Flathead 6cyl to Flathead v8 swap question

T

twistedridez

Junior Member
I have 1949 Ford F1 with 6cyl flathead, I was thinking of swapping it out with an 8ba. My question is the transmission, Will it bolt up? Is it a good trans? Is there a better Idea?:confused:
 

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the picture in my previous post........the ****** is out of a 49 f-1 ....six banger, the engine in the pic is a 52 V8. bolted right up.
 
The transmissions are the same. You will need the V8 1/2 bell as the six has a different bolt pattern on the engine. If you move the radiator back 3" to the V8 position you will also need the air deflector in the hood and the one at the bottom and in front of the radiator. The battery trays are also on opposite sides.
Mark
 
Thanks everyone. My trans looks like Kendall pic. I know enough about these flatheads to be dangerous! After driving the truck around a little (And loving it) Is 1st gear not synchronized? Mine is a 3 speed. ( I think) Was there a four speed version?
 
While I'm at it.. My plans were to drop the 8ba in it, A/C, some version of a dual master cylinder, maybe disc brakes on the front, lower it a little, nice steel wheels and whites. And drive! But Like to keep it as reliable as possible... Any suggestions?
 
A 9 inch rear from a later F100/150 would be ideal as it would give you a choice of rear gear ratios so it won't scream at highway speeds. Same bolt pattern.

That 6 is probably a real torquer - with the right rear ratio it could be a good highway ride.

twistedridez said:
While I'm at it.. My plans were to drop the 8ba in it, A/C, some version of a dual master cylinder, maybe disc brakes on the front, lower it a little, nice steel wheels and whites. And drive! But Like to keep it as reliable as possible... Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
 
Hey guys, not trying to hi-jack this blog but, I'm also getting ready to convert my 48 F-1 from 6 to 8 cylinder and I'm needing a 8 cyl. air deflector also. if anyone has one (after twistedridez gets his) please PM me. Thanks Tim
 
Nice truck! V-8 and 6 transmissions are the same. And yes there were 4 speeds (not synchronized in any gear). Seems like the inner fenders are different to allow the V8 radiator support. I thought the radiator supports were different also, but can't remember. I studied doing this once, but decided the 6 was just too good a driver to change. I'm using a 3.73 rear end. Very drivable, It just doesn't sound as good.
 
The inner fenders and radiator support are the same. There are two sets of holes in the inner fender and crossmember that are 3" apart. The front set is for the six and the back set is for the V8.
Mark
 
Also, all the holes are already there in the lower front corners of the inner fenders and in the hood for both the six and V8 air deflectors. The frame has holes for both the six and V8 battery trays. I think the six cylinder battery tray may cause some clearance issues with the oil filter and/or left hand head and exhaust manifold on the V8. The V8 battery sits quite a bit higher off the frame than the six and is on the right hand side. You will also need a V8 fan shroud.
Mark
 
a36bonanza, 51PanelMan on this forum may have the air deflectors you need. I bought a six cylinder hood deflector from him for my conversion.
Mark
 
Thanks for mentioning me. I have MANY 48-52 truck parts, including the hood air deflectors, as well as the lower radiator deflectors, for the 6 and 8 cyl engines. You'll need to change the battery tray from the 6 cyl to the one from an 8 cyl. The 8 cyl battery tray mounts on the right frame rail, unlike the 6 cyl, which is on the left frame rail. I have several good 8 cyl trays. Lastly, I also have two V8 fan shrouds.
 
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twisted...........1st gear is not synchronized, you should be stopped when putting it in 1st. should be able to go from second to third by double clutching on the run.


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