Hot Rods Canadian Flatheads

Met a guy at a Friday cruise night (Plattsmouth Nebraska). He has an old 32 Coupe (unrestored) he used to dirt track race back in the 50`s. His flathead is a Canadian block. The block is beefier than an American made one. Soo you can bore it out more. Ran into him again the following Sunday in Nebraska City at a car show. I introduced him to a guy with a 51 Merc 4-dr who told me you can tell the difference by the water pump mounting. The Canadian is made different. Not interchangeable. Please explain further and show pic`s if possible. Are there any other differences. How much different are the blocks.

 

See this thread.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/c59a-canadian-flathead.1038276/

A few people claiming that the Canadian flatheads have thicker cylinder walls. I want to see proof, from a machinist who has measured both, side-by-side, before I believe it. I am sure Ford used a Canadian foundry or two to produce engine castings, and perhaps the mold cores were built with thicker cylinder walls in mind, but I would bet it wasn't much of a difference, especially with as common as core shift was in these motors. I.E. the casting process itself lead to a wide tolerance range. These things tend to get amplified into urban myths over time.

 

So now Canadians have special water pumps too (not interchangeable)? Getting deep in here.

Jim, not saying you are shoveling it, but you did believe it.

 

Personally having had my hands on and inside Canadian blocks what I find is no difference at all. The only difference was the heads on some Canadian production Fords and Mercs the heads are aluminum. This means the 1949 to 53 engine's heads can be found cast in aluminum not iron like all U.S. production heads not easy to find here in the U.S. but certainly a nice item to have if you come across any.
Ronnieroadster

 

The industrial one's were also supposed to have thicker cylinder walls.

 

I`m no expert. I`m just asking questions. I was told by 2 different people about the water pumps.

 

I've seen (but never handled) C59 blocks, and never noticed any differences other than the letters cast into it.

Henry Ford was way too smart to make a small part like water pumps different north of the border. Where would the cost savings be in that decision?

Maybe your experts are mixing up the different years of water pumps. Everybody (except them) knows the pumps changed in 1949. The only thing I can guess they are referring to is the Canadian truck year change mixup. I've got no explanation why Ford did that.

 

Sounds as if the reference regarding the water pumps was truck/vs passenger car...& as mentioned it's common knowledge that some Canadian heads were alum , with respect to the water pumps I've a pair of old nos truck type alum pumps with weird casting logo's, not Ford but heard mention possibly Canadian can't really say.

 

Both guys belong to a flathead club and attend meetings monthly that mentioned the water pump. Also something about the neck being in a different position. The guy with the Canadian block. His was built by a guy back in the 50`s, The guy raced in circle track back then with Ardun heads. He was from Hamburg Iowa. His last name started with an M, maybe Malmberg. Or Murdock. But can`t say for sure. I wasn`t taking notes.

 

Could be referring to Merc narrow belt pumps '50-'51 or so era? Looked like truck pumps but the mount tab on the Mercs was higher which required a u shaped spacer between the pump mounting tab and the rubber biscuit mount.

 

Probably not the driver/builder but I have somewhere in my archives several race programs from the area with mention of an aspiring dirt tracker by the name Leninthal ? not sure of the spelling, was a driver to be reckoned with in the Hamburg area, but died much too soon in an airplane crash he was piloting.

 

I understand that the Canadian flatheads are more polite and apologize more than the American flatheads. Excuse me, sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

8BAy?

 

I can’t imagine that as many older Flathead guys we have here,,that someone hasn’t found this already .
Pete ,,,Ronnie and many others,,,,,,how many engines have they seen,,,,,,hundreds,,,,,many more even ?
If they have never witnessed this,,,,it probably doesn’t exist !

And besides,,,,,there would have to be a special replacement water pump available from someone,,,,right ?,,,,,,,to match the special block ?
Maybe not now,,,,but 70 years ago,,,,,,Ford would have had to offer a replacement part for service .

Sounds pretty far fetched to me,,,,,,,probably just a misunderstanding on someone’s part .

Tommy

 

They hold their drips as long as they can, then apologize for them.

 

Who knows? After all, things ARE different above the 49th Parallel!

 

…and below it as well!

 

Well, my '59A Canadian block used stock U.S. purchased water pumps!

 

I think in the 8BA generation of flatheads there’s already a bunch of different water pumps from truck to Mercury to Car to wide & narrow belt varieties of each to create some confusion. Actually, the Mercury pumps are sorta similar to the truck ones but they’re still different. As noted earlier there were aluminum heads in Canada for these engines as well as aluminum intakes with both being offered in Ford and Mercury versions. These were reported to address an iron/steel shortage in Canada after WWII I have read.
Not sure I believe there is a different Canadian block, but if there was, I would consider what was said to be the reason for the aluminum heads and intakes to make me think the blocks made there would not be heavier or thicker than those made in the USA.

 

I`ll make a phone call tomarrow to clarrify. I`ll also take notes.

 

Great & thank you! Please report back as it’s always good to learn or unlearn what I think I “know”.