Am thinkin that I'll stick with a flatty for the '40 coupe that my buddy pulled off of the reservation for me a while back, since it still has all of the 3-on-the-tree tranny linkages in place. Another friend dug this flathead engine out of a shed for me this weekend. Said his dad had collected it many years ago, and that he had pulled the heads and figured it was a good motor. Anyway, I am noting the violence to the fan and the lower radiator water outlet and hoping that the block hasn't been abused. I was wondering about the bore in the engine, since it has indications that it may be an early 24-stud: The location of the fan; the type of distributor. It is a "59" block, but that may not mean it has the bigger bore. If it is a 3 1/16 bore, can it be bored to 3 3/16 plus? Opinions please.
Nothing other than "59" on the back of the engine to go by. Will pull the heads soon to see what's there.
If it is a 59 block it's got to be a 239 incher. As for what that means about bore size, I don't know without looking it up and as I'm sitting in the University library, I can't. The 59 block is a postwar motor, I'm quite sure, so that rules out it being "an early 24-stud" engine... unless you mean 1946! I love how stock and complete it looks. Looks like a good start for a neat sounding project. Good luck.
You have a 1938-48 59A Block which is postwar and has a 3.1875 bore. Postwar "59A" style blocks. These had the "59" cast into the top of the bell housing. Note that some of the 59A style blocks were also sold as replacement engines for pre-war 221 cubic inch cars and had the 3.065" bore.
Looks just like the one I got out of the 47 hay truck. Same 4 bladed fan. It's a 239 if it's a 59 block. What does it say in the center of the heads? 59-AB? Of course heads changed on these things a lot. Especially on the reservation where they kept the old rigs running lots longer...
"IF" that is a Z to the right of that 59 on the bellhousing, you have one of the Holy Grails of flatheads. They supposedly have a better alloy and thicker cylinder walls, and may be factory relieved sometimes. Definitely a keeper. If it's not a Z it's still a good start to a nice motor. And there's no way to predict the bore on a flathead without actually measuring, because most all common casting designations have been made in 3-1/16" as well as 3-3/16". alchemy
The tranny that's currently on the flatty is a stump-puller with "BB" at the first of the serial number on the bell-housing. That's a truck application, alright. But, it too could have been changed, so I don't pay much attention to that either.
That sure does look like a Z on there. This is a quote from Rumbleseat on thre flathead forum, who has been building these before our daddy's even thought about us. All 59 series blocks are identified as 59A 59AB 59L, 590, 59X, 59Y, and 59Z and 59 without a letter. The 59L,X,Y, & Z blocks were supposedly military and were thought to have used stronger materials (higher nickel and carbon content) in order to meet tougher military specs. I do remember boring a 59Z block in the early fifties that nearly burned the boring bar up it was so hard! The machinist said hed never seen such a hard block and hed been boring them since the mid thirties! So maybe there is something to the military tale. This was taken from here rumbleseat
My 47 truck motor had the Z but it wasn't factory relieved. Also I couldn't use it because I discovered the pan rails were split lengthwise after we cleaned off the sludge. I did keep that truck pan tho...
Holy Shit, Alchemy, that is a "Z"!!! I went out to the garage to double check, and about an inch or inch and a half to the right of the "59" is an embossed "Z" about 3/4 inch tall. It doesn't show up real plain in the picture, but when I wetted my finger and rubbed it across, it shows up plain as day! You've sure got a good eye! I always thought that 59 "Z" blocks had the Z stamped in rather than embossed. WTF!
I've heard that some were stamped inward also, but the Z block and the L block that I have both have them raised like yours. Course my Z is below the 59, not next to it, so it shows that Ford wasn't consistent with everything. My Z block is factory relieved, and my L block isn't. Good score. alchemy
My dad has a block with a Z cast on the bellhousing, but it was off to the side, so we weren't sure if it was the desirable "Z". I can't remember if it was relieved, I will have to look at it again. Neal
Its already a hotrod motor... that fan wasn't "abused," the blades were merely swept back due to the super-high velocity the motor and car acheived. Prolly scared the crap outta the previous owner, so he yanked the mean flatty and threw in a pokey little SBC.
FYI.....for all those who think the 59A blocks (mfr'd from 1945 into 1948) are all 3-3/16".....they aren't. Most, of course, were the big bore, but some of those engines were sold by Ford as replacement engines for pre-war cars with the 3-1/16" bore. I know this for a fact! My 59A block was barely worn when I acquired it. The bores measured 3-1/16" and had no cylinder liners and had no ridge at the top. I had my machine shop bore it out to the standard 3-3/16" bore these 59A's normally came with. It threw us for a loop til we figured out what I had. As the others say...pull the heads and measure what you've got. The Ford Flathead V8 Engine site
[ QUOTE ] These had the "59" cast into the top of the bell housing. Note that some of the 59A style blocks were also sold as replacement engines for pre-war 221 cubic inch cars and had the 3.065" bore. [/ QUOTE ] Do I hear an echo..echo.
The Jalopy Journal
