59ab engine rebuild

3

36cabrioletfrank

Junior Member
I'm a newbie rebuilding a 59ab for my 36 cabriolet. 3 5/6 bore and 4" stroke. Trying to follow Ol' Rons recommendations for a reliable street engine.

I'd like to keep the compression ratio near 8.5 to 1. Do I need to use aluminum heads with a 74cc chamber volume?

I have an 8ba offy intake with a 4bbl holley. Can I use it on my 59ab? What mods do I have to make to the road breather system? Need to use an electric fuel pump right? Do I have to use a pcv valve or can I just block the road breather port on my 8ba intake? Do I plug the 8ba oil fill on my manifold? Do I use the fuel pump mount as an oil fill with a breather? Do I have to block off the fuel pump push rod bushing? Should I just spend $399 for an offy intake designed for the 59ab instead?

Planning to use a rebuilt 10" clutch from FT Wayne Clutch and a 39 ****** with lincoln gears

Please lend me your thoughts and advice






Planning to use a 39 ****** with lincoln gears.
 
You can use the 8ba manifold, but I would get a 59a if I were doing it. If the 8ba is in good shape you could sell it. I prefer the aluminum heads, but the correct milled stock style heads work fine.
 
Thanks. Are you suggesting that I could just mill my stock head? Any idea how much to raise compression ratio to near 8.5:1?

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compression ratio would depend on the pistons you are using, it might be easier and cheaper to buy aluminium heads at the CR you want/need with your desired piston.
 
Are you looking for a more or less stock appearance or do you want the engine dressed up? What rear end ratio and tire size are you planning to run with the LZ gears?
 
There are allot of questions here, and many people getting into the hobby don't have any back ground in the mechanics of it. When making modifications to an engine, it affects many other parts and operating conditions of the engine. A good example here is the fact that the pistons of an 59 0r 8BA have very little to do with the CR. But the displacement of the engine does.this leads to a little arithmetic. Another myth is milling the heads to increase the CR. Yes it will do it but not by very much. The only reason you should mill the heads are: to reduce the piston to head clearance. THis will increas the turbulence in the cajmber causing better combustion. As for the intake, yes, sel or trade it for the right one. Use the stock fuel pump. Now with al this done what are you going to do about the Carb. and ignition systems. So many things to think about and every on has an effect on the operation and preformance an reliability of the engine. Just remember this, you learn by your mistakes.
 
"Just remember this, you learn by your mistakes." - Ol' Ron

Truer words were never spoken. I've been the unfortunate and fortunate benefactor of this.
 
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