59AB engine

flathead4dr

Senior Member
How can you identify a 59AB bare block from any other 59 series block that have a "59" cast onto the bell housing ??
 
I was thinking there was a couple of years earlier that were "59" engines but did not have the "AB" cast on the heads for some reason??
 
There were 59 blocks that had 3 1/16" bore aswell as 59 blocks with 3 3/16" bore. 59AB on the head only means it's got 59AB heads, nothing more nothing less.
Pretty sure all the 3 3/16" 59 blocks are the same, all the ones I've seen are. The 59AB heads are a little higher compression than the earlier heads, I have measured these at 76 cc +- the earlier heads including the 81A heads measured 80 cc +-. Interestingly the 8BA heads I've measured have 80 cc +-. If you lay them combustion chamber up, you can see the 59AB heads have a different chamber shape than the earlier and 8BA.
Martin.
 
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