 2 hydro engines fully dye checked overhauled and ready to go he can give you charges for freight. Its too bad you all are in the mid west I have 2 blocks under my bench that don't have any cracks.

[shadetree77]

Well folks, I have decisions to make. I can get a ready to go engine shipped to my door for $3000. My other option is to buy a used motor locally and get it rebuilt which, depending on a few different factors, would cost me around the same amount, $3000. Parts car is kind of out because I don't have anywhere to store it. I cruised the internet for about an hour today and there were no cheap ones close enough to me anyway. Not to mention, I've been told every other 226 block is cracked so if I bought a parts car there'd be no guarantee I wouldn't find the same thing when I take it apart. 3000 bucks is way more than I planned on spending at one time. That's three times what I paid for the whole car! Plus if I spent $3000 that would leave me NOTHING to spend on the rest of the car until the beginning of next year. That means I'd have a shiny new engine but an unknown condition hydramatic, no brakes, etc., etc., etc. Looks like it's going to be a while before Linus sees the road again. Sad turn of events.  Think I'll go buy a lottery ticket.

[joefrazer]

I can relate, except that if I did the same thing I'd have $3500 in the engine, factoring in what I paid for the used "running" engine that lasted all of about an hour's run time.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a purist when it comes to a KF. I like them stock, or as our club judges say, how the car came from the factory. But, I am seriously considering deviating from that and dropping in a small block Chevy and modern transmission. I've had four engines in my 54 and I do not have the appetite for a fifth Kaiser engine and the unknowns it brings.

Ours are not easy decisions!

[HJ-ETEX]

You folks aren't familiar with flathead engines. Cracks from the valve seat to the cylinder are quite common. It was common to "spin" in a new valve seat. Ford V8s are notorious for valve seat cracks. I once offered a complete Ford 59A engine to a friend of a friend for $125 and he asked, "Can I tear it down first?" To which I said "FU, it's a complete engine and if I was certain it didn't have cracks, then the price would go up considerably."

 When there were cracks into the cylinder wall, it was typical to sleeve the cylinder.