engine swap
 

what's involved in using an 8ba in '48 ford? thanks, Ray

Re: engine swap
 

I can give you few thing to get ready.
You need truck bell housing or mercury 1/2 Housing, truck water pumps.
I'm doing this swap now and have got engine in together and waiting for the sprits to move me. more info later.

Re: engine swap
 

You may need the truck or Mercury rear sump oil pan. Different (universal) coolant hoses to connect to the front of the 8BA heads. I'm not sure about the fan you would need. Ford car fans might work if they are early 49 or the later Mercury fan sometimes gives a bit better clearance but they are narrow belt fans. The 48 thru 52 F1 fan will work for wide belt sheaves and pumps but I don't know how well they will clear. Mercury pumps can be used with spacers for a slightly shorter clearance if needed.

You will need either the 10-inch F1 Long type clutch & flywheel (same clutch as 59A but different flywheel) or the 49 to early 51 Mercury Borg & Beck type clutch & flywheel combo. You can get any 8BA flywheel drilled for any clutch that will work if you need to. Most 8BA clutches for cars are 9.5-inch Long type for the later 1-inch ten-spline type transmission input that won't work on the old 1 3/8-inch 10-spline like your 48 Ford has. The heavier duty F series & 49/E51 Mercury will. If you use a different transmission than OEM 1948, you will need a clutch to work with that.

Re: engine swap
 

Also a truck pan which has the sump in the rear and will clear your cross member. The truck pumps probably take wide belts so needs a wide belt front pulley and generator pulley. I just built an 8BA which was set up with passenger pumps and all pulleys narrow belt so I made up adapters from 1 1/2 x 1/4 steel and bent an angle to attach to the pumps and then sit flat on the 59ab motor mounts. Clear??
John

Re: engine swap
 

Ray, The thread below tells how to do this swap. Be sure and read ALL the link attachments in each thread posting. I have an 8BA in my 40 which is the same as it would be for your car. The biggest problem is getting the 8BA fan to locate so it won't cut into the upper radiator hoses. Also, the 8BA thermostat housings have a smaller dia. than the 48 FORD top tank radiator hose inlets. I used 8RT wide belt water pumps and stock rubber motor mounts.The stock 8BA oil pan won't work. I used 1949-51 Merc oil pan to clear tie rods. The early Ford pick up truck oil pan may also work. Must be rear sump style.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...ba+engine+swap

Re: engine swap
 

The fan is not a problem in '42-'48 Fords. Stock 8BA, truck, Merc fan setups fit the same as '42-'48.
'49-'50- E'51 Mercury pan clears the tie rod better than the truck pan. The truck pan 'MAY' need massaging at the front part of the sump.

Re: engine swap
 

Attached pix is of a 8BA engine in my friends '37 pickup.. The application pretty well works the same in any Early Ford V8...
The spacer blocks under the water pumps are stock '49-50 Merc.. corrects the slight offset of the holes in the water pumps to align with the holes in the cross member..

Re: engine swap
 

Just to expand on the above post. The pumps shown are 1951 Merc (narrow belt) which are different from the 8RT truck pumps (wide belt). The spacers shown are 1951 Merc spacers which are used with the 51 Merc pumps along with the 51 Merc crank pulley, fan pulley and generator pulley. This gives you the belt installation where one belt drives each water pump pulley. If you use the 8RT wide belt truck pumps you don't need the spacers, but you do have to use the wide belt fan pulley, crank pulley and generator pulley. With this set up one belt drives both water pump pulleys ,generator pulley and crank pulley. Another belt drives the crank pulley and the fan belt pulley. Be sure and read links below and keep in mind fan belt install configuration. perhaps someone will post more detailed photos.
http://www.flatheadv8.org/Waterpump/pump.htm
http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/...d_water_pumps/
http://i61.tinypic.com/fve3ix.jpg

Re: engine swap
 

If you have an engine already assembled and ready to go, follow the advice already given.
If you have yet to assemble the engine, convert the front of it to early type.
Either get an early cam or have the nose of your 8ba machined to early specs. Use early cam gears and cover.
Use the original water pumps, ignition, heads, fan etc.
You will need to plug a small water hole toward the front of each deck.
Use a Merc half bell. Use the stamped steel one if you can find one. (Cheap scatter shield) Use the original pan and oil pump.
When you get done, a person will have to look closely to tell it is not and original type engine.
I may have overlooked a couple of details but you get the idea.

Re: engine swap
 

Model Engineering Company/Just 32 sells 8ba thermostat housings with the larger hose diameter (1 3/4") and so does Drake's - if I remember correctly.

Re: engine swap
 

Gents- thanks for all the advice. I have now decided to rebuild
my 59ab.

Ray

Re: engine swap
 

49-50 Merc/truck engine (s)
I was always under the impression that 8BA-8CM engines had narrow belts, where-as the trucks had wide belts.
Reviewing the attached pix you will not that there are variations to this rule..

Re: engine swap
 

I have and update on the 8rt 1953 pu into 1947 car.
The truck oil pan rear sump but its stepped to front and hits oil pan.
Tomorrow will try jacking up motor some.
Also looks like the pitman could use bending.
I bent the wheel end of link and didn't help.

Re: engine swap
 

Early 49 Mercs had wide belts and early style fan just like the F1 but they still had the high mount water pumps with oiler caps for the front bushing. Those first 49 Mercs had a weird looking rectangular engine mount isolator too. They are hard to find now days unless someone has started reproducing them.