Projects Flathead identification

Hello all!! Just purchased a 50 shoebox last week, it was originally a 6 cylinder car but at some point a flathead was put in. Seeing as how this is my first flathead I'd like some help identifying it. New to the forum thanks in advance!!

 

"EAC" on the heads says '52-'53 Mercury (which may be good). The three bolt carb says generic Ford 8BA. The blue color was used on some '49 Fords; the later Ford flatheads were bronze ('50-'51), or tangerine ('52-'53). Mercury's were mostly green during those times.

Long story short, you won't be sure of what you have until you tear it down and measure the stroke (the only significant difference between the various members of the 8BA family).

Hopefully, you won't be a victim of one of those folks who thought Mercury heads were an upgrade on a Ford engine. Exactly the opposite is true.

The other numbers shown are quality control numbers whose meaning has been lost in the mists of time.

 

Thanks Tubman!! Know of any good places for parts? Was running but it lost spark. I've come across Shoebox Cental but like I said this is my first flathead

 

Start with these : Van Pelt Sales, Third Gen Automotive, and for hard to find NOS parts, Southside Obsolete. These are but a few of the quality vendors around; there are many others. Avoid the big chains unless there is no alternative. "Shoebox Central" is also one of the better sources.

You should join the "FordBarn" forum if you are going to get involved with flatheads to any extent.

EDIT : Also, for fuel and ignition problems, there is a member on the "FordBarn" (Charlie ny") who is a wizard on these aspects of the venerable flathead. He can rebuild these components better than new.

 

I really appreciate the replies!!

 

http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_specifications.htm

 

Any car/truck that has sat awhile with a point system will most likely need to have the points cleaned - with sand paper or they do make a file - they tend to get a enough moister over sitting to not make the sparks happen. You can take a screw driver and as they are closed - off the point on the rotating distributor - which should be closed - you take a screw driver and open them a few times - you should get a spark there at the distributor after they are cleaned or replaced.

I have to do this to mine if they sit awhile.

 

Yep tried that already.

 

Some 8BA series flatheads have their assembly date stamped on the intake manifold surface towards the rear of the engine. It is in the format of month (letter), day (number), and year (letter). The letters can be interpreted thusly :

The letter code is M=0, G=1, B=2, L=3, A=4, C=5, K=6, H=7, T=8, R=9, S=10, E=11, F=12.

G 20 B would be an engine manufactured on January 20, 1952.

 

This whats on the intake

 

I should have been clearer about the location. That number (if present) will be stamped on the intake manifold mounting surface of the engine block. I believe it is on the right (U.S. Passengers side) rear corner. You should not have to remove the intake manifold to see it. That is a generic Ford car/truck intake and looks like it has been on the engine for a long time. Also, it looks to me like the engine has been repainted, as I have never seen factory paint chip off like that. The windshield wiper hose is missing; that will create a huge vacuum leak.

I think you will have to do a little cleaning to expose that number (if it is even present; not all engines have it).

 

After work I'll go back out there I'll take a look, the hose for the windshield wipers is dry and just falls off.

 

When you get around to working on the car, could you take a picture of the carburetor? The way the air cleaner mounting is configured will indicate whether the carburetor is from a car or a truck. While it is likely to have been changed, it is one of the few characteristics that are definitive.

 

Of course can't find the numbers stamped near the intake but here are pics of the carb.

 

7rt on fuel bowl indicates truck, but airhorn says car. Adaptor ring for air cleaner is aftermarket.

 

I agree. Typical mish-mash of 70 year old parts. I'd bet it's a truck engine (239), but you won't be able to tell for sure until you take it apart. I'm afraid the Merc heads are just a tantalizing replacement made years ago.

I hope I'm wrong.

 

I once bought a late model flathead that had Merc heads, Merc water pumps, and a Merc stamped steel bell housing. It had a 94 on it but other than that it was all Merc. Oh, except for the Merc 4" crank. Poin is you never know what you have for sure until you measure the stroke. It was however crack free and after a rebuild its now in my '39 p/u with EAB heads and a Buba Chevy distributor. Fingers crossed for a 4" crank on your flattie.

 

4" cranks are over rated.
That coat hanger gas pedal to carb has to go.

 

Once I get more time I'll start tearing into it. Any advantage or disadvantage of the carb that's on it or should I look for something else?

 

Unless you are going to make a bunch of other mods to the engine, that carb should be fine (if in good condition), and in fact is required if you are planning on using the stock distributor. During the 8BA years (and for a while later), Ford used a unique ignition advance system called "Load-a-Matic" that required a carburetor that was able to supply a special vacuum signal to the distributor for it to function properly.

 

Do st@2 b corrected, but I think those all in one spark plug wire brackets are for trucks. If I am correct, it may be a truck engine, or as Tubman stated, many things could have been swapped around over the years.

In any case, be happy if it is crack free and there is enough meat on cylinder walls for another date with a boring bar.

 

Dang it...should have guessed that.

 

It looks like this engine has the "Individual" spark plug wire brackets from the pictures. I always believed these were '50-'53. I always thought the "all in one" spark plug wire brackets were 1949, but I may be wrong. I have a set that came off an engine I bought. I can't be certain it was a '49, but I do know it came out of a truck.

 

You are correct about the wire brackets. Do not know what I was seeing. I have two 52 pickups, both with the 8rt heads, both have the all in one. But cannot and will not say they are original. When the one engine gets rebuilt/restored, am going to at least pretend they are correct.

 

I never liked the "all in ones" because they held the plug wires right up against one another. Most of the "four-holers" I came across had the rubber coating damaged or missing. I sand-blasted them and dipped 'em in that stuff you dip tool handles into. It takes a little practice, but they come out nice.

 

Going to have to come up with a fix for mine. Have to see if the tool handle dip would work on these.

 

That's the first thing I thought when I saw the wire holders cross firing.

 

Intake off tomorrow I'll clean up the gasket surface tomorrow and hopefully I'll find some numbers. Oh... does anyone know of any magic to loosen the distributor vacuum advance nut? I had to take the carb off the intake I was worried I'd round the damn nut off!

 

These are all that I can find

 

Looks nice inside for an old engine. Does it have an aluminum timing cover up front? Use a magnet on it. Aluminum covers on Mercs during the later years thogh someone like me would have added it for cool points. Hit and miss on this next one but I like to ask, does the oil pan have three ribs in it on each side?