I have a 1950 ford custom and I would like to put a merc motor in it for the extra horse power. That is the way I have it figured in my head anyway. I found a motor that a man has had setting in his yard since 1971. It has been covered but still I worry. I know it will need to be gone through even though the man said it ran fine when he sat it there. I need opinions on this motor, what it is and what it might be worth. what will I need to do to keep my 3 speed w/od trans. I believe it is a 1952-3 motor it is stamped EAC A29 2 on the heads also says Mercury usa on the heads. I am being serious about this and need some real answers. Thanks in advance, Jim
anything that has been sitting outdoors since the 70's should be rebuilt..although it has value and I would like to snatch it up --you would have to consider it a core....I purchased a 51 merc car one time, it ran good but the block was cracked, you won't know what you have until you open the engine up! my 2cents
It last ran 43 years ago. It has been open to the air through the carb & crankcase vent all this time. It will need a complete rebuild as most of the inside will be rusty. It'll be a miracle if it comes apart without snapping any bolts & you know what that means. The oil will have turned to acidic sludge & etched the metal mercilessly. Hopefully you won't need expensive crank repair or cylinder sleeving, but I'd provide for that in the budget if you buy this engine.
taking it apart is probably the worst part of it. I have seen threads on the hamb where guys have twisted half the bolts off just tearing it down not to mention getting the pistons and lifters out. I am figuring on lots of trouble. Just dont know what it,s worth or if there is a better deal somewhere else
If it cannot be turned with a wrench on the front crank bolt (7/8" socket), and I'll bet money that it can't...you are facing a hard job at best. It is also quite likely, regardless of cover, that it has gotten in enough water to crack from freezing. Consider it junk until you have it completely stripped and have verified block is savable! If it is indeed a Merc (heads could be on any flathead block) there is a very good chance cam and crankshaft, the significant differences between your Ford motor and a Merc, are savable so you can just build your block into a Merc. I would STRONGLY advise against paying much...it is almost certainly rusted to the point it will need complete overhaul, and I would consider it to be cracked until PROVEN otherwise. Outside storage for any length of time is usually a disaster.
If your car has a decent running flattie now the doesn't overheat etc. just buy a aftermarket 4" crank a freshin up what you have.
What do you have in the car now? 100 dollar bill or less seems fair to me as the trans, bellhousings and nick knack housings are worth something. Trouble is, most old farts think this stuff is gold. In old fart world, he may actually believe all it needs is a splash of gas and a battery. It could simply be a 239 with Mercury heads. Like Mine If your car has a 239 or even the 226, I'd enjoy it for what it is. Now compared to a 60s era hot rods/factory muscle the flat heads were not much. Compared to a 50 stovebolt Chevy, The Ford is a race car. They are what they are and remember what era performance really was.
True words. The HP difference between a stock flat Ford and a hopped up Merc of those years is probably about what my OT ride increases if I switch from regular to premium gas.
What should you pay? I wouldnt pay more than $300., that'd because the parts off the engine are worth it!
The dollar/horsepower ratio on your proposed engine swap is HUGE. The only components in the Merc that are different are the crankshaft, pistons, intake manifold and carburetor, which can all be swapped into your 239 Ford engine to turn it into a 255 Merc engine (keep the smaller Ford heads for better compression, regardless of the "status" EAC badge). Oh, the EAC has the best stock flathead cam, too. Moneywise? As cheap as you can for a yard-find that's been in the weather for 40+ years. That's not an engine anymore, it's a chunk of scrap iron.
If you have a running 239 it is not worth the time to do the swap. Instead of going into the motor I would simply update the ignition to something like a bubba, get the carbs really dialed in and buy some slightly higher compression heads and a cam for the motor that you have.
This motors last home obviously wasnt a mercury as its got the torque tube drive. unless you need a bunch of frustration I would heed others advise and resist temptation . Freshen what you have .
I have an 8ba in the car now it is a real solid runner. I believe most of my problem is in the dist. was interested in the chevy dist conversion (is that bubbas). Everybody talks about how great the Merc engine is, I don't know but I am trying to learn. I was raised on small block chevies and have no real experiance with flatheads. Thanks for the advice guys
The time for Merc is when your engine starts needing a rebuild...then since you presumably know it is a healthy block, do the rebuild with Merc crank and pistons. It's enough extra displacement to add some noticeable power, and cost isn't a huge deal when rebuilding anyway. The engine you are looking at MIGHT be a good crank donor for future reference. After decades outside, it is certainly not a runner without total rebuild, and it is VERY likely block is scrap. There is however a good chance its crank is savable.
i agree--you don't know what you're getting with that old mill. i've bought merc engines that were cracked in the main webs, through valve seats and cylinder walls. even "rescued" one which had sat so long with water in it that it was rusting through from inside the decks--and that wasn't worth fixing.
yes I know how old motors go ford or chevy the previous owner says it's like new, maby it was 100,000 ago. I didn't know the crank was interchangeable, I have another 8ba from a 49 that I got for a good deal maby I should tear it down and get the merc crank, pistons, and cam to put in it. Then I can leave my motor as is. I am not trying to build a high horsepower street machine, It just dosen't have enough power to pull some of the hills around here as it is and I want to put air on it so I know that will really kill it. Thanks, the picture is becoming clearer every day.
I really wouldn't even try to put an A/C with a flathead. Yes I know those coupe bodies will get hot during your summer. A flathead with air will cause overheating issues and you will lose the power you need to make those Tenn hills. Want a cool comfy ride with power? Buy a Lexus?
Distributor has been mentioned several times...and the Chevy conversion, a very good idea. The stock '49-53 distributors have seriously feeble advance systems at high throttle openings. Also, since all is done by vac diaphragm, if that piece of antique rubber fails you might be running with no advance system at all. If it is in perfect condition, it is still weak at full throttle. Many NEW '49 Fords accelerated better at 3/4 throttle than full because of the characteristcs of this thing, so while planning a bigger future engine put a real distributor on the current one and see if you surprise those hills! To repeat, It is almost inconceivable that an engine left out for decades can turn again. Merc engine is a Ford with different crank, carb, and cam and can be built from what you have.
yep Bruce I agree. I have looked into the chevy unit and think that is the place to start. I am going to get one and try it on my 50 as is. It may solve my problem. What got me started in the other direction was that I drove my buddies 48 truck. It has the fastest stock motor I have ever driven. I was told the truck motor was the 4" stroke like the Merc. I know chevy stroker motors work so why not a flatty too. Im still going to see if I can wrangle the old Merc. motor and hope the crank is usable. It will have to be cheap! I have 2 8ba's and both blocks are good. will post some more as it happens. Thanks
Do not mistake felt torque from a low gear ratio for HP. That truck may have a 4.10 or 3.90 rear axle. Your car could have a 3.73, maybe higher if it been changed through the years. Now even if you had a SOHC 427 you would to have to visit second gear quite a bit on those Tennessee hills. AC is not for me...but I can understand it on a black car. Try the Magic Air vents and the wind wings, they did really good for me once I was at speed.
yes F-one I have thought of that also, I drove the truck from old fort in polk county to the river park in chattanooga on saturday it will run 65 like a top on the interstate it dosn't have a tach but it was not screaming too high on the rpm's I still had plenty of pedal left. My friend did not build the truck so he is unsure what he has in it for sure. I told him I was going to spin the rear wheel and figure the gear ratio out. I also contacted Jim Linder at Bubbas I now the man I took fuel injection classes from him when I lived in chicago (small world). I am buying the dist.
I pieced a flathead engine together from two older engines that had been sitting and I can tell you it was alot of work. I guess it was a good experience, but I am not sure I would do it again. You can find the things you need "on sale" so to speak if you are patient, and often they are in better shape that an old rust pile. As far as your plans, I would do the distributor conversion and see how that goes. Bubba is a great guy to deal with and does a great job on the distributors. Then search the classifieds for the crank and other merc parts. You can compare the cost of buying known good parts that way versus taking a gamble on what is pictured above. My .02 is that is worth about $200. Good luck!
Back to the original question, if the "Merc" engine is really a Merc, the 4" crank alone is worth at least $250 all day long. And you could scrap the rest if it's a rusty cracked up mess. Put the Merc crank in your current block, a new set of pistons, and you have a "Merc" engine. You'll need to pull the pan or head to verify it's a 4" crank though. But, you will probably be disappointed in the resulting HP, as those few cubic inches are not going to make a kick in the butt difference. You could probably make that same or better impact to your current engine by a nice ignition with a tuned set of carbs. Even more with a cam and headers and dual exhaust.
If you can pick up the rust bucket engine for peanuts it might be a future project. We picked up a 52 COE engine couple years back, busted it apart, and the block checked out OK. We were lucky that time.... I used a Mallory electronic dist (Speedway) on our 49 and it runs out great. It was a running car (kinda) when we got it so mainly it just needed TLC. Used one of Bubbas electronic dist on our roadster which has a 49 engine. Didn't like the large Chevy dist look so he converted an old Mallory flathead unit to electronic. Runs great. Jim and his staff are good to deal with.
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