I need some help with the identification of this flat head and wiw. It still turns over, before the serial number is a 54.
V8-60 engines were made from 1937-40 and used in passenger cars and pickups/panels. The 37-39 engines have stainless sides welded to the cast iron block. 40 engines are fully cast iron blocks. I would imagine that complete early engines turning over would be worth $200-300, 40s $300-400.
According to http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_serialnumbers.htm (thanks again Mac) your engine was made in 1938-39. The "54" just indicated the type of engine was a 60 HP and that series of engines was introduced in 1937. The only problem is that the number should not be on the engine but should be on the transmission. Another problem is the numbers are slightly different from the Ford stamps (see bottom of page at previously referenced site. Before you go too far with this engine note the extremely small displacement (it is hard to beat cubic inches). Charlie Stephens
On the serial on engine...we may well be discussing an engine in a foreign country requiring number on block...a common situation...and Ford in USA did supply some 60's as industrial motors, another possible situation for number on block. We need to know more and see more pictures.
Basically the tin side engines were '37 and some into '38. After that they were conventional full iron casting. The 1940 engine had .100" larger larger rod journals and mains as well. The easy way to tell a '40 block is the oil fill tube was through the rear of the intake manifold. The earlier engines were a longer tube that went behind the engine into what sort of looked like part of the bell housing. Those '40 cranks were able to be set up off center on the crank pins and ground to std. size of the earlier engine to produce a .100" stroked crank using the early rods. The mains were then ground to the earlier std. size to fit into the early blocks
A complete tin-side engine with transmission that turned but did not run brought slightly over $800 in an auction in Minnesota a couple of months ago.I know; I was bidding on it. (I quit at $250.) It also had the carb and distributor. It did not look quite as good as this one.
I bought it from an old guy who owned a junkyard, it was sitting for years in his barn. I thought I would make a great table in my living room but my wife don't like this idea. It's a great piece of history women!
Maybe its a Massey Fergusson motor. I wouldn't want to give an arm and a leg for one but I would like to have a v8 60 to play with. I had one out of a boat once that I let slip away from me.
They are very cool little motors...but it's hard to dream up a hotrod light enough to reasonably use one! I keep coming back to the general idea of a 2-seat roadster based on the parts and design of a Kurtis Midget... Kind of an all-American MG.
Actually I was thinking less wheels. My entire adult life my little brother wanted me to build him a scooter with a flathead 60 motor. I never had the time, now he is gone and I got the time. Go figure. But an American sports car is also a good idea. I got a TD tub, you could build it along the lines of a Morgan easy enough. Long hood, sit almost on the axle.
mine keeps up with traffic ok ,wont beat anything off the lights ,but sure is fun Truck is finished just cant find a picture
I once lived across the street from a very old Ford mechanic. I was building a '46 Tudor at the time. He would wander across the street and tell stories all the time. We got on the subject of V860 '46 one time. Not an engine he enjoyed, he said "That is the only engine I ever worked on that I could change the spark plug a on while running and never notice a loss in power!" The best thing about him was, he gave me all his flathead tools. That was 47 years ago and I use them to this day
That's awesome! I'm sure he never had a doubt he was giving them to the right person, and I'm sure you think of him every time you grab one too. Sent from my SM-G920V using H.A.M.B. mobile app
Years ago in the mid 60's there was a 60 that the Univ of Neb Engineering college had sliced and diced into a neat model on a stand. All the working parts were displayed and some were chromed. At the time I saw it, there wasn't a motor attached to turn it, but IIRC, they had once done that. Interesting "little" engine.
I was at the University of Minnesota in the winter of '60-'61, and they had the same thing in the main engineering building.
A '46 would be a lot of car for 60 ponies to move around but it sounds like 47 years ago you made a pretty good friend.
My little brother had a 3 speed tranny from a Lilac Sporster a bike with an inline motor built in the teens and 20s and for several years I had a Henderson frame which would have worked well with the motor tranny setup. If I built a scoot today I would probably just build it wit a 90 degree in an out box. Nice ride by the way.
I used a right angle drive with a Harley four speed. A lot of work but with much better results I hope.
Had a 60 in a 37 pickup and wonder to this day how they welded the sides on way back then. The beads were like illustrations in a welding manual--perfect. We use stainless rod to TIG weld cast but what did they have in 37?
Well most people will tall you that 60 HP is enough to not need gears, but the truth is that my shovel makes more then 1 horse per inch and it needs gears @ 80+. LOL Lots of rice rockets are building way more than 100 HP and they have 6 speeds minimum. The 4 gear is a good idea.
Quite a few MGs (both TC and TD) got V8-60 engine swaps in the mid 1950s. One of the guys as Iskendarian had a TD with the Ardun conversion. I assume they also used the Ford trans.
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