engine/block ID

51merc

51merc

Junior Member
please take a look at my album and the pics and offer any info and/or comments on what this engine may have come out of. any comments or suggestions are appreciated. i've got the plugs out; still won't turn by the crank, but i plan on injecting some marvel mystery oil in the cylinders thru the plug holes tomorrow.
thanks in advance
 
It appears the engine was in a 48-52 truck.

The sump with large clean-out and the right hand exhaust manifold would indicate this, however, the EAB heads are from 52-53 passenger vehicle but these could have been fitted at any time during the life of the engine including at overhaul.

The spark plug wire holding bracket also is from a 48-50 engine.

If you have the water pumps and the bell housing that came with the engine, these would also further help in identifying the vehicle it was in.

Hope this info helps, good luck with the tear down,

Neil.
 
Way to check date code. The one shown translates to ( 5/10/51 )
 

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My guess is 53-54 truck. It should have had wide belts. The large oil pan clean out is also truck indicator. As is the RT on the intake. Orange is used on the last of the Flatheads. Check for a date on the rear right of intake surface.
 
what i have found on the top rear of the block, between the intake gasket and the head reads as follows....either a 3 or 8 (someone's stamped an "X" over it and it's hard to tell, but i'm almost positive it's a number, not a letter) then a "4" then a "P", then a "2" in a box.
this doesn't really match a date code, or does it? and if it is, where would one find the engine code?
i AM finding evidence of orange paint though....
thanks
 
As has been noted, the pan is '48-'52 truck, the heads are '52-'53 Ford car, the intake came on cars and trucks (8BA/8RT casting), it probably came out of a truck and is probably not the original engine, but it doesn’t make any difference anyway, as the blocks are all the same except for valve seat inserts up to about '52. You might even have a 4" crank, but you won't know until you disassemble and measure. The important thing is the block, and hoping yours is crack-free and useable. The fact that any flathead engine being original to the vehicle it came out of today is highly unlikely. To my knowledge there are no known casting codes on the blocks that specify Ford car, truck or Mercury, if there ever was any. Good luck! :)
 
All of the old 8BA style blocks made from 1948 through 1954 in US & Canada were essentially the same so the date is really not that important. If the date code is not legible for dating purposes, you have a block that could work for any year in the range. Stampings were performed by workers at the Rouge or Windsor, Ontario casting facilities. Some were inspector stamps after completion of certain processes and the date code was probably the last one stamped on. The engine may have been a salvage yard pick that was installed in a truck as a replacement. The EAB are good heads for compression since they have the smallest clearance volume of all the late series L-head 239/255 V8 engines but they are 1952/53 for certain. If you tear it down, the only other indication of time frame will be whether it has stellite valve seats on all valves, exhaust valves only, or none at all. Late type rotator valves and springs would indicate 52/53 but could have been replaced at a previous overhaul. The camshaft may have casting marks such as 8BA, 8CM, or EAB that might help narrow time frame by model if it wasn't replaced previously at O/H. The crankshaft might have some model markings but many don't. A 4-inch crank would indicate Mercury of that vintage but also could be a replacement part.

Kerby
 
well i've got the intake off and both heads, and all 47 of the head bolts came out. that's right broke one off. i realized that the oil filter canister bracket was mounted with 3 of the head bolts instead of the ones at the top of the head. i guess this was typical of a truck motor? anyway, i'll soak that one broken head bolt, and get it out this week. i'm trying to get some PBBLaster down thru the cylinders to see if i can get it to turn a bit, it ain't moving at all now. i'll keep posting, i've never done this before, only taken heads and intake off and replaced with aluminum; i'm looking forward to rebuilding one from the inside out.
 
all right, all valve assemblies are out, along with the cam. finding some evidence of mercury, 1CM on the oil pump drive cover, could this have a merc crank? could i be that lucky. other indications, (all pointed out by those on these forums, thanks) are definitely truck, red/orange paint 52-53. 8BA heads, etc.
now to get her turned to where i can get some break away fluid to hold in the cylinders for a good soaking and try to get those out. only broken one head bolt so far, broke the extractor trying to get it out, so i'm leaving it alone for now...
found 060 stamped on the top of the block, near the front left just out from under the intake, i'll have to presume it's been bored .060; that's about all a flathead can take, too, isn't it?
thanks to all for replies and info. if you let me, i'll pester the $&!^ out of ya!!! thanks again
 
51merc said:
all right, all valve assemblies are out, along with the cam. finding some evidence of mercury, 1CM on the oil pump drive cover, could this have a merc crank? could i be that lucky. other indications, (all pointed out by those on these forums, thanks) are definitely truck, red/orange paint 52-53. 8BA heads, etc.
now to get her turned to where i can get some break away fluid to hold in the cylinders for a good soaking and try to get those out. only broken one head bolt so far, broke the extractor trying to get it out, so i'm leaving it alone for now...
found 060 stamped on the top of the block, near the front left just out from under the intake, i'll have to presume it's been bored .060; that's about all a flathead can take, too, isn't it?
thanks to all for replies and info. if you let me, i'll pester the $&!^ out of ya!!! thanks again
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Look at the crank and see if it has a 5/8 plug to clean out the journals, if so, it's a 4" crank. There are other ways to tell also.
 
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