Install a V8 Into a Model A

[john in illinois]

Originally Posted by Brendan

are you running the A rear end?

Brendan, I am running a 39 rear end. I set up the engine with wishbone and shortened the drive shaft and torque tube to fit.

John

[bart78]

The only flathead that I know of. That does not fit is the 8ba. But can make it fit with a 85a cam truck pumps and crab style distributer. If using a 32 k member. You can use 34 style wishbones. And not have to split them. Buy the Tardel book. It has all the info you need.

[Bader]

8ba doesn't fit? Guess I should stop driving mine then!

[bart78]

You can make a 8ba fit. It's two inches longer than a 59a. I've seen them in tons of A's. But things were changed to the car or the engine to get them in.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by bart78

The only flathead that I know of. That does not fit is the 8ba. But can make it fit with a 85a cam truck pumps and crab style distributer. If using a 32 k member. You can use 34 style wishbones. And not have to split them. Buy the Tardel book. It has all the info you need.

I'm curious about this "85a cam truck pump" thing. DD

[bart78]

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85a cam and truck water pumps.

[deuce_roadster]

My first car (started building it when I was 12, am 65 now) was a 30 model A with a flathead and 39 trans. Stock steering and rear end, but I had to trim the firewall. Had a crab distributor a 33 radiator and never ran a fan. Drove it to high school. It also never overheated!

[rotorwrench]

Originally Posted by bart78

85a cam and truck water pumps.

Are you sure you don't mean 59A? I've never seen an 85A prefix. 81A yes for 1938 parts but no 85A.

The HAMB is the best place to enquire about big questions like this. The Bishop/Tardel book has a lot of information but is by no means all of the information. It's just a known traditional method that can be made to work if you follow that exact plan. There are way to many varialbles for a single post entry.

[bart78]

Yeah 59a sorry. Been a crappy morning. Some jack ass backed into my wife's car at the store this morning. And did not feel the need to stick around. Still mad about it.

[Pete Fl/Wi]

Originally Posted by john in illinois

A little farther along., Header- steering box.

Hi John. Your headers look famililar. We will be heading North on 57 and would love to stop and see you. I will give you date and time. It will be early May.

[Ol' Ron]

Using early pumps with seals in them, and a GM distributor you can convert the front of the 8BA to the short 59A, Space the generator out 1/4" for distributor clearance. Remove seal bushing from crankshaft and install early crank pulley.

[Bader]

8ba in mine,38 trans,38 rear,did not cut firewall or move rad,it's tight but it all fits.

[1928Fordman]

Originally Posted by Scott H in Wheaton

I would use an engine hoist

LOL I was thinking the same thing.

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

I built an 8BA for a friend a couple of mile from me, he did a great job installing it in a 29 roadster pickup, didn't cut firewall, truck water pumps, chevy dist, radiator in stock place with stock hood, he even squezzed an electric fan between the rad and engine. This is probably where the trick come in, T-5 trans and an adapter where the torque tube bolts to the rear end for an open drive shaft. Really a neat set up. Walt

[TonyM]

And the OP disappeared.

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by TonyM

And the OP disappeared.

Everyone must be e-mailing him the information like he requested in his original post.

Charlie Stephens

[scooder]

The only thing that's really in the way is the stock steering box. I tried with a two tooth A box, the column and rear corner of the head want the same space. You can move it (steering box) back along the chassis a bit, or move it out (looks horrible) or up on top of the chassis (looks horrible). But in the stock place, in my experience it don't fit.
Maybe the early 7 tooth box would clear? Anybody know?
I ask as I have a 7 tooth box for my A roadster project, but haven't got the space at the mo to put it together and see what's what.
Thanks,
Martin.

[House of Fab]

Originally Posted by scooder

The only thing that's really in the way is the stock steering box. I tried with a two tooth A box, the column and rear corner of the head want the same space. You can move it (steering box) back along the chassis a bit, or move it out (looks horrible) or up on top of the chassis (looks horrible). But in the stock place, in my experience it don't fit.
Maybe the early 7 tooth box would clear? Anybody know?
I ask as I have a 7 tooth box for my A roadster project, but haven't got the space at the mo to put it together and see what's what.
Thanks,
Martin.

F-1 box seems to be the most popular

[Bader]

The stock columns have the sector below the the column,the f1 the sector is above the column,making more room at corner of head,but it's still pretty tight. I had 15 hours of modifying to get the header to fit proper.

[Newc]

Hi all; Remember the old trick of reversing the firewall? Newc