8BA in '37 coupe ...

[Ford Freak]

Hi guys ! I have a chance to buy a '50 8BA from a nice , clean '50 Ford that I can hear run & ride in . I have a 1940 85 hp. engine in my car now . I have read where I would need truck water pumps (48-52 ?) for the 8BA to bolt in to my chassis . Any other changes needed ? Thanks - F F

[tubman]

It will fit, but you will still need to do some modifications. First, you will need a '49 to early '51 Mercury (stamped steel) or '48 to '52 Ford truck (cast Iron) bellhousing to bolt the transmission to the engine. (These are not too hard to find; I have a couple if nothing else is available). You will also need the proper clutch disk to go with the existing pressure plate and transmission. Then, you will need a set of '48 to '52 truck water pumps to have the proper motor mounts (you may also need some motor mount spacers to get everything in the proper alignment; I used '50-early '51 Mercury (currently very hard to find) water pumps when I did it and I needed them). After that, it is the ordinary stuff with no room with the fan, incompatible throttle and choke linkages that we all have to fight with. Also, there is a size difference in the upper water outlet sizes. There are 8BA water outlets with the larger hose size (quite expensive), but most people cut a short length of the smaller hose to fit inside the larger hose required by the '34. On last thing is the the 8BA lacks brackets for the "steady bars" on the '34 chassis (good to have). There are brackets available to bolt on an 8BA, or if you're handy, you can easily make your own.

It's all been done thousands of times before, so if you decide to do it, all of the information you will ever need is available here and on the H.A.M.B.

Good luck with your coupe.

[Ford Freak]

Ok -thanks for the info Tubman ! - F F

[19Fordy]

Ford freak: Be sure and read thru all of the info and links in this thread.
It explains everything plus Tubman's valuable info.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...coupe.1060915/

Also, Google the following, How to Install 8BA in a 36 Ford for more info.

[big job]

Years ago when I had good bones I put a 8BA in my 36 4dr. I can't think of any problems
at all except fiddling with the fan don't remember but I drove it to work for 8 yrs. Pretty
sure the fan was on the generator. but I did it without any electric fan foolishness,,...

[Gumpy]

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Glad to hear the 50-51 merc water pumps will work for your project wondering the same for 50 merc in 40 coupe project..

[40cpe]

I put an 8BA type engine in my '38. I understood that a large clean-out oil truck pan would work but the pitman harm hits the pan in front of the clean out. The engine was in the car when I discovered this, so I bent the pitman arm to clear. It is said that the '49-'51 Merc pan will work, but I don't know.

[Ford Freak]

Thanks for all the info guys ! So .... it isn't quite a simple bolt in (as I first thought/hoped) but definetly doable w/some select parts .
My next questions are : Is this swap worth the bother & work ? What would the advantage(s) be w/the stock 8BA over my perfectly running stock 59AB ?
Can one really "feel" 15 more hp. & 35 ft. lb. more torque ? - F F

[tubman]

Where did you get those numbers? A 59A and an 8BA put out almost exactly the same amount of power. In your initial post, you said you have a "1940 85 hp. engine in my car now". That would not be a 59A (which is 239 ci), but a 221 ci "A" engine. You should determine what is actually in your car before you make any decisions.

The later engines, in addition to their greater performance potential. also have a better designed cooling system and a lot of other advantages (NOT the "load-a-matic" distributor). I am very biased towards 8BA type engines, so I'l quit now.

[Ford Freak]

tubman - yes I do have a 221 cu . in . "A" in my car now . I was confused & I apolgise if you were offended . It was not my intention .

[19Fordy]

The easiest swap would be to replace your 221 with your perfectly running 59A. You won't notice much difference if you install a stock 8BA. I have an 8BA in my 40.

[tubman]

Whoa! I was not offended in the least. To be able to give the best advice, we really have to know the specifics of what you are trying to accomplish. I was just trying to determine exactly what you are wanting to do. I can see how my last comment could have been taken wrong. I am a "died in the wool" 8BA guy, and I just intended that remark to pass this off to the guys who know these older cars better than I do.

[Ford Freak]

Ok , all is well . Now , lets start again . What would the advantage (s) be in swapping my perfectly running & cooling stock 221 cu. in. "A" engine for a perfectly running & cooling stock 1950 8BA engine ? The car is just a cruiser , but I may want to "hop up" whatever engine I have in it sometime in the future . Thanks - F F

[tubman]

The only definite advantage I can see is that if you should want to do some modifications to the engine down the line, or need to rebuild it, parts for the later engine are cheaper and easier to come by. The rod bearings in particular can be difficult to source, expensive, and need special skills to fit. Of course, there is more potential in the later engine when it comes to increased performance. However, if your current engine is in good shape, runs cool, and has reasonable oil pressure, I would suggest staying with it for the present time and putting the 8BA "under the bench" for future consideration.

[TJ]

If you just want a good 'cruiser" and your current motor runs good why go to al the extra work. Drive it and have fun until it needs an overhaul and then consider the change. Once you tear it apart it may be awhile before you can drive it again.

[Ford Freak]

Thanks guys . I was not aware that parts are cheaper & easier to get for the later engines . Good to know ! I forgot to mention one thing earlier - even though my current engine runs great & cool , it does leak oil fairly good at the oil pan seals , front & rear . That being said , I was planning to pull the engine out of the car this fall . Then , I became aware of the 8BA that is going to be available in the near future . These future events is what got my wheels turning & thinking ! So my motor is coming out soon , anyways .
Naturally , I felt that would be the time to upgrade to a newer type engine , if possible . Now , it is possible !
I should have mentioned that earlier . My bad . Thanks - F F

[blucar]

From my point of view I see no advantage to removing a good running 221 engine in favor of the 8BA... On the average you most likely drive your car less than 3.k per year, the cost of the engine plus installation would far out weigh any advantage.
Old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
Several years ago when fuel went sky high, to almost 5.00 a gallon a friend of mine got all lathered up, having the transmission in his '71 C-10 truck converted from a 400 trans to a 700R4. The conversion cost him $2,800. The shop that did the work told my friend that he could expect a mileage improvement of 3 mpg.
I thought that I would have my 73 C10 converted to a 700R4. I ran the numbers through my calculator to get a true pix of the gains/loss etc. It turned out that at the price of fuel at the time I would have to drive the truck 65K miles to break even.

I did not convert my truck. When I told my friend what I had found, he quickly got the message that he had made a big mistake.

[19Fordy]

blucar makes sense. As time passes the cars with the OEM engines will become even more desirable. To have the original engine in an old car makes it more valuable too as it hasn't been "messed with".

[Ford Freak]

You guys ^^ make excellent points , and I am grateful for your response !
I subscribe to the " it ain't broke , don't fix it " adage , too . I have fixed too many things in the past that were not broke , and was sorry later !
I have purchased the 8BA that I was looking at , as it is an excellent running engine . The 8BA in my '52 F1 is a bit tired , so I figured if nothing else , for the very reasonable price that I paid , it would be wise to have a good "spare " . For now it will be going "under the bench " .
BTW - my '37 coupe does not have the original engine or trans . , among other things . It's kind of setup & looks like an early 50's style hot rod .
Thanks again guys ! - F F

[tubman]

Good move on buying the 8BA! I haven't run into a reasonably priced runner around here for years.

[19Fordy]

FF: In the meantime, do research and gather up all the parts you will need to stuff that 8BA into your 37. Pay particular attention to the mechanical fan space needs. You might also want to consider installing early style heads on the 8BA to give it that early flatty look. Well done.

[Ford Freak]

Yes , I have already got a parts list together , and have a line on a F1 bellhousing & oil pan nearby locally . Thanks Guys ! - F F