Flathead Transmission Question

J

jagalyn

Member
I have a 8BA with a 3spd transmission out of a 1950 shoebox.
I would like to swap it out with a 3spd 42-47 truck transmission open drive.

My question: will the bell housing and clutch from the 1950 transmission work with the truck transmission or do I need to find those components also.

Thank you for your help.
 
I did that to a 51 car and you need the Mercury steel bellhousing or the truck bellhousing.You will have to make clutch linkage,i would NOT use a 11" clutch to heavy,and rip the teeth out of trans.Have the drive shaft done and balance it. Look and Works Cool.
 
oooohhhhh! what was i thinking about, i`ve been looking at too many 59a blocks, george/maine is correct.
 
Also, if you can find a clutch & pressure plate from a 49 through early 51 Mercury along with a flywheel you would be set for a bolt on clutch. They are Borg & Beck so they won't fit a regular Ford Long type flywheel and they are already 1 3/8" X 10 spline. It's a nice 10" type that doesn't take a lot of pedal pressure.
 
I'm planning on using the Brookville Roadster body but have not purchased it yet. I have an original 32 firewall and radiator shroud. I have not acquired the radiator yet.

I spoke with Mac VanPelt this morning and here's what he tells me.

I have an 8BA motor going into a 32 frame with a 46 Light duty 3spd truck transmission.

He said I will need to change the water pumps out to the 8RT to get the flat mounts. He said I will need to change the crank pulley to a 49 Ford pulley that will line up with the new water pumps. He said I will have to change to the 49 shallow fan to get clearance from the radiator so I will have to convert to a 42-48 generator setup where the fan runs off the generator with a single belt system.

He also said I will need to acquire an 8RT Bell housing and use my 8BA Starter Cover Assembly... he said I might need to make the round knockout a little larger to make it work... after this, I should be able to use the 46 light truck clutch housing, clutch, throw out bearing and transmission.

So... I guess I've got a plan?
 
The 59A type clutches can be used with the 8BA flywheel if it is redrilled for the clutch and pressure plate you plan to use. A 59A flywheel won't work with the 8BA starter set up. There may be some conversion flywheels available but in any case a machine shop can align it and drill it for you. The 49 through early 51 Mercury flywheel with the Borg & Beck clutch is the only FoMoCo 8BA compatible set up that will work with a 1 3/8 X 10 spline transmission main drive shaft and the old style throw out bearing used with 59A blocks and earlier. The 8RT cast iron or 8CM pressed steel bell housings will both bolt up to the 78 type case.
 
The 8RT and Merc adapter bellhousings are "NOT" compatible with the 8BA starter plate. The 8RT and Merc bellhousings are flat and the 8BA plate is slightly angled. When using a late block, only use the late flywheels without some adaption.

I think a 10" 59a clutch and pressure plate would work fine on a 8ba flywheel with the early trans.
 
As long as you use the plate that was intended for each individual bell housing, the starter will work. Some starter plates can interchange but most don't. All the starters for the later V8s are the same with the automatic types being the exception. 48 thru 50 truck are similar to 49 thru E51 Merc but not the same. Merc starter plate also bolts to the oil pan with 3 bolts for extra rigidity and the truck pan has a bolt up frame welded on for the starter plate/bell housing. At least the truck pan with the large clean out does.
 
Russ/40 said:
Not true from my observations.
Click to expand...
All 1949-1950 Ford passenger cars (8BA) used used a stamped steel bellhousing with the small 4-bolt pattern trans mounting pattern and it requires the "tapered" starter plate to match the tapered bottom/front of the bellhousing. 100 % sure. The Merc and Ford trucks used the flat (untapered) starter plate.
 
Truck gears are good IMO. I put car gears in my top shifter box, because they were like new. Taller than the truck 1st gear, does not putt-putt around congested areas and parade very good. Lower would be better, and a wider spread 1st to 2nd would be welcomed in a lightweight. You'll like it.
 
While we are on the subject, I have a 221 with closed drive, I understand you can swap parts from other ******'s to make it open drive, but can I just bolt up a '42-47 truck 3speed?

Or, maybe a 49-50? Car 3speed transmission?

Or is the bolt pattern on the 221 different?

thanks
 
Mike B said:
While we are on the subject, I have a 221 with closed drive, I understand you can swap parts from other ******'s to make it open drive, but can I just bolt up a '42-47 truck 3speed?

Or, maybe a 49-50? Car 3speed transmission?

Or is the bolt pattern on the 221 different?

thanks
Click to expand...

The variables are many so hard to describe all.

All the closed driveshaft 3-speeds can be converted to open drive by using PU components but the number of components required will vary with the year of transmission. The wide 91A shifter fork and later type syncro is required.

The 42-52 PU light duty 3-speed trans can be bolted up to all flathead v-8s (the later blocks require the Merc/truck transition bellhousing). The rear trans mount/center crossmember will have to modified and/or removed.

The 49-50 Merc car 3-speed will bolt to the early block but it is difficult to install in early closed drive cars with tailhousing/crossmember interference and column shift linkage required.

The 49-50 Ford pass 3-speed will not bolt to an early block without an adapter of some sort.

My advise: Understand what you are going to do and what you have before going out and buying parts and components to make these types of mods.
 
Barn Junk said:
The variables are many so hard to describe all.



The 42-52 PU light duty 3-speed trans can be bolted up to all flathead v-8s (the later blocks require the Merc/truck transition bellhousing). The rear trans mount/center crossmember will have to modified and/or removed

My advise: Understand what you are going to do and what you have before going out and buying parts and components to make these types of mods.
Click to expand...

This seems to be the information I need...

Yes, I'm following your advice and trying to figure it out before I spend any $$ :)

Thanks as well butchbov, but my 221 has the intergal bellhousing...funny thing though, as much as i've gone through that site, inever came across that article!
 
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