well guys i know its a bad thing to do, but i need help with a F-162 or F-163 continental engine i have. it is attached to a Lincoln welder and runs like a champ after sitting for 10 plus years. all i need is help with finding gaskets for it. the rear seal went out of it and i ordered the upper and lower seal from felpro gaskets. well when i went to put them in, they are bigger than what i took out.i am trying the old fashioned method of replacing them with the crankshaft still in and using a chinese finger trap. i need to know, if anyone knows of a good source for original rope seal gaskets. you mechanics on here know alot more about these things than this 24 year old does, so i seek wisdom from my elders. any help is appreciated.

That would be an F-162 a flat head engine you have isn,t it. They were a pretty popular engine in their day and I worked for a Massey Harris dealer years ago and the 101 Jr. tractor used it. We had a welder at work with the 4 cyl. Cont. in it years ago.I don,t know if NAPA Automotive dealer would have anything for it or not so they stock quite a bit of other parts for different engines and also try this web site Yesterdays Tractors and see if someone on there can help with your parts.At the Massey dealer we had 3 tractors with the 4 cyl. engines in them the 124 & 140, and the 162 Cu.in.They were a pretty popular engine back in their day for industrial and tractor use.

I have tried Napa auto parts, ( they are the first people i go to with antique stuff), and they ordered me the same felpro gaskets, and the same problem. too big to fit in the place they needed to go. i was thinking of using some rope seal that they use in the pumps at the coal mine, but every supplier i go to, doesnt carry that seal or looks at me weird. my friend in the mine, when they repaired the pumps there, they had rolls of 3/8 rope seal and now i cant seem to even find that to try and use.

www.mcmaster.com/
type rope seals in the search.
Or, page #3372

Hope this helps,
alan627b

jaker65 - As is often the case with older items, eBay is your friend. There is one guy on eBay selling a special rear seal that he claims is vastly superior to the standard Continental rear seal.
I haven't dealt with the gentleman, so I can't recommend him, and I didn't try his "superior" seal .. because I can't see where it worth the $$'s he asking. Maybe you can, if you've been having problems.

Superior rear seal for Continental L-head .. cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Continental-Flat...0QQitemZ140254330038

A eBay search using "Continental F162" pulls up a dealer trading as Northern Auto Parts Warehouse .. I recommend this company .. the guys name is Jeff, and he is excellent to deal with .. friendly, knowledgable and efficient. NAPW sell a lot of Continental items on eBay through their store, and he may be able to assist you ..

NAPW eBay Store .. stores.ebay.com/Northern-Auto-Parts-Warehouse

I can't help you on the parts, but it sounds like you have some good advice already. Just thought it was a little funny that I got my old sa 200 out day before yesterday. It hadn't been run in years since my brother has a newer miller. I got it started and then noticed a puddle of oil growing under it. Luckily mine was just a broken oil line that goes to the gauge. Much cheaper and easier fix than yours.
Good Luck,
Jim

seems like i got a few options here to try. thanks for the help guys. it was definitely worth posting that question on here. oh and jim D4&6, way to rub salt in the cuts man lol, i am just kidding. is your SA-200 welder a hand crank job like mine or does it have a starter on it? Does anyone know the year on these welders? any other information is also appreciated.

The SA-200 was built from 1939 to 1965, and Lincoln must have built a million of them. Seems like soon as the SA-200 is mentioned, somone knows where there's one sitting, or knows someone who still has one in going order.

The SA-200 is worshipped by many welding guys as the best portable welder ever built. A classic of fine American engineering with quality and strength of construction, similar to antique Cats, that we're unlikely to ever see again. It's interesting how Cat and Lincoln were synonymous names from before WW2 to the 60's and 70's.

Many welding guys will resurrect SA-200's from scrap piles and use them as their primary welder, rather than buy a new rig. Heavy copper windings instead of the poor cousin aluminum windings of the later models, makes them a welder to be valued.

About 15 years ago there was a big construction co. here that sold out after the energy bust. They had been into power plants, pipelines, oil rigs, bridges, concrete, you name it, they built it in Colorado...at the auction there was literally piles of mags, governors, & carbs from those old Pipeliners, miles of leads, as well as a whole row of well-used units. One of those companies where the old man built it & the sons ran it into the ground w/ booze & dope...

There's a lot of knowledgable people and informative sites, when it comes to the SA-200's .. here's some ..

Informative discussion threads about the SA-200's ..

Hobart welders .. www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/showthread.php?t=13270

Welding web .. weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=9057

Welding web .. weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=3755

YT mag .. www.lincolnelectric.com/knowledge/articles/content/layman.asp

Lincoln website, SA-200 article .. www.lincolnelectric.com/knowledge/articles/content/layman.asp

Weldmart - for SA-200 parts, upgrades and tech help .. www.weldmart.com/

jaker65 - seems like I was out a little, on the final date of Continental powered SA-200 manufacture, it appears that they were produced until 1973.

I remember I had this date problem when I was getting F227 parts recently. A lot of info says 1965 was the end of Continental flathead construction - it wasn't, they were still being built in the early 1970s, as my Cat/Towmotor forklift with the F227 was built around '72-'73.