1951 Mercury Flathead
 

I recently purchased a 51 Merc Flathead engine to build for a future project. I have a question about the water pumps. It seems these are different from all the rest and harder to come by. My question is will any other Ford pump mount to the block and work? The tabs for the motor mounts are irrelevant to me. It does have the thin belts on it and from what I have read the other pumps use a wider v-belt. It might be easier to change the crank & gen pulley. I also have to find a bellhousing for it. Thanks for any input.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

Merc car,narrow belts and angled mounts,right? Will accept regular 8ba style truck pumps with wide belt and flat base mounts. Bell housing from 8 ba bolts right on.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

Mercury cars used the wide and low mount pumps to work with the special engine mounts that they use. Any of the Ford car, truck, or Mercury pumps will fit the block. The truck pumps and 1949 Mercury pumps were wide belt. The others were narrow offset sheave type. Early type pumps from 37 thru 48 can be made to work on the 8BA type block with some modifications but they would rub on the late type distributor housing unless the engine was coverted for the ealy type distributor too.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

If the motor mounts are irrelevant, buy '49-'53 Ford car pumps.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

I have a Merc stamped steel bell housing listed in the swap/for sale section here. A truck cast iron bell will also work.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

You can also send your pumps to Skip Haney in Fla. for a rebuild.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

I have a question, what are you going to use this engine in??? That will answers your question. It iz possible to install any ford water pump made from 37 to 53 on the block. The pre 49 nits will have to have sealed bearings in them. So there isn't any problem here.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

Thanks for the input guys. I do not have the car yet but I am looking to set it in a Model A. I ran across the Flathead and thought here's my start. :)

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

You may want to secure the starter plate that goes with the bellhousing as I under stand there are different ones.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

+1 on this. In the past, people seem to have been very good at saving the bellhousings, not so much the starter plates. Somewhere on the internet, there is a very good post showing all of the different bellhousing/starter plate combinations for later flathheads. You'd be surprised how many there are.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

Have a good collection of plates and housings. Maybe I can help

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

I think the flathead techno site has the bell/starter plate info.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

Thanks guy's, I have the starter plate. I looked at Van Pelts site and one from V8Bob and moefuzz from I think msn flathead forum. It's a little confusing but it looks like there could be two depending on early or late 51. I think I will check my plate again and bottom of oil pan.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

I just checked the starter plate. It is attached to the bottom of the oil pan.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

Early 51 is the stamped type used from 1948/50. The late 51 is a completely different character. They are cast iron and have a rectangular starter plate and a bottom access cover.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

The bell housing and starter plate he needs depends on which transmission he plans to use for his project.

Re: 1951 Mercury Flathead
 

I think you can use almost any standard shift trans with the stamped steel 49/50 bellhousing, but you will probably have to make an adapter plate.