Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Removing the Valve Train of an Old Flathead

Removing the Valve Train.

I buy these books on how to do things and they never seem to discuss the things I need to know how to do. Its ironic that in the forward of Tex Smiths, The Complete Ford Flathead V8 Engine Manual, Tex laments…”If you’ve been into a flathead V8 you know about breaking the heads loose from corroded heads. You know about trying to remove those impossible valve guides. You know about hours of port grinding and block relief. You know about tricking the water pumps and working over the distributor….“ Tex hired Ron Ceridono to write the manual and one would think the manual would contain advice on how to correct these problems. It doesn’t! It isn’t that the manual is worthless but like so many that are written it doesn’t get to the issues that would be useful to the reader. This is not the only manual that is deficient in these areas…those written by George McNicholl are likewise deficient…how about a chapter on the basics of the disassembly of an “aged” engine?

For example I am looking into the valve train through the top of the intake manifold I have removed. Some of the valves are stuck and the retainers won’t come loose. I have the tool listed on page 45 of How to Build Ford V-8 Horsepower. Where the manual is deficient is on how one goes about doing a process who does not spend his life in a fully equipped speed shop. I’m venting, I know, and both these manuals especially McNicoll’s, provide Nuggets of useful information…McNicoll gives you prices for system costs and vendor contact information…that is really helpful. Ceridono also has information that is useful. I shouldn’t be so critical. However if my boss has specifically mentioned several areas of concern I think I would have addressed them if I were writing a book on his behalf. There! I got that off my chest.

I called my friend, Henry, yesterday with some questions and he called back last night. Said he would stop by this morning to take a look and try and offer some advice. He has a friend, Dale Parks, who is an old mechanic and used to actually work on these things. If something isn’t forthcoming I intend to cut one of the springs with the gas torch (Heat Hammer) and see if that is a means of solving the problem.

I also want to talk to Henry about consulting with me on the “Building a Street Rod for under $2500 article. More about that later.