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Has anyone used/heard of this vender EGGE???? they sell engine rebuild kits. They have this kit for my caregge.com/kit/pk245m41-47/ ......is this a decent kit????? and is there anything that i wouldn't be able too do putting a long block back together after all the machining is done professionally???

Of course! Egge has been around for many, many rears! At least 40 years ago when I rebuilt my 1954 Patrician's 359 they supplied the pistons, lifters and possibly a few other things and it still runs well.

Egge is well-known in the old car hobby -- they're one of the few vendors making pistons for a lot of the really old stuff. However there have also been anecdotal complaints of short piston life, cracking on the skirts, etc. with their pistons. A good machine shop which has dealt with old stuff and used Egge pistons before might be someone to consult -- see what their experience has been since the internet isn't the best place to get experienced advice. Most of us on here have only been through a few engine rebuilds, while a machine shop that works with a lot of the old stuff has seen thousands.

Quote:


This is a problem here where i live no one does the old stuff, thats why i asked about being able to do it myself, i have done many rebuilds on V8's, they will do the machine work but not the assembly......are there known shops elsewhere i can call that you may know??

You might also price check Terrill Machine
254-893-2610

As one who had issues with Egge pistons many years ago caution is warranted. The pistons are serviceable but not like a drop in NOS. Apparently they did have some issues with some castings around the time I had problems but from the reports from later users, the issues have been fairly well resolved. Biggest take from my experience is ignore the service manual and provide the machinist with Egge recommendations for their piston and ring clearances rather than use the Packard specs. The metallurgy is apparently quite different and Egge pistons expand a bit more than the factory pistons and needs different clearances.

We offer a similar Engine Rebuild kit for $1430.00 but we also include a the cam and crank gear. We use our own pistons for this kit. If you are interested please contact Charod in our Packard Department

Thanks
James From
Kanter Auto Products

Hey Pat,

I hear you when you say no-one in your area wants 'to do the old stuff'. I have the same problem where I am (to a degree, it probably exists almost everywhere) and I ended up transporting my engine quite a distance in the back of my SUV to get it to a qualified rebuilder. I believe they used Egge for their supplier on rebuild components and everything seemed readily available, except when they got to the timing chain. The Flackmaster saved the day with a NOS replacement, and the machining process stayed on schedule. I only have a little less than a thousand miles on the new block, so no real history yet, but 'so far - so good' with all the right things happening: good starting, lots of power, no smoke or oil consumption, and no knocking/super smooth and quiet idle. Time will tell. I think the only deal with these motors is to keep the revs down. I don't have a tach and can only monitor it 'by ear' but 50-55 MPH seems like all it wants to turn without overdoing it. OD is definitely on my list, but fairly far down at this point as there are quite a few other priorities. Chris.

Not sure what the rear gear ratio is on your 1939, Chris? On my 1946 it is 4:30 to 1. Online the top speed was considered to be 65mph. To me this would seem to make for a fairly "busy" engine. I would say that the 50-55 mph would be more civil. I know the engine in my Chevy truck with a 4:10 to 1 sounds pretty busy at 55mph.

Good question, John. There are no doubt others on here that will have a better answer than I can give you. Every time I try and get my head wrapped around rear end ratios, transmissions and O/D's, confusion sets in... I would THINK that factory rear ends would differ with and without O/D, yes-no?? I read somewhere that the stock '39 was 4.09:1, not sure if that is with-w/o OD. There are a couple of wires taped off on my firewall labelled O/D, so I'm not sure if my car came with it and then, when the tranny wore out, a standard 3-speed was installed and the overdrive removed, who knows, maybe even sold off. Do you (anybody?) know of a sure-fire way to tell if your car started with O/D??? I DO know that I want to put an overdrive in my car at some point in the future, but gather it is a LOT of work and requires many additional 'bits', a shorter drive shaft and a fair amount of rewiring. Contemplating that has a similar effect to trying to fathom rear end ratios: fear & confusion!! LOL Chris.