Help identify what year block

[Joe KCMO]

Is it possible to tell what year this block is from these two pictures?

 

[hotcoupe]

the water passages in the pan rails will help identify it. what is the bore?
i should have said "core plugs" in the pan rails.

 

[bobscogin]

the water passages in the pan rails will help identify it. what is the bore?

I think the pan rail core plugs were eliminated later in the '41 model year, so it's older than that.

Bob

 

[38 coupe]

38 to 40 221 cube engine.

 

[38 coupe]

These questions about what year / horsepower engine keep coming up. I know of a great article in one of the 1992 (I believe) V8 Times. My copies are at my parents' house so I can't check. Can someone scan and post the entire article? Can we get a copy legally from the V8 club?

 

[Joe KCMO]

The bore is 3.1875". Can the shape of the water holes help to determine?

 

[hotcoupe]

if the water passages are trapezoidal, the block is `39-`42.

 

[Karl Wolf]

3 3/16" bore, casting plugs in pan rails- 39-41 Merc or truck engine, one of the better ones, according to what I've heard

 

[38 coupe]

The true 39-40 Mercury engine, if I remember correctly, has a circular center water hole while the 221 cube Ford engine has the upside down keystone center water hole.

 

[Joe KCMO]

Can anybody confirm that the mercury had a different shape middle water passage for 1939.

 

[flatjack9]

The one's I have had, have all had the round hole in the middle. Has the engine ever been rebuilt? What size is the crank?

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

239's have the round hole in center position in my experience.
The so-called "raised" manifold pad came out in 1941, at or near the time the plug holes in pan rail used through '40 disappeared.
Just from pics and bore, I would call this a '38 or '39-40 (lots of differnces in '38) 221 bored out to 239 size. If you investigate further, look for the core holes/bulges at pan rail, then look at where cylinder barrel approaches the trapezoid hole. On an original 239 you will see that the cylinder is ridiculously thick (you can measure it with some finagling) and that cylider comes almost to hole, while a bored 221 cylinder will be fairly thin like a modern casting.
Oops...obviously you have the core holes. I was focussed entirely on the deck picture.

 

[jdl]

Lots of info here...

http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_specs-85to100mid.htm

 

[Joe KCMO]

I have bin to the van pelt website so many times, I practically have it memorized. One of my favorite sites for info. It falls short for this instance. For the description of a 39 engine - trapezoid water holes in block(Ford & Mercury? It does not indicate). Yet above, mercurys have a round hole. What year mercury engines did you have flatjack9, any of them 1939. I wonder if late 38 for 39 mercury engines used some variations of blocks.

 

[26 lakes]

Joe,
The 1939-41 Mercury motors have trapazoid with the round center holes. The 41 has the raised deck. 1939 was the first year for Mercury.

 

[40fordpu]

Check that website again because there is a engine spec with pictures that should help you identify the engine...