53 Mercury camshaft

J

jerry grayson

Well-known member
Can someone tell me what is the advantage of this over the 8ba? The engine in my Crestliner is a 3/4 grind of somesort and I don't like it. I have heard that the Mercury is better in some regard than the Ford. How do you identify a 53 Mercury camshaft?
 
I think the 52 & 53 Mercury shared the same EAB cam with the Ford. Both went up on horsepower in those years. The EAB type should be the highest horse power maker of all the FoMoCo manufactured cams for L-head 239 & 255 CID V8s. I'll check and make sure though.
Kerby

PS:Checked and found the 1CM-6250-A for 51 to 53 but in the later Ford Manuals they were replaced by the EAB type. You would have to check out a used one or have a used one reground to a similar profile.
 
My Motor's repair shows the '52 Mercury with a .354 valve lift, '49-'51 with a .338 lift and '53 at intake .319, exhaust .315
 
I don't think that the .354 number is valid. All the later cams I have checked are around .330 lift.
 
49-50 Mercury Cams are marked 8CM...51-53 Mercury Cams are marked 1CM this mark is on the body of the cam.

52-53 Ford cams are marked EA or EAB

50-51 Ford cams are marked B
 
The info I copied down from an old Ford barn post by JDL. "8CM 1949-1950 Merc cams.338 lift 240* duration. The 1951-1953 under 1CM has a .333 lift,236* duration". Myself I run a 8CM cam with snout machined for 59AB with the 4 inch crank and one 97.
 
The Merc-O-Matic changed things for the 1951 & on Mercury models. Both of my 51s were manufactured in late 1950 and would be considered "early 1951". They both have the early type Borg Warner R10 overdrive transmissions and both have heads marked 8CM. Somewhere in there, they changed to 1CM. It may have been with the first automatic transmission models. It would be interesting to know exactly when though.

Kerby
 
49-51 ford "B" cam
.305 lift
int. opens 5*btc - closes44*abc set.017
exh. opens 48*bbc -closes3*atc set.019

52-53 ford "E" EAB cam
.328 lift
int. opens 21*btc - closes68*abc set.017
exh. opens 56*bbc - closes11*atc set.019

49-50 merc "8CM" cam
.338 lift
int. opens 10*btc - closes50*abc set.014
exh. opens 50*bbc - closes10*atc set.016

51-53 merc "1CM" cam
.333 lift
int. opens 5*btc - closes51* abc set.017
exh. opens 47*bbc - closes9* atc set.019
 
It looks like the EAB cam has the most duration of the bunch even though the 8CM has a little more lift. There are still a few NOS EAB cams out there.
 
If you notice, the clearance specs were changed from 50 to 51. I think the cams are the same, but the clearance change will alter the timing specs and lift a bit. This was probably done to tame the cam down slightly for the automatic transmission.
 
Last edited:
Late 1951 is when they came in with the rotator type valves. That may have been the change since specs were different for the late type valves.
 
jeery i run a truck cam they have 8rt on them this cam has i little higher lift good down low :)
 
they are out of the 8ba truck engines this was discussed on the ol barn a couple of years ago,
 
The EAB cam has been identified, what about the EAA Cam? This one came out of a 52-53" Merc Flathead engine?
 

Attachments

  • DSCN6157.jpg
    DSCN6157.jpg
    60.7 KB · Views: 199
JDL has it about as right as it gets.
I have reground thousands of them over the years
and they always match up to the same masters.
Hard to beat for chugging around drive-in's and
getting good gas mileage.
 
HEY JACK::) Leave it to me to get the oddball, I have a cam with the E on the shaft the E is laying on its back, as opposed to what Merc Cruzer cam looks like, and mine is cast in the shaft. Also the cam is for a 59 block. and looks original on the dist drive end, and as I mic. the the lobes I get 360 lift,:confused: way to much ?? yes it a ground cam as it lays along a stock cam, wish I knew what I have ?? along with other cams I have,,, one with flat top on the lobes of about 1/4 inch, must make a looooong duration on open valve?? .... Jack look for pictures on your e-mail ( don't know how to post ) and hows that fresh engine running now?? ...And 'jdl' thanks for posting the cam specs again ..... OLD...BILL :cool:
 
I tearing down the engine in my 53' Merc for a rebuild. I has had a rebuild before. I found this cam 8BA in the engine. What year and car (Merc or Ford)?
 

Attachments

  • DSCN6539.jpg
    DSCN6539.jpg
    73.1 KB · Views: 210
  • DSCN6540.jpg
    DSCN6540.jpg
    64.8 KB · Views: 181
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top