I like these shirt ideas..think I'll talk with the Ladies that make the decals for my 49..they also do custom printing & embroidery. Can I use the tranny (excuse me TRANSMISSION) photo for this?? Les
Return of the "Spare Engine" for Willa Dean
- Thread starter Vintage Don
- Start date
Vintage Don
Well Oiled
Alright, this is supposed to be a thread about building this engine...
We have been having a great run of summer-like weather lately - in the 50's, sunny, just real nice. But later tonight, it's supposed to turn to rain. So I decided to make a big push, and try to get all the major components of this engine cleaned up and painted - while I can still paint outside. It'll be too cold soon.
It's amazing how many big pieces an engine has, when it's all apart...
To my dismay, I realized I had never cleaned up the Bellhousing I picked up a year or so ago, or the Oil Pan, either. So that took until lunch time, working fast. A quick scraping, and into the parts cleaner.. Yuk
Then scrub with dish soap to de-grease - and next a deep scrub with mini-wire brush and acid - and let that etch in good. The Final Step was lacquer thinner and steel wool, and ready for paint!
Well, no, not really. Then you gotta mask any holes; figure out how to hold on to it (it's worth it to think about this stuff BEFORE you start squirting paint); and finally, where and how to set it down after painting, when it's wet......
Did all that, each piece, one at a time. Thermostat housing, timing gears cover, oil fill tube.
Pressing on, it was getting late -
The Oil Pan, the Cylinder Head (on the left), the big rear Plate, the Crank Pulley, the Tappet Cover....
Got some black on the Generator brackets, too (above), and a first round of the dreaded Fasteners (below).
Painted the inside of the Bellhousing black first, and finally finished up that big rascal. Kept trying to get one more piece done, and forged ahead with the Intake Manifold, the rebuilt Water Pump, and the rebuild (yesterday) Oil Pump. Whew!!
So I think that's about it on the big pieces that get the silver. This'll make assembly go more quickly, once I get started with setting the Crank. Gotta pick that up tomorrow morning, and get bearings and rings ordered.
Seemed like a great way to spend Thanksgiving!
.
We have been having a great run of summer-like weather lately - in the 50's, sunny, just real nice. But later tonight, it's supposed to turn to rain. So I decided to make a big push, and try to get all the major components of this engine cleaned up and painted - while I can still paint outside. It'll be too cold soon.
It's amazing how many big pieces an engine has, when it's all apart...
To my dismay, I realized I had never cleaned up the Bellhousing I picked up a year or so ago, or the Oil Pan, either. So that took until lunch time, working fast. A quick scraping, and into the parts cleaner.. Yuk
Then scrub with dish soap to de-grease - and next a deep scrub with mini-wire brush and acid - and let that etch in good. The Final Step was lacquer thinner and steel wool, and ready for paint!
Well, no, not really. Then you gotta mask any holes; figure out how to hold on to it (it's worth it to think about this stuff BEFORE you start squirting paint); and finally, where and how to set it down after painting, when it's wet......
Did all that, each piece, one at a time. Thermostat housing, timing gears cover, oil fill tube.
Pressing on, it was getting late -
The Oil Pan, the Cylinder Head (on the left), the big rear Plate, the Crank Pulley, the Tappet Cover....
Got some black on the Generator brackets, too (above), and a first round of the dreaded Fasteners (below).
Painted the inside of the Bellhousing black first, and finally finished up that big rascal. Kept trying to get one more piece done, and forged ahead with the Intake Manifold, the rebuilt Water Pump, and the rebuild (yesterday) Oil Pump. Whew!!
So I think that's about it on the big pieces that get the silver. This'll make assembly go more quickly, once I get started with setting the Crank. Gotta pick that up tomorrow morning, and get bearings and rings ordered.
Seemed like a great way to spend Thanksgiving!
.
- Sep 20, 2017
- 3,919
- First Name
- Jeff
- Willys Model
- Wagon
- Pickup
- CJ
- Willys Year:
- 1955
- 1958
- 1962
Getting back to that spun bearing; could it be simple abuse, like having a habit of lugging the motor? Or over-reving it? Or running low on oil too often? I’ve seen folks abuse these before they swap in something bigger.
Gorgeous work on all the parts Don! I do like the silver. Les
Vintage Don
Well Oiled
Got the stuff from the Machine Shop.
Dang, that's purdy!! Les
cptlogger
Sharpest Tool
- Jun 7, 2021
- 440
- First Name
- Matt
- Willys Model
- Wagon
- Pickup
- Jeepster
- CJ
- Aero
- Willys Year:
- 1947
- 1948
- 1950
- 1952
- Other
Yes, Sir Vintage Don, That is my kind of art!
If my beautiful bride liked a silver engine, that is what she would get! Happy wife & all. However, my lovely lady likes deep royal purple. My next engine overhaul for any of my personal rigs will possibly be deep royal purple with perhaps canary yellow accents. One only lives once, what the heck!
I might have painted the inside of the bell housing a lighter color. I need all the help seeing things inside there that I can get.
PS. Congratulations on the upgrade in status. I know that it will not affect who you are & I appreciate that about you.
If my beautiful bride liked a silver engine, that is what she would get! Happy wife & all. However, my lovely lady likes deep royal purple. My next engine overhaul for any of my personal rigs will possibly be deep royal purple with perhaps canary yellow accents. One only lives once, what the heck!
I might have painted the inside of the bell housing a lighter color. I need all the help seeing things inside there that I can get.
PS. Congratulations on the upgrade in status. I know that it will not affect who you are & I appreciate that about you.
Hey Don. On your rebuilds of the L134 how have you removed the cam bearings in the block. I have searched for this all over the web etc
Also is there a bearing on the rear part of the block. I was watching a metalshaper video of an F head and he almost made it sound like the cam didn’t have a rear bearing. Assume I would have to knock out a plug on the rear to be able to use a standard cam bearing tool (which I don’t have)
Bitz
Also is there a bearing on the rear part of the block. I was watching a metalshaper video of an F head and he almost made it sound like the cam didn’t have a rear bearing. Assume I would have to knock out a plug on the rear to be able to use a standard cam bearing tool (which I don’t have)
Bitz
- Sep 20, 2017
- 3,919
- First Name
- Jeff
- Willys Model
- Wagon
- Pickup
- CJ
- Willys Year:
- 1955
- 1958
- 1962
The one time I had to replace that bearing was when it dissolved when the block was “boiled”. Yes, it’s the only cam bearing. The oil pressure is all that the other journals rely on, no Babbitt or anything. Weird, but it’s worked for 90 years on that block design.
Thanks Jeff. Here is the bearing can you tell from photo if needs to be replaced? Looks like now that I cleaned it up a bit I must have dinged it pulling the cam out Thought it came out straight without touching anything 
Last edited:
- Sep 20, 2017
- 3,919
- First Name
- Jeff
- Willys Model
- Wagon
- Pickup
- CJ
- Willys Year:
- 1955
- 1958
- 1962
While you certainly didn't want to do that, I'm sure the motor will never notice. That material is so soft that any high spot around that little gouge won't hurt anything. If the bearing is in spec, I would use it, if not, they aren't expensive, but I've never removed one so I can't answer your original question from a perspective of personal experience. I assume you just tap it out with a large socket or seal installation tool, or such.
Thanks Jeff. I have read for an 134L you don’t have to use a tool but there are some of these at quite a range of cost.
I don’t know the Dia of the bearing to check if this one will works. I will check it tomorrow to confirm. It removes and installs
Don, the top of those pistons look corroded … maybe it doesn’t matter (since the rings handle the business?)
John
John
Is there a reason that the 3rd piston from the left if facing the opposite direction than the other 3?
Vintage Don
Well Oiled
Where are you seeing the tops of the pistons? I'm so lost in this thread, I'm not even sure what it's about....
No. Just laid them down to take a photo. That 3rd one is in shadow, too.
Had other fish to fry. Got bearings, rings etc ordered now, though - so pretty soon I'll be starting assembly.
Don, I was looking at the pic of the pistons on the rods. Top was maybe the wrong word; on the upper sides of the pistons, above the toppermost land … maybe that’ll work
Vintage Don
Well Oiled
Got a little time to play, last evening and today.
Somebody asked what killed this engine - I suspect (but found no Hard Evidence) that it was all the silicone "caulk" gasket goop everywhere, every gasket surface - too much of it! I figure some piece broke free and plugged up something that mattered.
Got the manifolds all cleaned up, and baked on the ceramic VHT paint, including each fastener, separately. Took The Bride all afternoon, doing the process and all the steps in the oven. And then dinner tasted a little like manifold-souffle.... haha!
Mocked up after it all cooled down here -
.
And I finally focused on that ugly bellhousing, got it all beautified. This thing -
So it's ready now -
All the bearings, rings, gaskets, and tune-up parts arrived from Walcks yesterday afternoon, so assembly will begin soon - probably AFTER this upcoming busy weekend, though.
.
Somebody asked what killed this engine - I suspect (but found no Hard Evidence) that it was all the silicone "caulk" gasket goop everywhere, every gasket surface - too much of it! I figure some piece broke free and plugged up something that mattered.
Got the manifolds all cleaned up, and baked on the ceramic VHT paint, including each fastener, separately. Took The Bride all afternoon, doing the process and all the steps in the oven. And then dinner tasted a little like manifold-souffle.... haha!
Mocked up after it all cooled down here -
.
And I finally focused on that ugly bellhousing, got it all beautified. This thing -
So it's ready now -
All the bearings, rings, gaskets, and tune-up parts arrived from Walcks yesterday afternoon, so assembly will begin soon - probably AFTER this upcoming busy weekend, though.
.
Lookin good Sir Don!! Les
Vintage Don
Well Oiled
Just a quick, over-all Mock-up now. It helps me remember things I still need to do! Like bolts for a fuel pump, or "Oh, yeah - I didn't rebuild the Distributor yet!" stuff like that. And things that are missing, like a fitting on the carb for the fuel line. All these parts are just sitting there loosely, at this stage.
