8BA Truck Starter Plate Question with Pics

[leon bee]

For my next project. Still a flathead rookie, but learning fast. I need a starter plate, but also need to know just what I'm looking for. So far, have deduced I need a plate which looks just like the angled one I put on my 50 coupe with the strangely shaped stamped bellhousing. But one that is NOT angled. I'm gonna try to post two pics showing what I got. And showing how a spare angled plate bolts right in place.........but I do know the angled one is not what I need.

Am I on the right track? Thanks a lot for any info!

[Ronnie]

Here is lots of bell housing info Post #8



https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=231196


R

[51504bat]

You need a flat as you refer to it starter plate for a 1/2 bell housing found on trucks and some Mercs. Both a flat and angled plate will bolt to a 1/2 bell, don't ask me how I know.

[r_reed]

i have the flat bell and therefore needed the flat plate. some of the flat plates have the larger half circle around the crank for certain oil pans?. i needed small circle cut out, flat plate. i found one, i believe to be for a 1953 only ford pickup truck. don't take this for gospel, but it may be a start

[rotorwrench]

Oil pans are directly related to their respective half bells or bell housings and starter plates. The PDF file in the thread link that is posted above has good photos of them. They don't mix and match well at all. A truck pan has to work with a truck half bell and starter plate due to the aluminum and rubber dust seal that the trucks have in between. The 1953 only stepped pan has it's own starter plate. They are made the way they are for a reason. The truck half bell is cast iron. The Mercury half bell is stamped steel and has a starter plate that attaches to the bottom of the oil pan with three studs.

[George/Maine]

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You need to show the pan you are using.
I have a 1953 8rt and the bell is case iron and starter blots to it, only a small tin cover on bottom. Up to 52 looks like what you need.

[leon bee]

Thanks everybody. George I'm using the center sump car type pan, just because that's what I have. I'll go have a look at the thread Ronnie linked to.

So, so far it looks as though, yes, I'm looking for a plate just like my spare angled one...........but not angled.

[leon bee]

Hey, that was a thread started by me! Back when I discovered the crazy stamped car bellhousing. I've bookmarked it for sure this time.

[leon bee]

Studying all those pictures in that PDF file has me thinking about my oil pan. I'm wanting to use a pan I already have, it's just like the one I put in my 50 coupe- the car type with center sump.

But now I can't tell if there ever was made a starter plate like I need which goes with that pan. I'm guessing it might take me a while to figure this out.

[George/Maine]

There are 2 on the epay 50 merc you get both the bell and plate.
They are used when going to c4 auto trans.
Co. Flato matic make bell to go c4.
They are making them out of alum could buy one from them.

[4t8v8]

If you use the center sump in a truck will it clear the front axle?

[rotorwrench]

The center sump evolved over time. It started out in Ford cars with the stamped steel full bell housing. In 1952 the sump continued but the bell housing was changed to the big cast iron type for both Ford and Mercury cars. These have the rectangular plate for the starter and a small access pan underneath. I think this bell housing was used with the 1953 F100 with the stepped pan as well.


The truck cast iron half bell was set up to work with the cast aluminum dust seal & retainer and all that stuff bolted in there. The truck starter plate has the shape to clear that seal retainer set up so there may be a gap in there using the truck half bell with the center sump pan. The half bell also bolted to the back of the truck pan so it helped reinforce the design. The 49/E51 Mercury type plate would likely work but the angle piece on the bottom may have to be removed if it is spot welded on. Some aren't welded. The rubber dust seal attaches right up to the top of those.


Center sumps were designed to work with the 1949 thru 1951 Ford cars then in 1952 thru 53 Ford & Mercury cars due to the design of the suspension and cross member. What pan you use depends on what it's going to be applied to. If it's for an early Ford Hot rod, 49/51 Mercury, or truck application then the center sump would not be a good choice due suspension & cross member differences.

[leon bee]

I think my head's gonna explode again, but that's okay it happens every couple weeks. Thanks to everybody. I got time to figure this out.