53 8BA in a 41 Pickup-General Advice

[bullrunmotor]

I have a 41 Pickup with a tired 59A. I have an opportunity to pick up a good running 8BA which came out of a 53 Car getting a SB Chevy transplant. Will my 39 top shifter style trans bolt up to the 8BA or is there difference with rear casting/bell housing etc. I'm sure I'll have to change water pumps. any overall review from anyone who has done a swap would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

[V8COOPMAN]

Click the link below to a previous thread that should answer your basic questions. It's an easy project with readily-available Ford parts. DD

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...9+mercury+bell

[Oldog3]

Bull , I just did a 36 switch into a 41 truck it went very easy and that transmission should be no problem

[41LjH]

In order to use a 8BA with a 39 toploader you will need a truck bell housing. Unlike the 59A you have the 8BA uses different bell housings for cars and trucks. You will also need to re drill the flywheel to accept the pressure plate that you are currently using. You might also try to get the 8BA starter and be sure to check the mounting flanges on the water pumps because cars and trucks are different. hope this helps, good luck....

[51504bat]

Originally Posted by 41LjH

In order to use a 8BA with a 39 toploader you will need a truck bell housing. Unlike the 59A you have the 8BA uses different bell housings for cars and trucks. You will also need to re drill the flywheel to accept the pressure plate that you are currently using. You might also try to get the 8BA starter and be sure to check the mounting flanges on the water pumps because cars and trucks are different. hope this helps, good luck....

Make sure you get the correct starter plate to go with the truck 1/2 bell housing or as some refer to it as "hogshead" or the stamped steel 1/2 housing from a Merc. The starters are the same. The truck housing will allow you to run an 11 inch clutch but not the Merc housing. You need 8rt truck pumps which only come in wide belts. The motor you have should have narrow belts. You can change over all the pulleys to wide belts, remove the wide belt pulleys from the truck pumps and press on narrow belt pulleys, or you can use narrow belt Merc pumps that look like 8rt truck pumps BUT the mounting tab for the motor mounts is different and you need to use the u shaped spacers from the Merc that go between the pump flange and the rubber biscuit mount. I've got an 8ba in my '39 p/u with Merc pumps and there was some clearance issues between the front cross member and the pan but my front cross member has had some repairs so that might have contributed to the problem or maybe it is the Merc pumps. Also the tie rod is very close to the pan. I picked up a truck pan at the Big 3. meet which once installed should provide some more clearance. I'm running the stock 9 1/2 inch pressure plate for an 8ba with a 9 inch disc to accept the spline from the '39 top loader.

[JSeery]

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Originally Posted by 51504bat

Make sure you get the correct starter plate to go with the truck 1/2 bell housing or as some refer to it as "hogshead" or the stamped steel 1/2 housing from a Merc. The starters are the same. The truck housing will allow you to run an 11 inch clutch but not the Merc housing. You need 8rt truck pumps which only come in wide belts. The motor you have should have narrow belts. You can change over all the pulleys to wide belts, remove the wide belt pulleys from the truck pumps and press on narrow belt pulleys, or you can use narrow belt Merc pumps that look like 8rt truck pumps BUT the mounting tab for the motor mounts is different and you need to use the u shaped spacers from the Merc that go between the pump flange and the rubber biscuit mount. I've got an 8ba in my '39 p/u with Merc pumps and there was some clearance issues between the front cross member and the pan but my front cross member has had some repairs so that might have contributed to the problem or maybe it is the Merc pumps. Also the tie rod is very close to the pan. I picked up a truck pan at the Big 3. meet which once installed should provide some more clearance. I'm running the stock 9 1/2 inch pressure plate for an 8ba with a 9 inch disc to accept the spline from the '39 top loader.

Little confusion here, he needs the half bell, not the "hogshead" they are two different things. A hogshead is often used to adapt later transmission to a flathead, only the half bell is need for the earlier transmissions.

[51504bat]

Originally Posted by JSeery

Little confusion here, he needs the half bell, not the "hogshead" they are two different things. A hogshead is often used to adapt later transmission to a flathead, only the half bell is need for the earlier transmissions.

Sorry for the confusion, I've heard both referred to as hogsheads but regardless its a pretty straight forward installation using the 1/2 bell housing shown in the photo attached.

[Ol' Ron]

Someone should take the time to put together an artical on how to do this with a list of the parts necessary, I know what this guy is going theough and after installing an 8AB in a friends 39 PU. He was told by several people this couldn't be done or was very expensive and ther is allot of miss information. No Hogs heads, no spacers under water pumps and you don't have to change the distributor. All stock parts. I wish I put that in my book.

[JSeery]

There really shouldn't be any confusion on the term "hogshead". The term is used for two different Ford parts, but they are far removed from each other. The terminology refers to the shape / appearance of the objects which some people think looks like a hogs head in their shape. It is used to describe the model T transmission case and the V8 adapter that was used on trucks to attach the four speed transmission to the blocks. For the 59a and earlier block the "hogshead" will bolt directly to the block and for the 8ba it requires what is often called a half-bell between the block and the "hogshead".

The hogshead is useful for adapting later model transmissions (such as a T5) to the flathead as it provides the clutch fork and a flat surface that is easy to mount an adapter plate to. The half-bell is used to bolt an early style transmission case to a 8ba block.

[JSeery]

Examples of a "hogshead" used as a transmission adapter. The first photo is a hogshead attached to a 59a block. The second photo is a hogshead that would attach to an 8ba block using a cast half-bell.

[V8COOPMAN]

Below is an example (black piece) of the cast iron truck half bell that has been talked about above. You can find both types on eBay frequently. The second pic (from above) is a closer look at the '49-'50 Mercury stamped-steel piece which effectively does the same job. DD

[bobH]

I like the clutch 'linkage'

[V8COOPMAN]

Stole that pic from Don Garlits thread. Almost has to be one of his old-timey dragster rigs. DD

[Binx]

It would help a bunch if you let us know if you're planning an early front (crab Dist, 59 pumps, etc). More general advice if you go either way is the crank pulley. If you go retro with 59 or earlier front with a crab dist and early pumps or later 8BA hardware, you will have to modify or change the crank pulley. Here's a good thread that gives two options if you go with the 8BA face...

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11268

Lonnie

[Binx]

More general advice from my files I've gathered here on the barn. I hope I'm right. But if not, I'll win in the end with correct information....

An 8BA flywheel must be used with the 8BA block because of the ring gear alignment.

The correct combination of parts to match an 8BA 10" drilled flywheel to an earlier transmission is:


10” Pressure Plate PN# 19a-7563 ’46 -’48 car or ’46 -’52 pickup
10” Clutch Disk PN# 51a-7550 ’46 -’48 car or ’46 -’52 pickup
Throw-out Bearing PN# 78-7580



Lonnie

[41LjH]

I used dropped tie rod ends for a 56 pickup to get the pan clearance. Had to modify the tie rod, but it works...

[HCO41]

The '49-early'51 Mercury oil pan will give better clearance than the truck pan. Sump shape is less sloped from sump towards front of pan. This pan requires the original oil pickup tube and screen used only with these pans.
There's a link that's been posted here many times showing all the bell housings, oil pans and starter plates used through the flathead years. Maybe someone can post it for you.
Howard

[Charlie ny]

bull,
You will notice at some point that the issue of the fan will come up. Your
truck has the crank mounted fan and with a bit of creativity you can adapt the crank
mount to the 8ba. There are two fairly easy ways to do this and a link exists which
describes both methods. I did this swap 4 years ago and it was well worth it.
Charlie ny