8RT vs 8BA

The 8BA heads came thru on the cars and the trucks for the years listed, but the 8RT were replacement heads starting in 51 on the trucks. Once the 8BA heads were gone, all you could get were 8RT. 52-53 only had the 8RT from the factory.

Barry

50 F-1
 
What about the EAB heads? I have what I think is a 52-53 truck motor with them. It came out of a pick up truck, no way to ID it through the numbers stamped on the top, they don't match anything I have seen. Thanks,

Rich
 
Barry-ct, what is the source of your info? I'm curious cause its backwards from everything else I've found on the truck engines.

I thought 8RT was the truck head, used thru-out the production, except maybe in 52/53.

Ford's habit of superceding numbers doesn't help us sort things out either.

And for all you car guys, trucks got the late engine in 1948. January 16, '48 to be specific and the 48 Bonus Built trucks have a unique serial number, contrary to the info on Mac VanPelt's website. Truck serial numbers that year begin with prefix 88RC or 87HC. This changed to 98RC and 97HC for 49/50 and maybe early 51.

It doesn't help that the shop manual for bonusbuilt trucks is 1949-51 w/ 52 supplement. It's like the transition year for 48 never existed - except for the serial numbers on 140,000 trucks.
 
My Chassis Parts Manual for 48-52 dated January of 1952 shows the 8BA head for 51, then the 8RT for 52. I concur with Barry.
 
My truck is a 1950 with 8BA heads, I assumed that was original and accourding to the repair manual w/ 52 supplement it should be an 8BA. Is this the original set up for my truck or did someone replace the heads at some point in time?
 
I reda somewhere that RT stands for Regular Truck.
Is it any truth in that or is it only something to make it easier to remember :-)
 
I was under the impression that the trucks were supposed to have the 8RT heads, but re-reading my parts books ( 48-54 ) It shows the 8BA head for the earlier engines and the 8RT for later and replacement heads. I've been in Ford parts for 35 years off and on and have learned to think like Ford catalog people. ( scary! ) I like the old catalogs as they were easier to understand, notlike what we have today. Today they're written overseas from info Ford supplies and stuff gets lost in the translation. Illustrations stink now also. I put 8RT heads on my engine, which originally had 8BA heads. THey're going to stay!

Barry

50 F-1
 
Mr 42 said:
I reda somewhere that RT stands for Regular Truck.
Is it any truth in that or is it only something to make it easier to remember :-)
Click to expand...

"Regular" was, I believe the Ford's name for the 1.5 ton trucks from late 30s to 40s. There was the COE and Regular (conventional). "R", from my understanding is "Rouge".
 
Thanks Barry - the only way I know to learn is to ask questions. This thread has been very enlightening. Puzzling too.

I wonder why Ford would have developed lower compression heads that late in the game.... if only Henry could talk!
 
I have seen ONE 1948 truck, that I thought was original, and it had 8RT heads. It was a 3/4 ton pickup.
 
I have a 52 1/2 ton that was very original, it had 8RT heads. I have a set of EAB that were on a 52-53 car motor, are they the hot set up as far as stock heads?
 
MT- Ford does some strange things, even today! Our biggest complaint is duplication of parts. Especially in the Hardware ( nuts and bolts ) end of it. I know of one particular nut we stock, and we have 4 different part numbers on the shelf, and they're identical. Thread, size, finish, shape are identical. I know this doesn't have anything to do with the subject, but you can understand the stupidity when a company gets so large!

Barry

50 F-1
 
Oh, I believe it! It's easier/cheaper to concoct a new part number than go back and search for previously used parts. In the last 10 years online I've come to the conclusion that there are more exceptions to the rules than there are rules. Again thanks!
Tim

ps, guess I'm making the situation more confusing....my 48 F1 is running a 51 merc with EAB heads. I'd like to watch someone figure that out some day.
 
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