I'm starting to notice a deep knock in the bellows of my 59A engine in a 48 sedan stock drive train, no OD on the trans, so I'm trying to think ahead. I have a complete EAB in the garage, and I was wondering if I start going through the EAB and making sure that engine is solid, would it be a direct bolt in? or are they different.
Will a 48 trans bolt up to an EAB?
- Thread starter Chappy
- Start date
You'll need to either a cast iron 8RT truck or a stamp steel car bell housing. After that, you'll be good to go.
JSeery
Member Emeritus
Some good information here: http://www.wilcap.com/flathead.html#FHID
The water pumps will need swapping to 8RT pumps, you'll need the crank pulley too.
How much of the EAB is there? Is it complete as in give it some gas and electrics it'll run? Or are you looking at swapping bits from your 59A over?
With the right combination of parts, it's easy. Without them it's a pain.
Martin.
How much of the EAB is there? Is it complete as in give it some gas and electrics it'll run? Or are you looking at swapping bits from your 59A over?
With the right combination of parts, it's easy. Without them it's a pain.
Martin.
Aw, yes. You'll need all this too.
The EAB is complete, it hasn't run for years, but I keep it free'd up.
rotorwrench
Well-known member
You can convert an engine in the 8BA family to work with the 59 series water pumps, heads, and distributor but you have to change the cam over and plug a few holes to do it. You would need either the pickup/truck or 49 thru early 51 Mercury half bell to mount the trans and you may also need either a pickup/truck rear sump oil pan or a 49 thru 51 Mercury rear sump oil pan. You can use the 8BA type intake or the 59 type but you have to have either a PCV valve set up or some kind of road draft tube for crankcase breathing if you don't want blow by to exit from the rear oil filler of the 59 type manifold.
51504bat
Well-known member
The easiest way IMO is to replace the car style EAB water pumps with 8rt truck pumps BUT the EAB had narrow belts and 8rt truck pumps are wide belts which means a crank pulley change to wide belts. Or you can run early 50's Merc pumps which are narrow belt and look similar to 8rt truck pumps but the mounting flange is higher on the Merc pumps requiring a spacer between the pump mounting flange and the motor mount rubber biscuit. These pumps are more difficult to come by since they are not repopped. Also as stated earlier you'll need a 1/2 bell housing from a truck (which are cast iron and will accept an 11 inch clutch) or one from a Merc (which is stamped steel and won't take an 11 in clutch). Either way make sure you get the correct starter plate with the 1/2 bell. Not sure about the oil pan, you may need a rear sump truck pan or a rear sump Merc pan. I can email you photos of the Merc pumps as compared to an 8rt pump if you want, just PM me your email address. I've also got two 1/2 bell housings as well as a truck pan listed in the classified section if you decide to go the EAB route.
rotorwrench
Well-known member
Many of the pickups had the 10-inch clutch with the pressed steel half bell. The 11 inch clutch was used on some pickups but mostly the ones with the old stump puller 4-speed. Mercury cars changed mid year 1951 to a big cast iron bell housing with the narrow Borg Warner trans mount pattern like the Ford cars had beginning in 1949. I prefer the lighter pressed steel type myself. Many of the cast iron ones are missing the cap over the starter bendix. This brings up the clutch situation too. A person needs to either find a 10-inch Long type pickup or station wagon clutch or the Mercury Borg & Beck 10-inch in order to use the early 1 3/8"-ten spline transmission input without drilling the flywheel. The 11-inch Long type has a heavy pedal by comparison. It's either that or get a disk & cover modified with the 1 3/8" 10-spline type hub to work. The flywheels are not interchangeable between 59 series and 8BA types. They can be drilled for a 9 or 10-inch clutch if needed. Most machine shops can do that.
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