My 59 ab flathead /// What I have?

[ratamahata]

Hey fellas the past week I made my own engine stand and put the flatie in there, The engine wasn't rotate, and pull out the heads, one head marked 59 ab and the other 59 a, really don't expecting nothing good, What I found: only one piston stuck with deep rust ( the cylinder wall corroded ) and I notice they had cylinder sleeves, another find were the connecting rods marked 8ba, may be had the 8ba crank, I don't know how recognize the crank?, only I saw the two holes in the bearings...

 

[Mike in AZ]

Re: My 59 ab flathead

hmmm...does the engine have a bellhousing??..with 59 cast onto it??....if no bellhousing, it's a later model with 59 heads....link below to MacVP's website has info on IDing flatheads along with lots more info...good luck.....Mike

http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_home.htm

 

[ratamahata]

Re: My 59 ab flathead

yeah have the 59 raised on top with no letters!!

 

[f1builder]

Re: My 59 ab flathead

check to see if any of the water passages on the deck and the head have been blocked. you might have an 8ba block with early heads on it but it sounds like an early block with late internals. sounds like it can be easily fixed to run though, assuming no real major damage anywhere. check it closely for cracks. put water in it and see where it goes. good luck and have fun.

 

[flatjack9]

Re: My 59 ab flathead

The later cranks had core plugs in the end of each crank throw and two oil holes in each journal.

 

[Mike in AZ]

Re: My 59 ab flathead

if you can post some pics, always helpful in IDing your engine....might even have a 4" mercury crank.....good luck....Mike

 

[ratamahata]

Re: My 59 ab flathead "Updated pictures"

More pics and cracken pics haha

 

[Russ/40]

Re: My 59 ab flathead "Updated pictures"

You have one of those odd motors that were made for the Canadian military. It is running a later 8BA style crank and rods in the earlier 59A block. It uses a special floater style bearing in the insert type rod. I hear the bearings are next to impossible to find. Check out the crank and bearings real well, they may be usable as is, if your lucky.

 

[ratamahata]

Re: My 59 ab flathead "Updated pictures"

You have one of those odd motors that were made for the Canadian military. It is running a later 8BA style crank and rods in the earlier 59A block. It uses a special floater style bearing in the insert type rod. I hear the bearings are next to impossible to find. Check out the crank and bearings real well, they may be usable as is, if your lucky.

Thanks for the info Russ and please could you explain what is the term odd?

Then the crankshaft is not a 59 ab and not even a 8BA it later?

 

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

Re: My 59 ab flathead "Updated pictures"

You have one of those odd motors that were made for the Canadian military. It is running a later 8BA style crank and rods in the earlier 59A block. It uses a special floater style bearing in the insert type rod. I hear the bearings are next to impossible to find. Check out the crank and bearings real well, they may be usable as is, if your lucky. I'm glad I read all the replys. I was looking at the pic and wondered how they were running full floating bearings with 8BA rods because I knew the housing bore of the rods were differant. Russ/40 answered my question. Walt

 

[flatjack9]

Couldn't the 8BA rods big end be honed to accept the full floaters or are the widths different?

 

[fbcoach68]

My 1946 59ab has the exact same markings on the block and heads. I dont remember what was on the rods.

 

[38 coupe]

I hate to disagree with you Russ/40, but what I see is a normal 46-48 block with 49-53 crank and rods. A very good combination in my opinion.

 

[ratamahata]

Guys I'm very confuse at this point ha ha, may be Bruce Lancaster have a opinion about!

 

[bbrocksr]

I hate to disagree with you Russ/40, but what I see is a normal 46-48 block with 49-53 crank and rods. A very good combination in my opinion.

38 coupe, Look at the bearing shells in pics 1 & 2 , They are floaters.
Bill

 

[52merc]

russ i think i agree with you however its hard to tell how thick those floating brgs are if they the canadian they are real thick and yes impossible to find but at the end of the day he has a 59 block with 8ba crank n rods and possibly canadian floaters or normal floaters

 

[ratamahata]

russ i think i agree with you however its hard to tell how thick those floating brgs are if they the canadian they are real thick and yes impossible to find but at the end of the day he has a 59 block with 8ba crank n rods and possibly canadian floaters or normal floaters

The bearings thickness are 0.15 " aprox.

 

[Russ/40]

I stand on my earlier observation. By odd, I mean there were not that many made, and very few remaining. It was a tactic the Canadians used to allow for the most number of parts interchange possibilities. The same rods could be used with both early and late bearings. Both the floaters and insert bearings could be used with the same rod.

 

[ratamahata]

I stand on my earlier observation. By odd, I mean there were not that many made, and very few remaining. It was a tactic the Canadians used to allow for the most number of parts interchange possibilities. The same rods could be used with both early and late bearings. Both the floaters and insert bearings could be used with the same rod.

Well then there is no kind of problems with this set and I can also use the bearing inserts because the crank is a 8ba right?

 

[ratamahata]

bump