1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

Question for a Flat head guru; can you help??

I have an oil pan from a 1948 Ford V8 coupe. It has the oil pick up at the rear.
It has a welded on transmission lower bell housing as is typical for these mid vintage V8s.


I would like to use this pan on a 1953 Ford V8 motor. Can I remove the rear lower bell housing from this 48 pan to allow its use on the 1953?? It is tack welded on.

This will allow the 53 installation in a 48 Ford car with a wish bone front.
Thank you,
Bob
http://20230331_115442.jpg

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

That looks like a pre 48 pan, don’t bother with it just get a correct 8ba pan and separate bell housing and starter plate. These are fairly common.

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

The early pan will not fit the latter block. There's more to it than the lower bell housing tack welded on. The rear main bearing caps and rear main bearing seal area between the early and late flathead blocks are completely different this means each oil pan has a substantively different rear seal area.
Ronnieroadster

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

Thank you for the replys.

I guess my options are to Merge the 8BA pan with 59AB pan. Big job.
Or
Use my 8BA pan and split the wish bone.

I know there is a rear pick up pan that will will work on an 8BA block. Perhaps from a truck or?? I had one but don't remember what it was off of.

Do you know?

Thank you,
Bob

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

I would scratch the idea of trying to modify the '48-early pan to your 8BA. Pans are out there.

There are two:

'49-'51?? Mercury is a rear sump. Make sure you get the special oil pump pick up with the pan.
'48-'53 F1 pick up. This pan has a large clean out plate on the bottom of the sump.

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

Tim is correct about the Mercury oil pan which has the rear sump but needs the correct oil pump pickup since there's a nice windage type tray in the oil pan. But there is a pan that's identical to the Mercury oil pan without the windage type tray the pan will work with the standard oil pump pickup.
Ronnieroadster

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

the early block has the lower seal as part of the cap, the later is part of the pan
I think it is possible to use the earlier cap and machine it to fit the later bearings, then use a top half of the flywheel housing adapter by adding metal to bolt the pan to but so far i haven’t done close enough measurements and comparison
The crankcase ventilation system would have to be modified too

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

No general location in your avatar, could be a pan nearby if we knew what near by is ! I have a truck pan with the big cleanout.

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

Merc pan with the windage tray:

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

Location:

I'm in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Just across the Missouri from Omaha.
Robert Schulze
402-332-8189
[email protected]

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

Some problems with the idea. Besides the rear main bearing cap being different the early rear main bearing design is complexly different between the two types of blocks as well. Next if the early rear main bearing cap was placed on the latter block it would need to be line bored so the center line matched the latter blocks center and front bearing caps.
Now you consider the cost of the line bore operation if a shop could be found to do the job. The cost would easily be way over many hundreds of dollars of what the cost is for the readily available latter oil pan
Ronnieroadster

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

My '39 p/u has an 8ba. You need a 1/2 bell housing either from a Merc - stamped steel or a truck - cast iron. MAKE sure you get the correct starter plate with the 1/2 bell housing. That will allow you to bolt up the trans from your '48 to the 8ba. And as you already know, you'll need a rear sump pan. A Merc with out without the windage tray will work as will a truck pan with the large clean out. Just need to make sure you get the correct pick up. Merc pans with the windage tray and correct pick up are harder to find. IMO your best bet would be a truck pan. Regardless of which route you go you're looking at north of a C note per my experience. And in some cases well north of a C note. There is currently a Merc rear sump pan without a windage tray or pickup on the auction site for $575.00 buy now. item number:142469044271

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

Those prices on the Merc pan are crazy. I've probably got 6 or 8 of them. Better start selling them.

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

That pan has been on Ebay for over a year. Price is way too high. If not, it would have sold.

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

Check the advance settings. One sold March 25, 2023 for $575.00 plus $75.00 shipping I agree it is way too high but apparently not to someone. And it didn't have the windage tray or pickup.

Re: 1948 Ford V8 oil pan fit on a 1953?
 

Interesting and thanks for follow up. I have one in my "watches" that has been in there for over a year. I'll look it up in a bit.