flathead question

biggeorge said:
I picked up this a while ago. Was told it came out of a 38 truck. I think it is a 39 mercury. What do the Flathead fathers think? I have more pictures in my albums. Almost no ring ridge on viable cracks yet. Block is marked 99, one piston is marked 0.05 cam is marked 5 t Pistons are domed. I was going to put this in the 32 pick up i,m building but i might want to save it for my 40 coupe. I also have a 46/48 59ab motor i can use in the pick up. What are your thoughts.
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I'd call it a 39 if it dosn't have steel sleeves and the bore is under .080 over std. which is 3.1625 or it could be a late 38 but it has a 39 deluxe front pulley or a 40-41 front pulley. I don't think thay used steel sleeves untill 1940. Those sleeves are .040 thick so if they had been removed the bore would be .080 over std. It has the core plugs in the pan rails so it put it 42 or older. Walt
 
Thanks Walt. I see only one piston marked 0.05. So at this time i don't think it been bored to much. I think it is pretty much stock and was rebuilt some time a while before the ring gear wore out. It looks like some one started to take the pan off to change the fly wheel and then let it sit. I hope to get it disassembled today.
 
Up to 1948 engine codes were cast into the top of the bellhousing. This page shows them. http://www.classictruckshop.com/id_flathead.php

Also, in 1938 trucks had the 85 hp engine not installed in cars until 1939. This happened again in 1953 with trucks getting the OHV a year ahead of cars. This is for TRUCKS and I don't know if that includes pickups.

That hints there should be two codes for 85's in 1938 but I don't know. I sold one I took out of a 1 ton truck that was an 85 hp (24 stud) but had the 81A code.
 
Looks pretty nice in the pics.

Is it just me, or do a lot of valves seem to be open?? Are some of them stuck??

Mart.
 
john hamilton said:
Up to 1948 engine codes were cast into the top of the bellhousing. This page shows them. http://www.classictruckshop.com/id_flathead.php

Also, in 1938 trucks had the 85 hp engine not installed in cars until 1939. This happened again in 1953 with trucks getting the OHV a year ahead of cars. This is for TRUCKS and I don't know if that includes pickups.

That hints there should be two codes for 85's in 1938 but I don't know. I sold one I took out of a 1 ton truck that was an 85 hp (24 stud) but had the 81A code.
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John, the info on that link is way off on several points. For one thing, most flatheads don't have codes cast into the bellhousing (59AB's seem to have it more often, but early blocks don't have "codes" and later 8BA/8RT's don't have any meaningful numbers cast into that area)

Also that link infers that the later engine change took place between 48 and 49 - which is true for cars, but trucks got the new engine in January '48 in 1948 model trucks - one year ahead of cars.

Mac VanPelt's website is more accurate, but even his info is screwed up when it comes to 48 truck vins - what's posted just isn't right.
 
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