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rotorwrench · 03-25-2015, 07:47 PM

The 81A & 99A engine blocks used the divers bell type distributor till 1942 but can easilly be converted to a crab type. The water pumps used from 1937 through 1948 are all the same with some exceptions as to the type of pulley sheave. The reference to truck pumps is generally for the 8BA family of engines from 1948 through 1953 that had different pumps depending on whether it was a Ford car, a Mercury car, or a truck. THe truck pumps are the most similar to the 37 thru 48 pumps in mouunting of the engine to the frame

If you have an early engine, you just need the early type pumps and a crab type distributor used from 1942 thru 1948 for it to work as the Bishop/Tardel book plan for building an AV8. The 46 thru 48 distributor can be easily converted to a 1942 crab type utilizing a new 42 cap and a spring clip kit for that type of cap. The distributor bodies are basically the same for those years.

I sure wouldn't chop the firewall. There is little enough room in a model A as it is. I would get the Bishop/Tardel book if I were you. It answers a lot of questions for folks that want to put a V8 in there.

03-25-2015, 07:47 PM	#2
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 17,410	Re: Model A V8 clearance The 81A & 99A engine blocks used the divers bell type distributor till 1942 but can easilly be converted to a crab type. The water pumps used from 1937 through 1948 are all the same with some exceptions as to the type of pulley sheave. The reference to truck pumps is generally for the 8BA family of engines from 1948 through 1953 that had different pumps depending on whether it was a Ford car, a Mercury car, or a truck. THe truck pumps are the most similar to the 37 thru 48 pumps in mouunting of the engine to the frame If you have an early engine, you just need the early type pumps and a crab type distributor used from 1942 thru 1948 for it to work as the Bishop/Tardel book plan for building an AV8. The 46 thru 48 distributor can be easily converted to a 1942 crab type utilizing a new 42 cap and a spring clip kit for that type of cap. The distributor bodies are basically the same for those years. I sure wouldn't chop the firewall. There is little enough room in a model A as it is. I would get the Bishop/Tardel book if I were you. It answers a lot of questions for folks that want to put a V8 in there.