1934 Pierce-Arrow 5 passenger club sedan

Gasket set is Olsens Gaskets, a club member. They will only have the head and exhaust manifold gaskets, you make all the rest. Rings, well that depends on pistons- who made them and correct size. It can be very time consuming to find rings, people with experience can spend twenty hours sourcing them. Consider a modern new piston, the pistons and rings are much better for oil consumption and sealing, and in the end a much better job. Expect to pay 125 to 150 per piston with rings and pins. Babbitt is a matter of choice, I used it twenty five years ago, today I would only use inserts. Machine the rod is about the same as pouring Babbitt, but you need someone with experience and must cut the crank to the correct new undersized. Camshafts are the hardest part to find for a twelve, they are different EVERY year, bit all interchange from 33 onwards. You must replace cam bearings or you WILL have problems. They are difficult to do. Clutch plates are not to hard to deal with IF you have a rebuidable core. Most cores are no longer rebuidable from past experience. If not done correctly and MATCHED to the flywheel, you WILL have problems. I have seen a huge increase in bad clutch jobs lately, as most of the old time,guys familiar with the double disk are no longer around. Correct coils are hard to find, and expensive to rewind, unless you have a show around modern replacements are fine. John Cislak may have a camshaft. Don’t forget to test yours lifters, it’s best to have a few spares when building the engine.

Short note, if your engine guy isn’t familiar and able to handle this by himself, he probably isn’t quailified to do the job. Timing chain and gears as well as oil pump should be done also. Along with valves and guides. Good luck, take your time, these motors can be challenging.

Dave Stevens

You are correct. CD’S engine service in Hudsonville,MI just completed the eight cylinder for my ’34. They detected three minor cracks in the the block. One was pinned and they installed two custom made sleeves in two bores. Then they honed the bores to 30 over to match the new pistons that I had made. they polished the crank journals and balanced the rotating assembly. I will be assembling the engine my self but they just completed another eight for another West Michigan customer.

CD’s Engine Service 616-662-1553.

By the way Glenn, get your clutch assembly rebuilt by Fort Wayne Clutch. They are very familiar with the Pierce Clutches.

By the way, I bought a complete engine overhaul gasket set from Olsen’s Gaskets at Hersey last fall. I initially balked at the price but they showed me what was in the kit and I was impressed with the completeness of the kit. Even the wooden dowels that go along the rear main. I usually make what gaskets I can myself but this will save a lot of assembly time.