59 L Block ??

37fatfender

37fatfender

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I just pulled the motor out of my coupe and the block is cast with the 59 L on the bellhousing. I think these had bigger cam bearings.....but is there anything significant about the 59 L ?
 
Your going to get alot of differant answers on this one. Do you mean bigger cam as in diameter, or bigger in performance? Anyways neather is true. Some say they have thicker cyl walls, some say metal is harder, some say they are factory relived. I guess they might have a little of everthing. Walt
 
We have a couple of 59 L Blocks and both are factory relieved. I have been told by one of my long time flathead buddies that the "L" blocks are from a truck.
 
mfagan said:
We have a couple of 59 L Blocks and both are factory relieved. I have been told by one of my long time flathead buddies that the "L" blocks are from a truck.
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This is my belief also since I experienced the same. Truck engine.
 
I have been able to score a couple of new 59L blocks over the years and have built them both and they worked great. On 1 I used a Roadrunner blower and it was a screamer. The theory on the blocks in this area is they came from the nearby 40s Army airbase as they were caked with cosmoline and in crates with military markings.
 
I also have a 59 L block which I pulled out of an original '46 tudor. I don't know about the cam journal size or metallurgy, but I can attest that it a factory relived block. The story I have heard from several different sources is that Ford made these engines for military use during WW II. After the War ended Ford put their left over engines in general '46 production until their supply was used up.

Tom
 
I think oversize cam bearings were random, not related to a single use or block variant. They were I believe just what was done when an otherwise good block failed a gauging test at build time.
Many shop manuals from all the companies call out stamping codes that mark blocks with funny bearing or stem sizes from factory kludging.
 
Some folks have found 59L blocks that were not relieved. Proportionally though, a lot of the 59 "L" suffix blocks were relieved according to all eye witness accounts. I figure Ford tried to gather blocks with a particular suffix for runs of blocks to be machined for relieving as a way to help track them. Just a guess though.

Whether that suffix was used for all blocks relieved during the period is still up for scrutiny.

kerby
 
I have a 59L block that is factory relieved. I don't know about any of the other myths regarding the 59L's. Here is some interesting reading from Rumbleseat regarding flathead blocks and many other things related to flatheads.

http://www.flatheadv8.org/rumblest/intro.htm

I've read many of JWL posts and he always says there is nothing special about the CI material or the thickness of the cylinder walls on these 59L's.
 
back in the day I found a 59L block in a scool bus. It was factory relieved and I was told that they had thicker cylinder walls and were used in hd trucks and busses that subjected to sever usage,thus ran hotter and the thicker wall were supposed to help with overheating problems. this may have been a wifes tale but mine never overheated, and I used to beat the hell out of that car.
 
Wow! The link provided by JM 35 Sedan from Rumbleseat is a wealth of Flathead information I have been looking for! I wish I had this two years ago when I started the work on my 59A-B. Since then I've picked up an 8BA, two early 24 studs(no # on bell housing), and two 8CM Mercs. I have only torn down one of the Mercs so Far.
I recently found a 1946 2-1/2 ton truck for sale for $600. It had the 59 series motor, but I didn't know exactly what to look for to tell if it was still the original "truck" motor. This is a big help and I will certainly go back for another look.
 
Ralph, Just in case you didn't find the main link for the Techno Site......here it is as well. http://www.btc-bci.com/~billben/flathead.htm There is a lot of information there. I would suggest you bookmark these sites and maybe even copy some of these items into your own files just in case someone decides to take those sites down some day.
 
Folks: Much like anything Ford, don't believe anything until you have the part in your hand.

I have one of those all so rare 59L blocks. Yep, mine is so rare because it was a post-WWII replacement for pre-war motors. Meaning it has a 59L casting with 3 1/16th bores.

When I bought it I thought I scored a nice engine even though I thought the piston looked kind of small. Best I can hope for is to punch it out to 3 3/16ths (stock real 59L bore) before I have to sleave my lug of pig iron.

I should have realized why the pistons/bores looked so small. It was because they were. These 59L blocks/engines aren't as common as say 59AB, but they are out there.

Moral of the story, don't believe anything unless you are standing in front of it.

Ford Motor Co. did some crazy stuff in order to use up their supply and part/casting numbers can be meaningless unless you know EXACTLY what you are looking at.
 
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John,

Thanks, I have already printed all of the info from Rumbleseat( I don't trust computers) and I will get started on the technosite as soon as I can. Lots of great stuff in there.

Thanks,

Ralph
 
37fatfender said:
I just pulled the motor out of my coupe and the block is cast with the 59 L on the bellhousing. I think these had bigger cam bearings.....but is there anything significant about the 59 L ?
Click to expand...


I just signed on for the first time so am new at this. I saw your reference to the 59L block of some time ago. I blew up a 59L block back in the day and have been thinking about building another one. I would like to start with another 59L block. Do you know where I can find one??
 
I haven't found any differences between the L,Z. X or any other block. although Most of the L blocks I've seen were factory relieved, but so were some of the "A" blocks.
 
I have one that was not factory relieved...

Its an old race engine...it has the more common, hand done(gasket pattern looking) relieves.
 
My first flathead in 1959 was a 59L, and my latest is a 59L. Both were relieved, and I was told in 1959 by the most knowledgeable flathead guy that the L blocks were used in US Army tanks, and Canadian school buses. He also told me that the L block was harder, it had more nickel in the cast iron like the Lincoln Zepher blocks
 
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