I need some help from you fellows... I'm about to start rebuilding my 51-52 flathead motor and I think it has been rebuilt in the past due to a metal plate affixed to the front-bottom of the motor bellow the generator mount which states: cyl 8, mains 0.10, rods 0.20....I know these bearings are oversize but not exactly sure what specifically it means??? Does anyone think it might have the infamous 4" crank? What is the chance it can be rebuilt again? The motor has the original single carb intake with the ID code BA/8RT. The driver side head ID code is FOMOCO EAB 6050 D, the passenger side head code is 8RT.It has the Holly 94 2 barrel carb model 8BA-9510-A,the motor also has center dump headers...This motor is in a 1952 F1 pickup with rear axle gear ratio of 3.92 heavy duty.Any information would be much appreciated...Thanks
Has my flathead been rebuilt???
- Thread starter curleeman
- Start date
uncle max
Well-known member
Well... It has mixed heads (8RT = low compression... EAB = higher compression), so there's a possibility someone threw a 4" crank in there too.
the tag on the engine is a rebuilders tag giving the information about the engine, .010 is ten thousands under size mains, .020 is undersize rods,, clean of the top of a couple of pistons to see if you can find markings telling you how much over size the engine has been rebuilt, usually .030 or .060, most blocks can be taken to .120 over size bores, some can go to .187 over size and still be very usable, put the piston at the top of the stroke then turn engine over till the piston is at the bottom of the stroke, if it measures 4" down its a merc crank worth 3 times the ford crank, it the distance to the piston is 3 3/4' is a ford crank
Lawson Cox
Well-known member
Both seem well preserved. lol
Thanks for the info...I guess it does'nt matter what heads I have now,I plan on replacing them anyway with new alluminum navarro racing heads or offenhauser 8BA heads.I plan on doing a total rebuild replacing practically everything inside out,new 4 barrel navarro manifold for a mondern 4 barrel,a SCAT 4" crank with SCAT H beam rods,,ross racing pistons with grant rings, and clevite rod and main bearings,modern 12 volt alternator and distributor,remote oil filter,all attached to a modern transmission with zoomie headers to match.What do you guys think of this combination? This motor will be going into my home built modified dry lakes roadster "T". My problem is knowing what type of machine shop around the DFW metroplex will be qualified enough to work on this old gem of a motor...I don't want to just drop it off at any typical everyday engine rebuilder,they need to know some nostalgia and history..If anybody out there knows of any good hot rod or high performance engine builders, let me know..It would be much appreciated..Thank you...
makemc
Senior Member
that tag doesn't tell if it is a 4in crank or not,
it just means the main journals have been turned
10 ths. and the rod journals 20, which does mean
it has been rebuilt at some time, the question is
how long ago? does the tag have a date on it.
The tag on my 8ba that was in my 48 f1 had the
date right under the name Wichata Ford, Wichata,Ks.
it just means the main journals have been turned
10 ths. and the rod journals 20, which does mean
it has been rebuilt at some time, the question is
how long ago? does the tag have a date on it.
The tag on my 8ba that was in my 48 f1 had the
date right under the name Wichata Ford, Wichata,Ks.
I thought a modern 4 barrel carb might be better for tuning and performance than the Holly 94,either way I have multiple old 94's worthy of rebuilding. Maybe I should run dual 94's and keep it original? I can't find the date of the rebuild,this motor has been setting in my late grandpas 52 F1 for over 30 years,it's pretty rusty but still in good shape.Everything is complete and still bolted to the motor,the carb,the heads,sparkplugs,headers,waterpumps and hoses.I recently checked the oil and the oil still looked good and was still slippery,even after all these years.The waterpumps turn easily but I can't get to the crank to check if it spins because the motor is still in the truck.The motor is being pulled out this week by my uncles mechanic.Is there anything I should be concerned about besides the usual rust cracks and possible seizure of pistons and crank? The motor was running about 25 years ago!! Long time but it has been sitting in the dry air of the Texas panhandle..What do yall think,anything specific to look for or inspect upon getting the motor out besides cracks and having it magnafluxed? Any help is appreciated...Thanks yall....
4tford
Well-known member
Checking for a 4" crank
try this link for the info on the merc 4" Bill
http://flatheadv8.org/boomer/crank.htm
try this link for the info on the merc 4" Bill
http://flatheadv8.org/boomer/crank.htm
Lyle
Senior Member
I have 5 running flathead ford engines. Only one of them smokes. That one will have to be rebuilt. Maby top end only. One the 52 out of a convertable had a mercury head on one side.(driver side) ford on the other.runs like a top. Had a auto transmission behind it now has a T5.starts easy. runs good with good oil pressure. The next. Is a 52 truck. The fellow that we got it from got it from his grandad. He did not know what to do with it. He removed the heads and intake.lost the carb.when I got it from A John He ridge reamed it with pistons in it.Putt the heads back on after a slight hone of the cylenders. I installed a old carb out of my junk box.with the intake. Used the old gaskets. No fire to plugs. Number one had no compression. Till after I used the distributer out of my 53 mercury. After running 4 times number one had good compression. You never know what you going to get. I have a nother mercury. 49 Not good. Block cracked every way you can think of only thing good was water pumps and crank.Bolts and nuts. maby the fan blades.and that one cost me the most to get it home. wish you luck.
rotorwrench
Well-known member
You will be money ahead to use a Ford or Mercury crankshaft. Several folks have had problems with the Scat cranks. I don't know if the radii in the journal edges are too small or if the cast iron formula is at fault but they have been know to break under pressure. The Holley 390 CFM carb can be made to work OK. Navarro stuff is good but it will set you back some. Barney was an inovator and tried about everything you could with a flat motor. H-beam rods are more for the serious racer and are kind of overkill unless you are going to go way out with bore and stroke plus a girdle for the bottom end strength. Forged pistons are usually set up to be somewhat loose in the bores and can get kind of noisy on a street engine after you get a good number of hard miles on the clock. Egge machine makes some high silicon pistons(hypereutectic) for .125 oversizes and larger that can be set up tighter and will last longer for a street application. They will last longer just due to the tighter clearances they can be set up for and they will give way good performance with three rings. I just wish they were available for stock bore diameters and up.
JWL here on the barn has a good book with the dyno tests to back the experimentation up that you might need to check out. Get info here. www.flatheadv8.org/jwl.htm
JWL here on the barn has a good book with the dyno tests to back the experimentation up that you might need to check out. Get info here. www.flatheadv8.org/jwl.htm
metalman
Member
I'd bet it has a Ford crank in it since it has a rebuilders tag unless the rebuilder used a Mercury block to start with. Only a hot rodder or someone trying to get more performance would swap a Mercury crank in a Ford motor, rebuilders could care less, they would do a quick rebuild and sell it exchange, not caring what it's going into.