8ba into 39 pickup.

Shampipple

Shampipple

Senior Member
This weekend I’m hoping to drop the drivetrain into my frame.

I have a 39 pickup. I have a 49 8ba from my parts shoebox. A 39 trans. The right flywheel and bell housing.

I also have a truck oil pan just in case.

Until I set it in there I’m not certain I’ll need the truck oil pan.

Have any of you done this swap, any insight is appreciated. If I need the truck oil pan I’ll just pop it on before even trying. I hate doing things twice! So I rely on those that have been there before.


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My '39 p/u has an 8ba. Yes on the truck pan. Also you'll need wide belt truck pumps which means you need to change the crank pulley and generator pulley as well. When I bought my '39 p/u with an 8ba the PO had fabbed a bracket that bolted onto the car water pumps and was bent to mate up with the rubber biscuit mounts on the p/u. I happened to have a set of narrow belt Merc pumps so that's what I'm using. They are similar in appearance to wide belt truck pumps but the mounting pad is higher than a truck pump. It requires a u shaped spacer between the pump mounting pad and the rubber biscuit. If you're using a Merc stamped steel 1/2 bell an 11 inch clutch won't fit if that's what flywheel you plan on using. If so you'll need the cast iron 1/2 bell from a truck.
 
Thank you.

I have the correct bell. Wide pulley on the 49.

I’ll put that truck pan on it!

What’s funny is my 49 shoe box has a wide belt and my 50 has the Narrow.

I’ll share progress this weekend.


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Dropped a 53 Mercury into my 39 truck last month. Had to fabricate taller front motor mounts as the truck oil pan was to close to the front Axel and springs. Kept the stock transmission too. Other than that I think it went in smoothly.
 
The 8ba has smaller diameter thermostat housing inlets (1 1/4 IIRC) then the top radiator inlet (1 3/4) on the stock radiator. You can either buy reducer bushings to go from 1 3/4 to 1 1/4 (pricey) or some wrap old inner tube around the thermostat housing to make their own reducer. Or Drake and Model Engineering both make housings with a 1 3/4 inlet instead of the normal 1 1/4 inlet. I ran the reducers for a while and when I decided to go with the new housings Drake was out of stock. That's when I found them at Model Engineering (303) 644-3450. A bit cheaper and less shipping IIRC.
 
I’ve modified the 49 Shoebox radiator. It fits right in place, and has the right inlet and outlets. I cut the side flanges off. Two pieces of angle iron on the sides.

It worked fine for the car, it should work for the truck.


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I put a '52 8CM in my '42 car. I was a pretty easy swap. I had to use the truck pan with a '37 pitman arm to clear the pan and tie rod, truck water pumps and reducing hoses for the top of the radiator. If I remember correctly ( 10 years ago?) these are available from Speedway Motors. Very nice silicon rubber. No fabrication needed. Bottom hoses for a '50 vintage car (double curve). I used Reds' Headers but you may have to use a little imagination on any exhaust setup on the left side. A lot of obstacles in the way. Good luck, it's a great upgrade.
 
I'm wondering why a stock '39 pitman arm works with the truck oil pan. I used a truck pan on my 8CM engine in my '38 car. I had to bend the arm down to clear the pan. It surprised me because I had a '40 with an 8CM and the stock (I think) arm worked fine. The '40 was long gone before I knew I had a problem with the '38, so I couldn't see what the difference is.
 
40cpe said:
I'm wondering why a stock '39 pitman arm works with the truck oil pan. I used a truck pan on my 8CM engine in my '38 car. I had to bend the arm down to clear the pan. It surprised me because I had a '40 with an 8CM and the stock (I think) arm worked fine. The '40 was long gone before I knew I had a problem with the '38, so I couldn't see what the difference is.
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I remember you being included in the epic 10-page thread about this same problem in Dave's '36 with 8BA and truck oil pan. I've thought a lot about this situation, wondering why SOME cars have no steering clearance issues with this combination, while others fight it trying to make some sort of combination work. The only possible reason that I can see making any sense is the different heights that the front of the engine can be mounted at, as well as the different water pump heights to pick from.

I still like the solution with doing a custom mod on the truck pan as seen in the picture below.


451379



And don't forget these gizmos for raising one up a bit. They came on some Mercs, but Speedy-Bill has some also. DD




470464


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There are different shapes to the oil pans. Some of the truck style 2pc oil pans have a large, flat bottom on the forward end. I believe that that style does not have interference issues. The pan shown above looks totally different and I can see why there would be issues.

This photo is the same style as my 2pc pan.
 

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38bill said:
There are different shapes to the oil pans. Some of the truck style 2pc oil pans have a large, flat bottom on the forward end. I believe that that style does not have interference issues. The pan shown above looks totally different and I can see why there would be issues.

This photo is the same style as my 2pc pan.
Click to expand...

Hey Bill .....We're talking about situations involving the 8BA/8CM family of engines built 1949 and later. The pan you show is for the 1948 and earlier engines, which were built to go into the earlier Ford chassis without these steering interference problems. DD

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V8COOPMAN said:
I remember you being included in the epic 10-page thread about this same problem in Dave's '36 with 8BA and truck oil pan. I've thought a lot about this situation, wondering why SOME cars have no steering clearance issues with this combination, while others fight it trying to make some sort of combination work.




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Thanks coopman, I apologize for being repetitive but I keep hoping someone will see a thread on this subject and know the answer. My '40 car had the truck pumps sitting down on the biscuit mounts. Like you, I'm trying to understand why some work, some don't.
 
Here's truck pumps in a 40 coupe using just the stock 40 biscuits. Oil pan is stock1950 Merc. Transmission is 1940 Ford car. As I recall if you use the Merc pumps you have to use the "u" shaped brackets plus the biscuits.
 

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19Fordy said:
Here's truck pumps in a 40 coupe using just the stock 40 biscuits. Oil pan is stock1950 Merc. Transmission is 1940 Ford car. As I recall if you use the Merc pumps you have to use the "u" shaped brackets plus the biscuits.
Click to expand...


Correct on the U shaped spacers/brackets when using the Merc pumps. That is what I have on the 8ba in my '39 p/u.
 
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