The Ford Barn

adileo · 10-26-2019, 05:01 PM

Friend and I went today. Very cool, mostly flatheads and old bikes racing

I’ll post pics. The question is: is this a newer engine with older heads or can you convert crab or helmet to this?

V8COOPMAN · 10-26-2019, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adileo

Friend and I went today. Very cool, mostly flatheads and old bikes racing

I’ll post pics. The question is: is this a newer engine with older heads or can you convert crab or helmet to this?

Andy...It could be either, but I'd guess this one is a '49 or '50 with early heads and '42-'48 fan set-up . DD

petehoovie · 10-26-2019, 07:29 PM

Looks to be a 8BA block with 59AB heads....Cam might have to be replaced to convert to crab or helmet....

RKS.PA · 10-26-2019, 09:22 PM

Andy, love your pic of the engine....and the distributor....would be a dream to access and work on. Where in PA were the drags?

alanwoodieman · 10-26-2019, 10:08 PM

"A" heads 39 to 41

tubman · 10-26-2019, 10:38 PM

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Unless someone drilled and tapped more bolt holes for the intake manifold, I would say it's an early block. 8BA's didn't have as many attaching bolts.

adileo · 10-27-2019, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RKS.PA

Andy, love your pic of the engine....and the distributor....would be a dream to access and work on. Where in PA were the drags?

Allentown

adileo · 10-27-2019, 04:46 AM

Thanks guys. I wasn’t aware you could convert an early block ton this type of distributor

Tony, NY · 10-27-2019, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubman

Unless someone drilled and tapped more bolt holes for the intake manifold, I would say it's an early block. 8BA's didn't have as many attaching bolts.

Could have somehow just added acorn covers to unused holes. It does look better with the added covers.

adileo · 10-27-2019, 11:42 AM

It’s the distributor which is weird with old heads.

Either they converterd the crab / Helmet to use a later model distro or they used older heads on later model flathead. Which I doubt would give more horse power for drag.

sawzall · 10-27-2019, 12:09 PM

i did a conversion once, by simply swapping a late cam to an early block.. needed a front cover and obviously the distributor.. most difficult part was keeping the dizzy from moving.. which I accomplished with a simple set screw in the timing cover.

RalphM · 10-27-2019, 12:36 PM

I did the same thing with the heads.

JSeery · 10-27-2019, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adileo

It’s the distributor which is weird with old heads.

Either they converterd the crab / Helmet to use a later model distro or they used older heads on later model flathead. Which I doubt would give more horse power for drag.

You can install early heads on late blocks and visa-versa (24-stud). The only real difference is the water coolant passages which is a fairly simple modification.

petehoovie · 10-27-2019, 02:17 PM

The alternator mounting is kind of scary....

10-26-2019, 07:29 PM	#3
petehoovie Senior Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 8,074	Re: PA old time drag with question Looks to be a 8BA block with 59AB heads....Cam might have to be replaced to convert to crab or helmet.... __________________ The only thing nice about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others.... *"Silver rings, your butt! Them's washers!"* "We shot our way out of that town for a dollar's worth of steel holes!" - from 'The Wild Bunch' - 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NReUd2_0u0

10-26-2019, 09:22 PM	#4
RKS.PA Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Marana, AZ Posts: 1,194	Re: PA old time drag with question Andy, love your pic of the engine....and the distributor....would be a dream to access and work on. Where in PA were the drags?

10-26-2019, 10:08 PM	#5
alanwoodieman Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: upstate SC Posts: 2,963	Re: PA old time drag with question "A" heads 39 to 41

10-26-2019, 10:38 PM	#6
tubman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys Posts: 10,302	Re: PA old time drag with question Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Unless someone drilled and tapped more bolt holes for the intake manifold, I would say it's an early block. 8BA's didn't have as many attaching bolts.

10-27-2019, 04:46 AM	#8
adileo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,772	Re: PA old time drag with question Thanks guys. I wasn’t aware you could convert an early block ton this type of distributor __________________ Thanks Andy 1952 F1

10-27-2019, 11:42 AM	#10
adileo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,772	Re: PA old time drag with question It’s the distributor which is weird with old heads. Either they converterd the crab / Helmet to use a later model distro or they used older heads on later model flathead. Which I doubt would give more horse power for drag. __________________ Thanks Andy 1952 F1

10-27-2019, 12:09 PM	#11
sawzall Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 420	Re: PA old time drag with question i did a conversion once, by simply swapping a late cam to an early block.. needed a front cover and obviously the distributor.. most difficult part was keeping the dizzy from moving.. which I accomplished with a simple set screw in the timing cover. __________________ Pennsylvania has two seasons. Hershey week, and everything else https://sites.google.com/site/eastcoastwoodies/

10-27-2019, 02:17 PM	#14
petehoovie Senior Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 8,074	Re: PA old time drag with question The alternator mounting is kind of scary.... __________________ The only thing nice about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others.... *"Silver rings, your butt! Them's washers!"* "We shot our way out of that town for a dollar's worth of steel holes!" - from 'The Wild Bunch' - 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NReUd2_0u0

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