Flathead Engine ID's

FatFndr

FatFndr

Member
I am looking for info on these three flathead's for a friend. Any info would be helpful. I have no pictures a this time....thanks

 [FONT=&quot] 1st Motor – Head number 59A-B1948 - BELL HOUSING #d236-59d. This engine has a transmission with a tower floor shift – may be from a truck[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]2nd Motor – Head number #8RTNJ292 UNDER THAT NUMBER IS A K221. This also has a transmission attached with large tower, also may be from a truck.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]3rd Motor – Head number 40-6049-8 no transmission but has aluminum heads with water pumps attached to the heads but above where normal water pumps on a flathead should be. I’m thinking they may be from a boat.[/FONT]
 
3rd one sounds like a 34.The head #,that # on the end 8 is most likely a B not 8. the othet side would end in an A./// 8RT is a 48 51 truck engine. ken ct.
 
For engine # 2 I think the part number for the cast iron fan carrier bracket starts with 8RT. Might help verifying it's a truck engine as heads may have been changed. If it is a truck engine it should have wide belt pulleys. They look like those below.
 

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The 8RT one is from 48-53 in trucks. 8RT heads were issued from the factory in 52-53 and were supercession for the 8BA heads in 48-51 years. You'll find many were changed from 8BA to the 8RT heads, so it is hard to date the exact year. It might help to see if there's a set of stamped number in the right rear ( pass side ) corner where the intake bolts.
 
Trucks used 8RT heads from 48-53, but any could have been changed to 8BA or 8CM or 1CM or EAB during any overhaul or rebuilt exchange since then. ..B.
 
Look in the 48-55 Ford truck parts books and it will show the 8BA heads as being on trucks from 48-51 and 52-53 with the 8RT heads. It also shows the supercession of the 8BA heads to the 8RT heads. You also used a different head gasket with the 8RT heads. It has been discussed here and EV8 Ford club site. And yes, the Ford authorized rebuilt assys. had whatever matching heads they had in stock at the time.
 
Barry-ct said:
Look in the 48-55 Ford truck parts books and it will show the 8BA heads as being on trucks from 48-51 and 52-53 with the 8RT heads. It also shows the supercession of the 8BA heads to the 8RT heads. You also used a different head gasket with the 8RT heads. It has been discussed here and EV8 Ford club site. And yes, the Ford authorized rebuilt assys. had whatever matching heads they had in stock at the time.
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Possibly a misprint in the parts book? Would that be a first? Why would Ford introduce their latest variant of the flathead in their new truck line with all the advertising mentioning the new tough 8RT TRUCK engine and then put 8BA heads on it for four years? Wouldn't the kids who saw them in the showroom and drove them remember such an anomaly ? ..B.
 
Multi-year Ford parts books are not much better than interchange books. To determine what is actually correct for a Ford vehicle, the catalogue published closest to the year the vehicle was built will give you the straight poop.
 
I guess we can always say it's a misprint. Barlea and I have gone around on this before on other forums. I have no way to prove that trucks were sold with 8BA heads, but the 80 something year old gentleman that I bought my F-2 from told me that he had never had the engine out of his truck. I believe him. I rebuilt the flattie-it was wore out and definitely needed a rebuild, but I saw nothing to believe that I was not the first to pull it.
I've got several other older friends that tell me the same thing, that they owned F-1's and F2's that came with 8BA heads. Easy to say they are old coots with fading memories, but I put a lot of creedence in what they say. I still believe (albiet I cannot prove) that a lot of these trucks came with 8BA heads...slim
 
Yes, there are misprints and mistakes in Ford catalogs. I found many in my 30+ years as a Ford parts man. Usually they're corrected in the next printing. Not so in this case. 48-55 is the same as the 48-54 issue. The 48-56 catalog shows no reference to the 8BA head at all, but we all know that printing is the worst. More mistakes than you can shake a stick at. In my past experience, Ford would come out with a part, use it for a while and then supercede it. Then after a while, eliminate all reference to the original number. Still happens today. Why would they have 2 different part numbers with similar characteristics at the same time? The CC on those 2 heads are close. I can understand the EAB heads, as they're alot different.
Does anyone have a copy of the 49-59 Ford car catalog? What do they list for heads for 49-53?
This may be a thing that cannot be proven out unless there's info at the Ford Reserch Center to prove it out one way or the other. Time has a way of clouding memories and I'll admit to that. I wasn't alive then, so I can't swear to it being correct. I doubt there too many people alive who were parts men back then who are still with us. With all the part numbers I and others have dealt with over the years, very few stand out in our memory. I guess the best thing is to agree to disagree for now until it can be proved out.
I must apologize for hijacking this thread.
 
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