59 L engine

These days, you should probably grab every decent block you can. Nothnig special, except for braggin' rights.
 
59L was a low compression, high RPM, high torque truck engine, with a factory relief job. I had one in my '38 along with a 3.78 banjo. Top speed on the desert wasn't great, it would cross Nevada at 76 mph, off the line was slow also, but it could take any mountain except switchbacks in 3rd gear. I never did go for a Pike's Peak T shirt, and SF has hills with speed limits, not mountains so that doesn't count.
Yes, you missed out on a good travellin' man's engine.
 
I buy flatheads and file them away for future use. I have at least a dozen of them. I bought a 59L motor just because of the "L" and when I pulled the heads it wasn't factory relieved. Apparently not all 59L motors were relieved.
 
Flathead Fever said:
I buy flatheads and file them away for future use. I have at least a dozen of them. I bought a 59L motor just because of the "L" and when I pulled the heads it wasn't factory relieved. Apparently not all 59L motors were relieved.
Click to expand...

That makes sense, as I’ve heard that not all 59L blocks were in trucks.
I wonder which came first, the factory relief or the backyard port & relief?
 
Flathead Fever said:
I buy flatheads and file them away for future use. I have at least a dozen of them. I bought a 59L motor just because of the "L" and when I pulled the heads it wasn't factory relieved. Apparently not all 59L motors were relieved.
Click to expand...

I have one also that’s not relieved.
 
this is the one i got for free. dint no much about them but was told i came up on this one.
 

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Flathead Fever said:
I buy flatheads and file them away for future use. I have at least a dozen of them. I bought a 59L motor just because of the "L" and when I pulled the heads it wasn't factory relieved. Apparently not all 59L motors were relieved.
Click to expand...

That is correct. Not every L is factory relieved.
 
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