Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Ayers
Gary: Check the width of the 2nd counter weight in from the one with the chalk line. Is there a difference between the two widths of this weight? That's the one I've always checked.
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Hi Tim, the "span" across the second c/weight (where I have the 7.000" number in my photo) measures 5.750" on the 239" 8BA's, the 255" Merc (on the balancer) measures 6.000". Now, the "thickness" of the c/weight is the same on both, nominally speaking it is just above 2.000", probably 2.050" or so?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronnieroadster
Well anyone who has spent time building lots of Flathead s should know the second counterweight is wider on the Merc crank than the Ford! Heck the difference is plenty enough to see without measuring if you build enough of them. Not to mention the cranks are not the same weight just saying. Another detail to mention not all Merc crankshafts have 5/8" oil plugs I have seen 1/4" on a few also.
Ronnieroadster
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Hi Ronnie, in ALL my years of building/dynoing these Flatties, I can't even really recall ever doing an OEM 239", so yes, we are very limited with our knowledge about that particular shaft. I have a bunch here now that we've taken in on "trades" (at least a 1/2 dozen or more just recently) but not sure tonight I ever built a single one, there was never a market around here for that size.
To add to that, other than that OEM Merc shaft you see on the balancer tonight in my photo, the last time I recall building an OEM 255" Merc was back probably about 15 or 20 years ago, somewhere in that time frame anyway! It was our first build using the OEM shaft but with the Eagle H-beam rods (conventional rod journals, not the 2.000" ones) and learned on that build that their rods were absolutely no good to us. Haven't used a single one since then!
Hope this clears some of the questions up??
Thanks, Gary in N.Y.
P.S. Back in the late '80's and into the early '90's were doing the ALL the machining on an average of 10/15 blocks per year. At that time I was tied in with a close friend who did nothing but Flatheads, he also did nothing but the Merc's. We did do a bunch of 4.125" stroker cranks for him, but all were on the OEM Merc shafts! Grinding the 255" cranks for this stroke was very popular back then, today we use everything new (Eagle cranks/Scat rods/Ross pistons). I just learned today Eagle supposedly only has 8 (4.250") shafts in inventory, we are considering taking all 8??