Need replacement for 1936 346 engine

[cwickadee]

We own a 1936 Series 70 convertible sedan that has developed a cracked block. We are looking to replace the engine with a newer flathead as the 36 engine is hard to some by and apparently somewhat problematic as it was redesigned a year later to correct issues. We plan on driving this very rare car, so we want an engine that we can put some miles on, rather than a show car. We are looking for an engine as well as advice on swapping out the engine and any issues we will encounter. I know the engines from 37-48 were basically the same, but still a bit different, but I'm not clear on the differences and whether we should try for a particular year. Any advice would be appreciated!

Dave Wicker

[KenZ]

Dave,
I swapped out an original 1936 engine with a later model flathead tank engine a few years back.  You need to keep in mind that the 1936 model car engine attachment points are different from the 1937 thru 1948 cars.  Everything will pretty much bolt on from your 1936 to a later model but you might have to do some mods i.e., generator. There maybe some forum subject matter when you do a search.  If you would like to discuss I am more than happy to give some pointers.  There are different ways to go with this depending on what engine you decide to utilize.  Good Luck!  Ken   

[Caddyholic]

you might look into this.

https://www.hemmings.com/parts/item/16571.html

[z3skybolt]

Feel free to look...


But do so with caution.  A friend of mine dealt with what he suspects may have been these same engines many years ago and there was a real scam going on back then. Not sure these are the same ones but....the subject was widely discussed on this forum several months ago.

Good luck.

bo

[35-709]

Agree with Bob Ritchie, be careful with those.

[cwickadee]

I saw those advertised and was considering them, but the heads up is good to know. I'l be sure to check out the seller before I buy.

Ken;

Will I need to put new holes in the frame to accommodate the differing attachment points or can it be handled by a modified engine mount? I am worried about affecting the value if I modify it, as before selling it (if we ever do) we will probably want to put an original engine back in. Any pointers would be appreciated!
Dave

[KenZ]

Dave,
I was able to utilize the original 1936 attachment points since the tank engine had the beefed up areas on the front for the left and right arms.  Had to drill the wholes (4 ea) and tap for studs.  From what I have been told, using a car engine from 1937 and on, you can find the engine attaching frame brackets from another later model car and install them onto your 1936 frame.  Then the engine can be installed with its existing mounts.  Probably not as easy as it sounds.  The 1936 bellhousing will bolt up to the later year blocks.  Like I mentioned before, there are different ways to go about this depending what you want to use and also what's available.  You can call me and discuss in more detail if you like 602 810 3069 (Arizona).  This can be a bit of a project and requires some thought but it has been done.  Ken           

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Carol,
Ken Z IS the man to go to on 1936 questions. Is your motor original to the car?? If so, I recommend repairing it. If you install a replacement motor, the original motor will never get installed.
Bob

[cwickadee]

The motor is the right year but I'm pretty sure it is not the original (# does not match the frame). I know that there are people that can repair cracked blocks, and so we will look at having it repaired. But my concern is that since this was a single year engine and they are so hard to find, this is a common an recurring problem, and we plan on driving the vehicle. So we don't want to put a lot of miles on an expensive and possibly irreplaceable engine, rather use a more common one and hold the original one in case we ever sell. This only makes sense if the retrofit can be done without marring the original vehicle in the process. It sounds like that can be done.
Dave

[harry s]

Here are a couple of pictures that show the front motor mount bracket which is typical of '37 to '48. You can also see the attaching point on the frame. The mounting cushion is missing.      Harry

[KenZ]

I was able to utilize some good info from a fellow CLC club member Bill who resides in Oregon.  He restored his 1936 Cadillac Coupe with a military engine utilizing almost all of the original engine components (motivated me to take this route with my 1936).  It helped that my father had a tank engine sitting around for 50 plus years.  Steve Passmore was also a great help with this project.  The 1936 Cadillac is unique since it is almost like a one year engine only car.  Dave may not be doing the wrong thing by replacing the 1936 engine since the later model flatheads did have improvements.  Keeping it original would be ideal but fixing a cracked block is not always a sure thing.  My block was cracked at the valve seat and not something I wanted to fool with.  Others may have some experience and advice regarding cracked block repair.  I don't think it would hurt the car value terribly since it would be a period correct engine.  Just my opinion...……  Ken