This motor has me puzzled.

I admit I am no vintage motor guru, but today I came across a unique flathead. The motor is between the frame rails of a 50's vintage Ford F-7. It is a single axle truck with a fifth wheel on it. Under the hood is a flathead but the distributor is in the back of the motor. It does not appear to be original since the cab was cut to make room for the vac. advance and hose. There is the normal oil filter on top, the coolant lines off the front of the heads into the rad. and a generator. I could not get pictures or #'s off the motor, there was a huge yellow jacket nest under the hood. I will clean off the heads and take pictures this weekend. Was there a specific truck only motor? Was there a retro-kit back in the day? The distributor is offset to the drivers side of the motor, not tucked in behind like a SBC.
Dont get out the popcorn and beer just yet. I don't get much time on the web, but I do check in daily. Thanks for your interest.

 

Probably a 337 cu. in. Ford flathead. It is a truck engine and also used in some Lincolns I believe.

 

sounds like a Caddy flathead V8

 

Good thing it ain't orange! This would go for 500 posts.

 

Picture of a Lincoln 337. Picture found on hotrodstreet.com.

 

Yes, but. F7s came with 337 Lincoln engines in them. And he didn't say anything about exhaust out the top.

 

Thank you for the quick replies. Yes the exhaust goes out the bottom, so the caddy doesn't look promising. The Lincoln looks like it's the one. Where would I look to find the numbers to verify?

 

That's exactly what is. Used in '48-'51 Ford F-7 & 8 "Big Job" trucks and '49-'51 Lincoln cars.


You might find the number "8EQ" or "8EL" on one of the heads.

 

I remember seeing one of those in my father's '51 Ford flat bed winch truck.

 

Thank to all. I'll try to buy it. Rebuild and transplant into my 53. That'll get her moving!

 

I heard the big flathead was used in heavy duty trucks for several years after they discontinued it in cars.

 

We have 2 in our shop, 1 Lincoln, one Ford. That's one heavy engine, I'd guess 800+ pounds easy.


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Please let us know if you are able to find enough parts to rebuild it. I want to use one too.

 

I guess I'll offer scrap value, unless I can tell the engine is not stuck. Frame is toast but the truck is still up on all wheels so the cab, glass, hood and fenders are still useable. Will have to use a wrecker, too big to bring home on one of my tailers. Film at eleven.

 

I hope that's a '53 truck you're talking about. I know it'll fit in there since I have just that combination. But, if you're talking about a '53 Passenger car, you're probably into some significant cutting and hacking.

As far as rebuild parts, you can probably find almost anything you need at Bob Selzam's Half Ton Fun in Jackson, NJ. He doesn't do computers-you have to call him at 732-928-9421. Closed Wed & Sat. I bought pistons, pins, valves, gaskets from him.

 

Egge has gaskets and timing sets, there's a lot of valves etc. for sale online, EBay.


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Got two of these beast. One is from a 51 Lincoln and the other engine is out of a F7 firetruck with only 4400 miles on it.
I am in the process of putting one of these in my 1951 Ford F1, should make that half ton move along just fine.

 

I found one of these big flatties just yesterday (in a 48 Lincoln) googled it and it seems this beauty weighs 850 lbs. WOWSA that should keep a FED from doing a wheelie. I wonder why we don't hear more about these.

 

Probably because they are BIG and HEAVY like the 534 MEL super duty truck engine.

pdq67

 

They came out right at the time the OHV V8 was coming in. Lincoln and Cadillac both had new V8s in 1949. Both about the same size, 337 and 331 cu in. Both about the same HP, 154 and 160. But the Lincoln was a flathead, the Cadillac OHV. Soon the public only wanted OHV engines. So Lincoln quickly brought out a new OHV V8, in 1952. The flathead was used in heavy trucks for a few years but was quickly forgotten in the car world.

 

well y'all all heard the story of the hot rod races when Ford's and Lincoln's were setting the paces...

from "Hot Rod Lincoln"....one of my faves....

 

Even though the fire truck engine only has 4400 miles on it, it really has the equivalent of much higher mileage. That engine has spent more hours running the pumps at the scene of a fire than it has taking the truck down the road.

 

the original song and car ran a v-12 lincoln. car is coming attraction at B-J auction.
now for the v-8 lincoln I just saw this manifold for sale

 

I'll reiterate the same story I have as on the last couple of threads similar to this. When I was in high school in the late '50's, a couple of friends did this swap. After a lot of cutting, fitting, and welding, they got the car running and driving, and then gave up. The engine was so heavy that it put the car right on the bump stops. It handled like a safe in a wheelbarrow and could hardly get out of it's own way. There are many other cheaper and easier ways to get 150HP into one of these cars. So unless your goal is to have one of the most impractical engine swaps ever, don't do this.

 

Too late I already did it and I won the flathead class at the King of Clubs at Barona Drag Strip. It runs like bat out of hell. It handles just fine and I can't keep tires on it. I have to run 6 ply truck tires. It has a whole lotta torque. It doesn't handle too well with a I-Beam axle. So I changed it out and put a V860 tube axle, it handles a hell of alot better now.

It's got a Lincoln motor and it's really souped up,
that Model-A body makes it look like a pup.
It's got eight cylinders and uses 'em all,
got overdrive that just won't stall.

 

A bit off the original topic, but as mentioned above the original version of Hot Rod Lincoln by Charlie Ryan was indeed talking about the v12 flattie. Comander Cody (as well most likely others) reworded it with v8, and also shortened the song some.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0yqU8Q8888

 

If the Pumper it was in was a mid-ship transfer and not a PTO, the speedo/odo is working even when it's pumping.

 

Ford built flathead blocks usually had numbers stamped on the intake deck, on driver side, toward the rear of the engine. Not sure about Lincoln units...

Those side engine mounts look a lot like GM style ?

4TTRUK

 

I am still waiting for the ground to freeze so I could get the truck out without destroying th lawn. Now we have close to two feet of snow to insulate the ground from freezing. I am listening to the comments about the weight of the engine, and agree that it would be impractical to install in a car. Is there a practical application for this motor in a hot rod at all? Or is it best used as a boat anchor?

 

I'll vote for the Boat anchor