Technical Rarity of Flathead Blocks - which to build?

So I made a plate to pressure check the blocks. This first, marked '40, showed no leaks when sprayed with soapy water except around a few head bolts. One side leaks at many bolts but nothing seen in the runners, bowls, cylinders, rails. The other side actually held 20lbs for about 30" with bubbles seen only on two head bolts. In addition, no "part number" cracks seen.
Was hesitant to go very high on the pressure.
The other blocks are not completely disassembled so will do those later.

 

Those block off pressure testing plates look great. Nice job.
Were they water jet cut using a gasket as the template?

 

Thank you. I used a friend's plasma cutter and an old gasket. Otherwise old school. Had to do a lot of cleanup using a carbide burr, files, and a mill. None of it really mattered but if a tool doesn't look decent and/or doesn't feel good in the hand, it can be a poor tool IMO. Not a fan of "good enough" excuses. The gaskets were cut from EPDM roofing material.
I kept looking at $270 for commercial plates while making these but then noticed they are all sold out anyway so...
I just have a hard time buying what I can make especially if there is a challenge involved. Next might be a cam bearing installation tool! These bearings(likely unused) might die in the rust remover bath I'll use.
D

 

I got lucky. 41 truck 239 needed 1 valve, new rings, a ridge reamer, and a very thorough cleaning. Complete engine and clutch $400.00

 

Awesome. Those ridge reamers can do more damage if not absolutely needed but maybe(likely) I just don't know how to use them. Mine is a Snap On. Haven't found a ridge too big to disassemble yet.
That was a good deal but I have you beat! 3 blocks and all parts. Two machined cranks(but old and rusty/dusty with tags) one of which might be a Merc. for around $200. It was a "if you take it all" deal. For weeks many tried to pick apart the deal and ultimately passed. I'm glad I have at least one good 24 stud out of it all!
I plan to do all the work myself aka Mart-style. I have boring bar, line hone setup, valve machines, etc. so...
I got all but one stud out with an old MAC stud puller set. MIG and a steel bar got the broken one(another Mart trick). Gonna have to buy him a pint next time I'm across the pond!

 

How close are you to having it built? Any specific plans for the build?
D

 

@dmar836 that picture was from 2017 and the motor has been great ( with the exception of the distributor)
This is also 2017

 

That would be a Mercury block 239 with a 3 3/16 bore. Some of the 41 pickups had this engine, but not
very many. Most were government ordered, my 41 pickup was a Parks Service truck with a C-239 stamped
on the firewall above the engine. Nice engines......If you choose to run a 59 block, you can
install an 8 BA crank and rods in it. That way you have the shell bearings and not the floaters. You can recognize the 8 BA crank with the two holes per rod journal. This
makes a nice engine. If you choose the later flathead and run 59 heads you'll have to
make a distributor hold down as the early head don't have this provision.

 

My bud's younger bro had a ranch in Felton, CA. Lots of guys would go up to party and drink gallons of beer...They'd invariably find this old flathead V8 in Dave's front field to urinate on, ('cuz it was there)
One winter day my bud Dick and I stopped by to say hi to his bro, and I spotted this flathead. Looked it over...It was a 59L.
My steel '27 hiboy needed a flattie, so we loaded it up and I took it home, disassembled it, and had it cleaned.
2 minor cracks, both at head studs. Bored it to 5/16", stroked it to '53 Merc. (4") Ported & relieved it, JE pistons, Merc rods. Weber F2 cam, would pull like chart horses. Ran an Edelbrock set of heads, 3 jug intake.
Lovely engine, ran it 3 years, sold it to childhood bud for a bargain. He ran it in his '36 five window for 10+ years.

 

What's the difference between a Ford and Merc. rod???

 

59Z , 59L were the ones to find in the 50's

 

Raised numbers/letters, I think. Otherwise, same? I used the Merc rods because of the Merc crank. Thought it wise at the time...

 

The extra 1/4" stroke on late Mercury's is accomplished with a longer stroke crankshaft and pistons with the pin 1/8" further up. The rods are functionally the same in post-48 Fords and Mercs. I don't know if they have the same part number or not, but it wouldn't make any difference. Differences between Fords and Mercs can be weird. For example, every 8CM engine I've seen has a cast cam idler gear cover. The Fords all are stamped steel. They are interchangeable, but different.

I thought Henry was supposed to be frugal?

 

They are the same in dement ions, although the Merc rod come in at 2+ ounces heavier. I've never been able
to see where the extra weight is. Forgive me Mike, but I always ask that question whenever someone mentions Merc rods.

 

All good stuff. I have two Merc cranks. One is from a different complete engine but another came with this block - boxed and has old machining tags and is tagged “8BA” and “‘40“ - as many parts from this block grouping were so marked. Looks like they planned a stroker. Need to check the rods and pistons.
Great info here!
D

 

Keep in mind that some 8BA connecting rods have squirt holes , some don't.

 

I might be getting a original flathead out of a one owner '49 merc. My buddy found the car in a grove of trees. Anyway, is this a good starting point for a traditional flathead? Anything quirky about this engine versus the same year Ford? Been building SBC's all my life so a flathead is uncharted territory. Thanks!

 

BHRS: A 49 Merc is a great engine to build. Has the 4 in. crank.
Sure hope it wasn't exposed to the rain and weather. When you take the engine out and apart do
not throw anything away. SAVE EVERYTHING. The MERC FLYWHEEL, PRESSUREPLATE, bellhousing and matching starter
plate and 10 in clutch and rear sump oil pan are what is needed to bolt the merc engine into a 1935-48 Ford.
AGAIN, SAVE EVERYTHING AND TAKE PHOTOS.

 

Thank you. The hood was on it and no water got into the motor. Not stuck as will turn over by hand. Planning on keeping everything including the overdrive trans. Either will go into a model a tudor or 32 coupe. I'll try and get all I can from the merc as its going billet and LS... argh.

 

Please don't get dirty fingerprints on this thread. LOL.

 

This is a good place to put this, what and where are the most common cracks that actually matter? I cringe at the idea of how many 'just fine' blocks were scrapped beacuse a nothing crack was found. To me a stud-to-stud crack means nothing. If it goes from water to a cylinder or valve seat, well I'd guess you have to explore a reasonable fix. I'm welcome to being corrected or informed. Tahnx...

 

Yup ^^^^^ we do not really care about restorers that much we are hot rodders. Take the best of what you got and screw one together.

 

Sometimes you repair them too. When I was in college, I had a '52 Ford that started to run crappy and smoked a lot. I pulled it apart and found broken rings and cracked pistons. A trip through the "piston pile" at the local junkyard yielded a couple of usable pistons. These, along with a set of rings and rod bearings from Sears were installed, using a rented hone to size the cylinders. There were cracks between valves and the cylinder bore in SEVEN places, but that didn't stop me. I got it together, and that car got me through grad school. I'm sure I had less than $100 in this "rebuild".

It did take about 3 bottles of Barr's Leaks before it finally sealed up.

 

I’ve heard pan rail cracks are fatal, but also have heard they can be repaired. In fact years back on the FordBarn, I recall @Mart welded up a pan rail crack. I don’t recall the outcome/longevity of it though. Maybe he’ll chime in.

 

The Ridge reamer deal was my first attempt. I used a 1/2" ratchet and I was very careful. What a great tool if you go slowly

 

Kinda negates that I did say irreparable.

 

Didn’t one member here use JB Weld on a broken block and run it on a track successfully? If I’m remembering correctly the same engine continued to run on the street for years.
D

 

Anyone here gonna be at Hershey? I’m here already. D

 

@Budget36 I believe @Mart is running that motor in his '32 right now.

 

my heads have this T and i asked a bunch of flathead and they don't recognize it. Does anyone know?