My F1

elwood

elwood

Well-known member
Hey guys, My poor old F1 runs great with the little 4 inch merc engine in it, but damn it just wont hardly pull my car trailer with a load on it.
So Ive got this nice little 460, 4 speed and 9 inch sitting here in my shop taking up room.
I sure am thinking of stinking this in my 50F1.
The F1 is my daily driver, and the only thing I even have to pull a trailer with, or Id never conceder this.
Opinions guys.
Any one thats been around here long knows Im a die hard flathead guy, and would never conceder this, just need more towing power.
Thanks guys ......
 
Elwood, I've been thinking about installing a receiver hitch on our '51 F-1. I also run a '53 Merc Flathead with the stock 3 speed and a 3.92 rear, with an OEM single reservoir master cylinder. I'm not planning on haulin' heavy vehicles, maybe an 8N Tractor on a lightweight trailer.:) My primary concern has to do with the brakes... :eek:

How heavy is the 460 with the four speed transmission?
 
Well it's your truck.
I hate to see the swap, but then again I really can't put myself in your shoes as I can't imagine using one of these for a daily driver. My old F-2 pulls fine, stops ok, sounds great and brings a lot of attention, but I would probably be mad at it all the time if it was all I had to use.
Would it be out of the realm to consider another truck to use for your real truck and keep this one around for light-duty uses? It deserves to have a bit of a break...slim
 
Elwood

An F1 would not be a good choice for towing a loaded car hauler.
I think a 3/4 or 1 ton truck would be safest.

Bruce
 
Denver makes a good point. After all the nickel and dime parts you'd buy for the swap (headers, exhaust, mounts, etc.) you might be better off buying a $1000 beater for when you need to haul loads. I see you're in Texas. There's got to be 100s of old F250s kicking around for a song down there.
 
I've seen 460 powered F1s on C-list and they stay on there a long time. The value drops and I just skim right over them as I have no intrest in an "updated" vehicle that is not so practical for modern transportation. You will likely miss the old flathead at some point.

As was mentioned, it's your truck but you will take a hit in value for a mod like that. I figure it would be less money and overall work to repair a later model beater than modify an antique to do daily work.
 
I have one in my neighborhood, looks like the front bumper is dragging the ground! He opened the hood to show me the engine compartment, steering is all cobbled up motor on a weird angle. I am sure a good mechanic could do a much better swap but it is still a lot of weight on that old front end!
 
Might consider a transmission and rear axle gearing swap instead. The issue is pulling power more than HP. You need a lower rear axle gear to tow with and a transmission with OD for daily driving. Something like a T5 would allow you to at least drop the axle to a 4:11. These trucks were built to pull heavy loads, but with lower gearing than most of us like these days. There is also the issue of the truck weight ratio to the towed weight ratio, it is not a safe practice to haul a load that is too heavy for the tow vehicle, that applies to any vehicle, not just the F1.
 
I agree with some of the other posts. The power train isn't the only issue with towing with the old F1. The brakes, steering, and suspension are all outdated to tow in modern traffic. I fear that you will make the swap and still not have what you need. It is your decision, but your truck will never be the same and I don't think you will have a vehicle fit to tow heavy loads if you decide to swap to the larger engine.
 
460 - 720 ish
flathead - 570 ish

As stated, braking may be an issue. In addition, the short, very nose-heavy F1 may get steered around by the loaded, bumper-mounted trailer.
 
I don't mind what engine is put in these trucks as long as they are saved. Consider tho how long it would take to do a swap. Dropping the motor in place is the easy part. Now you have to consider all the little things like linkage and radiator and mounts and clearance and exhaust. A big motor will fit easy but will take more work than a small block. To me the small block ford seems to fit these trucks perfectly.
 
It's a tight squeeze to fit a 460, it's heavy, and they suck gas like no tomorrow. A 351 with a 2-bbl is plenty of power, an easy fit, much lighter, and economical with the right trans (OD). But I agree, an F-1 wouldn't be my choice to tow 5k+ lbs.
 
Hey Vic, I think its about a 150 pounds more.
Well, I dont know what Im goanna do now,
The radiator was empty yesterday, so I filled it up,
This morning before I was goanna drive it, I rechecked the head bolts, all good, then I checked the water, empty again, so i checked the oil.
Sigh,
The pan is full of water, seams all the water drained from the radiator to the pan somehow.
Guess Ive got 6 or 7 blocks sitting here with cracks in them.
Makes a guy want to cry ......
 
I just had the heads milled flat, and new felpro gaskets, checked the head bolt torque, all good.
Its gotta be cracks.
As much love as I give these flatheads, they sure dont shine on me much.
 
Elwood, the 460 is just to big for that truck, I would find me 91 or newer 3/4ton truck, a big 300 c/I 6 cylinder, they have gobs of torque, just what you need to pull a trailer, and ford's big 6 will stay with most of the v/8's, besides you can have air conditioning, power brakes, power steering and with fuel injection your milage will be good
 
Sorry to splash more cold water on your idea but any older pickup is generally a poor choice for a tow vehicle. Too light and too much weight on the front.
It can be done if you are going to carry a barrel of fuel and 500 lbs of tools to a race etc etc. You will need bigger tires, brakes and springs also.
Fix the flathead and get a real tow vehicle for trailering.
 
I've had some bad towing experiences - mostly from poor choices on my part. After the last disaster some 12 yrs ago I vowed that I'd never again tow with a truck that was light in the back end and NEVER tow anything except the lightest trailers without electric trailer brakes.

I would never use an F1 to tow even medium loads. I run stock brakes and I can brag about their ability to lock up all four on dry pavement ( avoiding deer) but it doesn't take much imagination to feel them get all creamy trying to stop a heavy load on the bumper.

Swap the 460 if you want, but I can't recommend the setup as a towing rig. Just my dos pesos.
 
Thanks for all the input guys.
I'm just not real sure what I'm goanna do, I do have a 3/4 ton Chevy truck I ust to use to tow and haul scrap, but I've let it go un insured and un tagged, I really love driving the F1, it does great daily, just doesn't like to pull the trailer.
Guess Ill haft to keep the Chevy legal for towing,
I'm having a really hard time finding blocks around here.
So far, I've tore down and tested 7 blocks in the last year, and 7 of 7 where bad, a couple I paid good money for, sigh ...
Guess Ill drive my little Roadster around while I look for a block.
 
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