OBAS Flathead

[big job]

I'm sure to positive I have worked on one of those, owned by the town water dept.
it was a story down in the pump house. I remember 3 giant GE 3 phase motors along
side of this V8 attached to pumps. It was governed, also had a big Neece Nev. Alt with
a battery bank, no radiator, it was plumbed into the system and dumped its water in
a pond. Back in the 1980's we replaced it with a 460.. so my thoughts are to be an
industrial application. I do remember this motor disapeared or vanished instantly.
sure a town worker scoffed that right up & also the police station generator was like
the last Ford model B like 1941 or so govt war surplus gone dissapeared???????
I no nothing about police package's, due to at that time our town had no cruisers.
Officers had to use their own cars, I know my father was one. Ever see a 1948
DeSoto cruiser? and I still got the 6Vt siren........sam

[rotorwrench]

The 49 thu 51 Mercs all had the Holley 885 with the shroud over the top. Large trucks with the Lincoln engine also used them. The Holley top float carbs (towering inferno) made their debut in the 52 Mercury cars. I have never seen any solid proof that any "Ford" cars were ever equipped with a Mercury 255 engine. The cars weren't even assembled in the same plants since Lincoln & Mercury products had their own assembly plants.

A Ford 239 with the Denver heads would've had better compression than a Mercury 255 and possibly a bit more or equal horse power. It likely would have had high octane fuel recommended for its operation. Police cars and station wagons also had the Dana rear axle as used in Mercury & F1 pickups for a bit more gross weight capability. There is also reference to the Borg & Beck clutch as used in the Mercury cars but would have had the smaller 1-inch 10-spline clutch plate of the type used in the late 51 thru 53 Mercury cars.

The police car package was definitely made for heavy duty service. The big Leece-Neville alternator may have been used for the added spot lights, bubble gum machine rotating beacon, electric siren, and that big Motorola police radio set up they had. That stuff would have taken more than 40 amps to operate reliably in emergency situations. Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles could also have been equipped with the engine package as a special option.

[Mike51Merc]

Rotor,
I read that the 0BAS had a 4" crank, making it a Ford 255, I had also read (elsewhere and long ago) that the Police Fords also used the Teapot carb.

Alas, this is the stuff of legends. No hard proof.

[38 coupe]

Here is the 125 hp page from the 53 Ford police car brochure: http://www.oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Fo...-Police-Car-02

[Bonus Built Acres]

Interesting advertisement 38 Coupe. thanks for posting. the carb looks like a ford unit too. and almost looks like "EAB" on the heads?

here is a flyer I found for 50 ford police cars. the pictures shows what looks like the Merc carb on top. and doesn't mention full flow oil filter like the one you listed.

Legends is right. I hope to find out soon exactly what this is. or has in it.

I'll post back any findings.

[Mike51Merc]

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So it seems that in 1950 a Ford labeled engine with Merc specs was available with 110hp as the Police Special.

Then in 1953 it was upped to 125hp.

[rotorwrench]

All they would have needed to get the higher HP for the interceptor was Denver heads on a 255 CID engine but they may have used EAB heads in 1953 and stock Mercury heads in 1950. The 1950 brochure is the first info I've seen for a Merc spec engine in a Ford car. The 53 info didn't give the engine displacement but it was likely a 255 CID for that interceptor package. Ford wouldn't even put the 255 in bigger trucks. Between the two info packages, they also mention a 10 inch Long type clutch. I wonder how easy it is to find one of those clutches nowdays. They also mention the big generators or alternators in several amperage output ranges for each type.

Interesting information for sure. Allways new/old information showing up about these old flat motor vehicles.

[Bonus Built Acres]

I thought I had updated my findings, guess time got away from me. anyway, I rescued the engine and truck it came in.
the engine has been rebuilt and the bore is .060 over. has a merc crank. (all ive done is free it up and pull the heads)

next will be to cc the heads just so I/we know the numbers since I'm curious. will post my findings on that as well.

[scooder]

This is damn good stuff right here.
Are you gonna use this engine? I think you really need to fit the Merc intake and carb. These carbs are a good chunk bigger than the Ford, though incredibly the Merc intake to carb ports are smaller than the carb and should be opened up to suit. Not bell'd out at the top, but enlarged all the way down to the front and back runners.
Martin.

[Bonus Built Acres]

yep, plan on using these heads and probably the merc crank on a special nearly one of a kind project.

speaking on measuring the volume on heads I read a few posts on here about the different processes to do that but I will need a refresher on doing it. probably a new thread with this topic might get more specific responses?

[fordy_nine]

I believe the Leece-Neville generator used a 60 amp regulator. I saw a NOS regulator on eBay recently......Bob L