46- 48 merc heads

There are no known distinctions (or differences that I know of) between 1946 - 1948 Ford versus Merc engines. As such, you can't tell one from the other (they're the same).

Now, when I say that . . . somebody will tell me they have an original 46 Merc where the engine was painted purple . . . (There are always outliers it seems!) LOL
 
kurt v said:
thanks Kube, so how to tell a merc from a ford besides the color, 39-48 ?
Click to expand...

Kurt, 59 series engines didn't show up until 1946.
I seem to recall they were all painted blue regardless of whether they were to be installed in a Merc. or a Ford.
 
Last edited:
There is no difference between Ford or Merc for 46 to 48 both are a 59A series. Often people have referred to the 59 series engine as a "Merc engine" whether it came out of a Mercury or a Ford as it is 239 ci. The first Merc engine in 1939 was 239ci (series 99A) while the same year Ford was 221ci (91A).

GB
 
There are quite a few nuances that are used to tell a 39 - 42 Mercury engine from a Ford. Also, there are WWII engines that are 239 cubic inches and closely match the 41-42 Mercury engines.

I won't try to get into all the differences - plenty of sites have shown the blocks, the raised intakes, the coolant holes, the 'pencil test', etc..

For many flathead performance nuts, the 99A Mercury block is special . . . even though it really makes little sense to believe it is any better than a good 59AB 239 block. I have a 41-42 style Merc style engine in my 32 Cabriolet - it was an engine built for WWII military applications (dual-sheeve pullies, special oiling system mods, etc).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top