Building a 42WLA Blank Boss Engine in a Crate

[17thAirborne]

All of the bagged parts are in . This portion is complete. Engine parts are still trickling in.

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[17thAirborne]

These arrived today and they fit nice and snug into the cam cover that I purchased from Craig. I am waiting on 4 bushings for the LS case and will send those off to be installed and aligned. I just popped them in for an image, they will need a very light cleaning. Will mic them soon. Seller only reported to nearest .001" and they were all close to original dimensions.

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[17thAirborne]

I found a used genny. It is at my rebuilder's for inspection. Everything inside looks relatively new. He will put it on his test bench and let me know, then I can refinish it for the Type V motor.

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[17thAirborne]

Other parts keep rolling in. I am having a hard time finding a decent cadmium circuit breaker plate. i have this European made repro as a standby. My goal it to use 100% NOS/used OEM parts, but I can see that will be either prohibitively expensive or seriously delay the project as I search for those few parts that are really hard to find in rebuildable condition. It's not many parts, but there seems to be a common thread when it comes to what is still out there in NOS condition. Rear cylinders, breaker plates, AL cylinder heads, are really hard to find in NOS. Most everything is available at a price.

As far as cost goes, I see this bumping up to $4500 just in parts. The big ticket items were

NOS cases
NOS front cylinder
OEM rear cylinder
OEM AL #5 heads
OEM valve guide covers
OEM Cam gears

For those of you who think I am crazy I'll post the spreadsheet when I have everything purchased so you can see. This is all while trying to find 'reasonable prices" for some of the items. I am truly shopping around for better "value". I realize many indicate it is cheaper to buy a complete motor ($2500-3000) and strip parts, but its real hard to ask someone to mic the parts when they are all in the cases. It could be a crap shoot going the whole motor way, and besides, I have yet to see a really complete motor. Most have no genny, timer and lots of other little parts that add up. This way I will be 100% confident that getting the individual parts will give me a 100% reliable motor that could be bolted onto a frame and run, (or crate in my case). If i decide to sell it later, those who want to know what is inside need merely look at this thread to see "inside" the motor.

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[OLDABEWLA]

Oz,

It's crazy money to build a engine from scratch! I all know it to well as I may have told you I did it as well but what's nice about it ??? you get to pick and chose your parts and not buy some humped up junk pile six times over. I spent $3500 on parts over 3 years period watching what I spent and waiting for deals.

I've only seen one of them nos timer circuit breaker plate for sale at a show for $300 I passed on it and settled on a European made one.

With your drive Oz and talent you'll have it licked into shape.

[matt506]

Pretty impressive Oz. Thanks by the way tags look awesome. I got both another spring and spring stud with tag from Dave and am still searching for the bag. Wish I could say I was working on as nice of motor parts as you were but I am in the same boat and I plan on having mine as a runner also, the only difference is mine will never sell until I'm out of the picture . Here is what I got to work with plus I got some good internal parts sources. The cam side is a 44 numbered one but the boss side is a G motor side. The number boss is blank but I have my feelings on this as it may be a scrubbed one….

[17thAirborne]

Oz,

It's crazy money to build a engine from scratch! I all know it to well as I may have told you I did it as well but what's nice about it ??? you get to pick and chose your parts and not buy some humped up junk pile six times over. I spent $3500 on parts over 3 years period watching what I spent and waiting for deals.

I've only seen one of them nos timer circuit breaker plate for sale at a show for $300 I passed on it and settled on a European made one.

With your drive Oz and talent you'll have it licked into shape.

Thanks for the support. sometimes I think my source of income exceeds my common sense, and that does not amount to a whole lot of money

[17thAirborne]

Pretty impressive Oz. Thanks by the way tags look awesome. I got both another spring and spring stud with tag from Dave and am still searching for the bag. Wish I could say I was working on as nice of motor parts as you were but I am in the same boat and I plan on having mine as a runner also, the only difference is mine will never sell until I'm out of the picture . Here is what I got to work with plus I got some good internal parts sources. The cam side is a 44 numbered one but the boss side is a G motor side. The number boss is blank but I have my feelings on this as it may be a scrubbed one….

Glad you are happy with the tags. I noticed the tan one is held on with wire and the red one with string. You are smart in your attitude about keeping stuff.I like what you are working on. Look forward to seeing it progress also. I always regret the sales I've done, but its hard to engage in other projects unless I turn over the old ones. I have often thought of getting a parts engine, but I'm pretty far into this one now. Many small parts to find, and the NOS ones keep showing up from time to time. Perhaps the search will give me time to finish my Dodge and get the WLA running properly.

[matt506]

Here is my working stock, needs cleaning and a few small parts but Ill deal with it. Biggest need for me is a nice set of heads and I need to figure what year of manufacture this will be. These are my opened parts. my Packaged Gov. ones stay in a Harley crate.

[matt506]

"I have often thought of getting a parts engine, but I'm pretty far into this one now. Many small parts to find, and the NOS ones keep showing up from time to time. Perhaps the search will give me time to finish my Dodge and get the WLA running properly."

Thats my problem, helping restore three jeeps, a WC 57, my jeep, keeping up a WLA display I am working on, a 66 Chevy c-10, M6 cart, Boy Scouts, Hosting a reenactment, Army and on and on and on……… I do work in between somewhere there.

[17thAirborne]

Here is my working stock, needs cleaning and a few small parts but Ill deal with it. Biggest need for me is a nice set of heads and I need to figure what year of manufacture this will be. These are my opened parts. my Packaged Gov. ones stay in a Harley crate.

You've got a real nice group of parts to work with. Looks like you've been collecting for a while.

[matt506]

14 yrs on and off, but your stuff looks NICE. I got a guy down the road that has tons of this stuff so …..

[17thAirborne]

Gary of Gary's Bunker informed me after a long wait for nothing that he will not provide the dimensions because he does not want to depreciate the value of his original crate. So much for the brotherhood of collectors, restorers and historians trying to keep interest in the artifacts going. I'll turn to another source.

[matt506]

Well that's crap. I could see a issue if we were going to mass produce them and sell but even then a NOS OEM one would always be worth tons more. Sounds like a case of chaped ass to me.

[17thAirborne]

There is one more available. It is also in a museum. I am going to see if I can get with the other party and contact the museum and ask if they would measure it.