Flathead Spark Plug Wires

[Eagle43]

I am new to this forum so let me introduce myself. I just started on my next project, a 1952 Ford F1 PU. This is my first Ford restoration project. Previous to this I have restored a 1930 Essex, a 1926 Chevrolet Touring Sedan and a 1929 Willys Overland Whippet sedan.

The body on this truck is very solid and pretty much rust free. It has only 29,000 miles on the odometer. All the glass is intact and the paint is pretty good considering that it has spent the past 10 to 20 years in the bush. The biggest problem is the motor. Someone has previously done a very poor job of installing a 1963 352 with an automatic transmission. This motor runs really well but I estimate that it will probably fall out after about 100 miles. I'd have to make a new cradle and motor mounts and repair a lot of structural damage to the frame to have any hope of passing an "Out of Province" safety inspection. Also there is not nearly enough clearance between the front of the oil pan and the front axle.

I have a 1951 8BA flathead motor and tranny that came with the deal and I hope to get it running so I can return the vehicle to stock. After a considerable amount of work I have everything free on this block and am starting reassembly. My biggest headache was stuck valves on #2 cylinder. At least one previous owner has obviously worked on this as well and had given up. I think at one point mice lived in this motor and intake #2 was the designated bathroom. This valve was in the closed position and thus very difficult to get loose. It came out in pieces.

I expect that I will have a lot of questions as I slowly restore this vehicle. The first one that comes to mind is the wiring harness. I'll be using 6 Volt. Are copper spark plugs wires needed or will modern ones work such as the cheap ones sold at Rock Auto?

[JSeery]

I would run the solid core, Packard 440.

[alanwoodieman]

use solid core spark (copper) plug wires, modern coils/Dizzy's have a lot more voltage that goes thru the modern wires. you will need a truck oil pan to clear the front axle, which will involve not only an oil pan but a oil pump pick up tube. Good luck on the truck and post some pictures

[Kahuna]

I second the vote for the Packard 440 wire

[JSeery]

And I also like the Rajah clips in place of the boots.

[Vintage Copper 47]

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I assume you are a Kiwi or from down under.. Post your location in your profile please & tell us about yourself!..

[Mike in AZ]

Welcome to the ‘Barn. Got pics? We love pics. Good luck on the project. Sounds like you have a good start. Mike

[Eagle43]

Thanks for the many responses. I'll look for solid wires. I'll post a couple of pictures when I figure out how to do that on this forum. I'm from Canada.

[sidevalve8ba]

You might try The Brillman Company here in the States. They have Packard 440 wiring and Rajah clips if you want to make up your own plug wires. They also have ready-made plug wire sets that fit quite well.

https://brillman.com/

[svmsr1044]

Is there any reason noise suppression spark plug wires shouldn’t be used for a stock 8ba engine???

[JSeery]

Might work, but the output of the coil is less then more modern ignition systems. If you increase the coil output you exceed what the distributor was designed for. The result could be cross-firing. I use solid core wiring, so no personal experience! Is there a reason you don't want to run solid core wiring?

[flatjack9]

I have never had a problem with suppression wires

[svmsr1044]

I’m asking because I am using suppression wires on the 8ba in my 47 coupe because of radio interference. BTW, it has been converted to 12 volts if that makes any difference. The suppression wires did solve the radio static problem and the engine runs well.

[JSeery]

Give it a try, not that expensive. If it worked on your 47 8ba, it should work on your 51/52 F1 8ba. Several post have recommended solid core wiring, but you don't seem interested in solid core, so go with the resistance wiring.

[Eagle43]

Here are some pictures. I'm working on adjusting the valves. Notice the index wheel on the distributor. The last picture shows the lack of front axle/oil pan clearance on the installed 352.