History 1941 Ford Four-Banger?

I found this story in an old magazine. Up until today, I thought the last Ford car to offer a 4-banger was 1934, and there were no more until the [ugh] 1971 Pinto. But here's a story saying there was a Four announced as an option for the 1941 Ford line, and that it was essentially 1/2 of a V-8. Same bore/stroke, pistons, rods, bearings, etc. This is all news to me. Anyone ever see one? I'll put each page on separate post.

Frank C.

 

Page 2 of the 1941 Ford Four article:

 

Page 3:

 

I always heard that the later Ford 4s were N series tractor engines, probably with different carb, distributor curve, maybe cam. They had to offer more torque than the V8-60 lump. I never heard of one in a passenger car, but I haven't heard or seen everything yet. Even if I did, I'd forget anyway

 

From an old history of the 41 and later pickups;
Standard engine in 1941 was Ford's 221-cid flathead V-8 with 90 bhp, though a Mercury 239 with 95 bhp and the small Ford V-8/60 were optional. In mid-season, the V-8/60 was replaced by a 120-cid four-cylinder engine from the Ford 9N tractor-a curious choice, and not very popular. Even rarer was the passenger car's inline six, a late-season no-cost option

here's one in a 41 Delivery

 

I own a 42 flat four from a ford GPW.... It's going in my hot rod

 

I had a 1941 Ford truck with the 4/banger engine in it a few years back. My understanding is the Govermant took all the V-8's for the War effort and put a 4/banger tractor engine in the pickups. The truck run fine with the 4/banger.

CRUISER

 

Well, that sure is a new on on me. I knew that Ford built B's and c's for trucks well into the late fourties C's being redesigned B's, I think they were all B's and better B's. Most guys will tell you there never was a C. This lillle engine is very interesting, I wonder why we have never sean one? Kinda makes you wana go looking.--TV

 

That sure looks like the motor in the article! Thanks! I'm not up on tractors, so I can't tell if it's same as 9N motor.

Frank C.

 

That I have to see! Any pics?

Frank C.

 

here's a 9N version - looks about the same

 

I Googled up some pics of the Ford 9N tractor engine, and it looks like the one in the article, and in your picture, so those who say Ford used tractor engines in 41-47 cars and p/u's would seem to be correct.

Frank C.

 

Same engine, the N with very minor changes. Pickup version got a mechanical fuel pump as the tractor was gravity feed and a stamped pan to replace the cast iron one. Ford published an overhaul book for this at the same time they covered the 6, 8, and 12 overhauls in '46-8.
Ford also used the engine in the jeep prototypes they submitted for trial...Bantam, Ford, and willys submitted small numbers of test vehicles to meet the spec that became the jeep, and there was also a small production run of the Ford prototype...several still exist.
Army ended up ordering the jeep we know with a variety of Bantam (the most important developer), Ford, and Willys features, using the Willys engine.
Bantam was dumped because of their very limited production capacity, despite their leading role in developing the basic layout, and Ford and Willys shared the production...Willys jeeps of the production version was the MB, Ford built ones were GPW, General purpose Willys. This Ford Jeep was simply a willys built by Ford to increase production capacity...Some Ford parts differed but interchanged with Willys stuff, so the N only had a small part in the war. I think the few N Fords were mostly sent to Russia!

 

Thanks, this has been really interesting. Nice to know there's still lots left for me to learn.

Frank C.

 

how many were actually produced? can't be many . i have only seen one `41 pickup with one

 

Ford civilian vehicles...damn few, probably for same reason V8 60 sales dropped dead.
I think there are actually 2 owned by people on Fordbarn!
Ford early-type non-willys jeeps, apparently 4,500 according to online sources. A few still exist. Could not find a source but I believe I am right in saying most were shipped to the Russians when the army standardized on MD/GPW.
Abroad...no one was dumb enough to put anything that small into a truck. The English and Germans kept right on making B engines, as did the Russians...

 

I could be wrong but I believe the Ford GPW had a Willys designed engine in it.

 

The Towe Ford Museum in Sacramento had a '41 Ford pickup, with the 9N engine... It was equipped with the "granny gear" 4 speed,...and it definitely needed that lower gear !!

4TTRUK

 

The so called "Model C" was not a Ford listed model; In 34, and 34, some pass car 4 cyl engines had a large "C" cast in the cyl. head. The Towe Ford Museum had a 34 Phaeton, rt hand drive on display, in the 80's and 90's.

4TTRUK

 

Actually the "C" on the head appeared in 1932 with the Model "B" Ford. The "B" on the head had been used for the High Compression (Police) head for the Model A.

Charlie Stephens

 

I always thought it was '41 only, pretty neat. A truck or passenger car with that engine must have made a Model A seem fast.

 

I own a 9N that came out of a 41' pick-up. I collect Diamond "4 Barrels" lmfao, I mean 4 bangers. Has an adapter on it to hook right up to all V-8 transmissions. Front of the block has an adapter to bolt right up to any 40s car or truck. 8N tractor motor is pretty much exactly the same as the 9N. I can go down to my local tractor supply and buy replacement parts all day long.

The 9N was supposedly used in Midgets for dirt track racing is a story I have been told by a few old timers. All the things most people want in their Model A/B engines came standard in the 9N motors. Full pressure oiling, fuel pump, stainless valves, adjustable lifters, insert bearings, counterweighted cranks, and alot of the internals are exactly the same as the V-8 engines of the era...... correctly me if I am wrong. I am only 27 and still learning about our fading history and hobby.

 

A former neighbor and high school buddy of my dad had a '41 pick up that had been retrofitted to 59-A running gear and columbia rear. He had the original registration that showed it was a 4 banger. Sadly he has gone but the truck still sits in the car-port.

 

1943 German 4 banger in my Dutch build 32 Model B , sorry not the best pic but it's marked as a
43 engine (thanks Bruce)

Hennie

 

Germany built the B's into the 1950's in an evolved form, Russian built Gaz B's and I think passed the tooling on the China (speculative info there!) for production perhaps into 1970's. USA built complete A, B, and T motors up til 1942, mostly supplying companies that built machines based on them I believe. England...I think up to WWII.
Germany built complete 1932 pattern BB trucks and used them in the army up to 1940 I believe, then switched military truck production over to Mercury 239's.
On the "Half a Merc" designation of the N engine: It used regular 239 flathead pistons and valves.

 

Here is a pic of the advert for the '41 pickup. The detail shows the "Economy 30 HP" 4 cylinder. I have one of these pickups and the motor and trans that came out of it.

 

Thanks for posting that ad. It pretty much settles the story.

Frank C.

 

I'll try to get a few on here.... The motor is small, square, an plain. It isn't spectacular by any means except that with the trans attached, it takes two guys to pick it up and set it in the model t frame rails.... It weighs maybe 300 pounds.

 

Here is a link to some pictures of a nice 41. This one looks as good in person as the pics show.
http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80256

 

I seem to remember that one of the farm machinery manufacturers ( New Holland?) used Ford 4 bangers (9N?) in their pull behind combines and such way into the 50s. They kind of had a life of their own unbeknownst to the general public like the French flatheads were.