Identify this engine.

F

Franny's Flatty

Junior Member
Hello all. Newbie here and first post. I would like to identify this V8 that I've had for about 15 years. On the left cylinder head is this: EAB 6050 D. The right side is: EAB 6049 D. Intake manifold not as clear so there are two possibilities. First: 8BA 8RT or 98A 9RT. Carb simply says: Ford. I have the cast iron bellhousing and the steel starter plate, however, they are not mounted on the engine. The engine is missing the fuel pump and I purchased a starter motor. The bellhousing and plate installation look pretty straight forward but how the starter attaches to them is the question. The two long bolts that hold the starter together line up with two threaded holes in the plate but I don't know if its a coincidence or if I'm on to something there. I can turn the engine over by hand and am thinking about doing a compression test after the starter works and change the oil. What about the the oil filter cartridge? Leave it or replace it? I know nothing about the condition of the engine. It was pulled from a flatbed truck (bigger than a pickup) and when the bellhousing and PP was removed, the clutch disc was missing every bit of the fiber material. I wonder if the truck was parked for that reason. I'd like to hear it run again!
 
One issue with IDing flatheads is almost all of them have been rebuilt and/or repaired several times over their life span, so external parts get changed. Anything that bolts onto the block could be from several different years. As 19Fordy posted, photos are a great help, if you have difficultly posting photos, several of us can help with that.
 
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That did work. You have to go through a bit of a process to post on the Barn. If you want I can post the photos for you until you get a chance to work on it. Just email me the photos: jseery@ymail.com

Your engine appears to be an 8ba (49-53) from what you have posted so far. EAB heads would be 52-53, IF they are original to the engine.
 
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Here are the photos. I didn't post the starter photo, as they are all the same. I'm far from the best person to ID an 8ba, but it looks like a 52-53 to me.
 

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Cast iron bell means truck and EAB means '52-'53 heads. EAB heads were the highest compression stock late flathead heads, and a lot of people swapped them onto other engines to improve performance. It is so common that EAB heads now command a premium if in good condition. Beyond that, it's a crap-shoot. Oher than a possibility of a Merc crank or later cam, all that really matters is condition. That means a tear-down.

Car heads and a truck bellhousing spells "hodge-podge" to me from the get-go.

You are correct that the two long bolts are used to mount the starter, and there should be a small bracket under the head of one of them that bolts to the block through the pan with one of the pan bolts. Of course you should use a new filter (and new oil). If the engine is any good at all you should probably consider removing the intake and pan and check for excessive sludge. If there's a lot there you should clean it out.

Good luck with it.
 
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Franny's Flatty said:
Are there any numbers on the block that would identify it? A Mercury crank is more desirable?
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Answer to the first question is not really.

SOME late flatheads have a date code stamped on top of the block by the intake manifold; but that's about it. Most of the numbers you find on these blocks are pretty meaningless now.

And yes, a Merc crank is desirable... if that's what it has.

Only way to know is tear into it...
 
A Mercury crank has a 4" stroke, Ford has 3-3/4" so if you want more torque, the Merc crank is more desirable.
 
I'm no expert on identifying flathead V8's, but the carb is a truck carb. Trucks used the V bead on the top for mounting the air cleaner. Car carbs were flat where the air cleaner clamped on.

Sal
 
Removing the intake and the pan is good advice.......clean out the sludge if there is any and you can identify the crankshaft thats in it......if you want you can post the town your in or PM me and I’d give you a hand if your not to far away......Mark
 
Update on this engine. Years ago, I'd seen a mouse emerge from the tower where the missing fuel pump had been. Today, I removed the tower to look into the lifter galley and sure enough, remnants of a nest. So, I pulled the intake manifold and the galley was absolutely packed solid. I vacuumed it out and when I turned the engine over by hand, not one valve moved. I'm now done going any further with trying to get this running.
 
Mice in an engine is a very common story and it is rare to be able to take an engine that has been setting around (especially with components off) and get them to startup. Almost all of them need to be taken apart, cleaned up and checked out. It may or may not be a good engine (the block is the main issue), but you don't know until you check them out. Even if the block is bad, the heads and the crank (if 4 inch) have value.
 
when you turned it over the first time, all the valves moved, then stuck open. when you now say you didnt see any valves move, again, they are stuck open. if they were really stuck bad you would not have been able to turn it at all. me, i would spray a bunch of your favorite oil thru the spark plug holes for a few days, then stick an allen wrench in the hole and try to tap the ones down that should be down. look at the lifters to see the ones with a gap. the mice were in the valley floor, not on top of the valve, so the may loosen up
 
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