The Ford Barn

18tillidie · 07-10-2025, 06:24 PM

I did some work on a 1950 Custom Coupe with an 8BA Flathead a few years ago for a friend… it had been sitting for about ten years…

One of the first things I discovered when I drained and tried to refill the oil, was that someone had installed a 59Ab gasket on the Offy intake. The oil filler/breather is located at the rear of the 59Ab vs at the front on the 8BA, so the gasket totally blocked the breather intake. The internal tube (that passes air directly from the breather down to the crankcase before it circulates back up at the rear then through the valve tunnel and out the road breather) had been removed, since it would no longer fit with the hole blocked off by the gasket.

The mechanical fuel pump had also been removed and a cover plate installed, so there was zero air inlet… the road breather was still there, but nowhere for air to get in! I can only assume they unbolted the fuel pump cover plate to add oil!

I installed the correct gasket and managed to find the missing internal tube from a very generous member here. Compression was perfect. I rebuilt the triple 97’s and located a short on the low tension lead inside the distributor, and got it running again for them.

Fast forward a few years… it’s been sitting again ever since, so the friend wanted to sell… I couldn’t resist!

The difference this time is that I now have all the receipts and history of what was done on the original build (that I didn’t have first time round)…

I was surprised to discover a pretty impressive rebuild… fully machined block, 4” Stroker crank, 3/4” Isky cam, flat pistons, Edelbrock heads, Offy intake, triple 97’s… (plus a new 5 speed Tremec transmission, and front disc conversion)… I am now wondering if there was actually a reason they did it that way with the 59Ab gasket??? Hard to imagine someone doing a rebuild like that and then messing up something so basic???

I can’t imagine why, but it’s now gnawing at me, so asking here if anyone maybe has an idea? Was there some method to the madness, or just plain madness???

They could have just cut the hole out if they just had the wrong gasket, or installed a breather at the back rather than a cover plate???

BTW… I now have it running super sweet again, new engine and trans mounts, new fuel pressure regulator, new rear brakes, rebuilt the stock steering. There’s still a vibration around 60-65mph that I suspect is a drive shaft issue, and the lowered suspension handles like a pig, but it’s a total hoot to drive, and sounds only the way a flatly can!

Any thoughts on the intake gasket logic???

Here’s the earlier 2021 thread (added on to an earlier 2012 thread on a similar topic) where I was figuring out the issue first time round… https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88928

(The '51 in the background is the next project... it has a 289 small block :-( and it's a Tudor Sedan, which never quite grabbed me, but contemplating chopping the roof to deal with it's more boxy stance!)

KiWinUS · 07-10-2025, 06:48 PM

So it’s an 8BA with a 59AB intake? And no road draft tube? If so that’s probably why the 59AB gasket.

tubman · 07-10-2025, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KiWinUS

So it’s an 8BA with a 59AB intake? And no road draft tube? If so that’s probably why the 59AB gasket.

It appears to be. I see an oil fil tube in the rear, but none in the front. The O/P should checkout how the breathing system has been computed, as there seems to be no way for the air to get out. It may have a PCV valve mounted under the intake (or maybe not).

Looks like a couple of pretty nice "shoeboxes" there! (Love me them coupes)

.

18tillidie · 07-10-2025, 07:29 PM

It’s an 8BA intake and it was originally a 59Ab gasket… I replaced it with the correct gasket… yes, the road breather tube is there and there is a breather at the front, it’s tucked in under the alternator.
I put the rear breather on at the beginning of the process before I figured out the gasket issue. I should put the cover plate back, as the two breathers may be messing with circulation.
When I first started on it, there was no breather front or back.

18tillidie · 07-10-2025, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubman

Looks like a couple of pretty nice "shoeboxes" there! (Love me them coupes)

.

Thanks! Yeah, I love the coupe… I really struggled sending it back, so I couldn’t resist when they decided to sell it!

I could never quite fall in love with the sedan, particularly without the original flathead… but it slowly began growing on me when I started thinking about it with a chopped roof! Now I’m starting to get motivated to pull the body off so I can get stuck into it.

I don’t know what the engine is like yet… it has a power steering conversion (not a very pretty install!). But it needs a set of discs on the front. If I take the body off, it gives me lots to do with my spare time… which unfortunately is in short supply! Not ready to retire yet but not going to get bored when I do!

18tillidie · 07-10-2025, 07:44 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by KiWinUS

So it’s an 8BA with a 59AB intake? And no road draft tube? If so that’s probably why the 59AB gasket.

The road draft tube is there, you can see it from this side…

alchemy · 07-10-2025, 09:48 PM

If you have the road draft on the front, a breather on the front (with a gasket that doesn’t cover it up), and no hidden PCV, then you should block off the rear breather and be fine. Just like Henry did it, except a couple extra carbs thrown in.

18tillidie · 07-11-2025, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alchemy

If you have the road draft on the front, a breather on the front (with a gasket that doesn’t cover it up), and no hidden PCV, then you should block off the rear breather and be fine. Just like Henry did it, except a couple extra carbs thrown in.

Thanks. I’m going to block off the rear breather.

Still interested in any ideas why they would have blocked both breathers when they did an otherwise impressive build.

tubman · 07-11-2025, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 18tillidie

Thanks. I’m going to block off the rear breather.

Still interested in any ideas why they would have blocked both breathers when they did an otherwise impressive build.

Probably because they have experience with other engines but no experience with flathead Fords. I can't think of any other engine family that completely reversed the flow of air through the engine 90% through it's life. Ford did a few odd things like that,

07-10-2025, 06:24 PM	#1
18tillidie Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2021 Posts: 24	Did they install the wrong intake gasket on purpose? I did some work on a 1950 Custom Coupe with an 8BA Flathead a few years ago for a friend… it had been sitting for about ten years… One of the first things I discovered when I drained and tried to refill the oil, was that someone had installed a 59Ab gasket on the Offy intake. The oil filler/breather is located at the rear of the 59Ab vs at the front on the 8BA, so the gasket totally blocked the breather intake. The internal tube (that passes air directly from the breather down to the crankcase before it circulates back up at the rear then through the valve tunnel and out the road breather) had been removed, since it would no longer fit with the hole blocked off by the gasket. The mechanical fuel pump had also been removed and a cover plate installed, so there was zero air inlet… the road breather was still there, but nowhere for air to get in! I can only assume they unbolted the fuel pump cover plate to add oil! I installed the correct gasket and managed to find the missing internal tube from a very generous member here. Compression was perfect. I rebuilt the triple 97’s and located a short on the low tension lead inside the distributor, and got it running again for them. Fast forward a few years… it’s been sitting again ever since, so the friend wanted to sell… I couldn’t resist! The difference this time is that I now have all the receipts and history of what was done on the original build (that I didn’t have first time round)… I was surprised to discover a pretty impressive rebuild… fully machined block, 4” Stroker crank, 3/4” Isky cam, flat pistons, Edelbrock heads, Offy intake, triple 97’s… (plus a new 5 speed Tremec transmission, and front disc conversion)… I am now wondering if there was actually a reason they did it that way with the 59Ab gasket??? Hard to imagine someone doing a rebuild like that and then messing up something so basic??? I can’t imagine why, but it’s now gnawing at me, so asking here if anyone maybe has an idea? Was there some method to the madness, or just plain madness??? They could have just cut the hole out if they just had the wrong gasket, or installed a breather at the back rather than a cover plate??? BTW… I now have it running super sweet again, new engine and trans mounts, new fuel pressure regulator, new rear brakes, rebuilt the stock steering. There’s still a vibration around 60-65mph that I suspect is a drive shaft issue, and the lowered suspension handles like a pig, but it’s a total hoot to drive, and sounds only the way a flatly can! Any thoughts on the intake gasket logic??? Here’s the earlier 2021 thread (added on to an earlier 2012 thread on a similar topic) where I was figuring out the issue first time round… https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88928 (The '51 in the background is the next project... it has a 289 small block :-( and it's a Tudor Sedan, which never quite grabbed me, but contemplating chopping the roof to deal with it's more boxy stance!)

07-10-2025, 06:48 PM	#2
KiWinUS Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Charlotte NC KiWi-L100 available here Posts: 3,262	Re: Did they install the wrong intake gasket on purpose? So it’s an 8BA with a 59AB intake? And no road draft tube? If so that’s probably why the 59AB gasket.

07-10-2025, 07:29 PM	#4
18tillidie Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2021 Posts: 24	Re: Did they install the wrong intake gasket on purpose? It’s an 8BA intake and it was originally a 59Ab gasket… I replaced it with the correct gasket… yes, the road breather tube is there and there is a breather at the front, it’s tucked in under the alternator. I put the rear breather on at the beginning of the process before I figured out the gasket issue. I should put the cover plate back, as the two breathers may be messing with circulation. When I first started on it, there was no breather front or back.

07-10-2025, 09:48 PM	#7
alchemy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: middle of Iowa Posts: 890	Re: Did they install the wrong intake gasket on purpose? If you have the road draft on the front, a breather on the front (with a gasket that doesn’t cover it up), and no hidden PCV, then you should block off the rear breather and be fine. Just like Henry did it, except a couple extra carbs thrown in.