Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-07-2020, 04:29 PM   #1
Seven cylinders
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 4
Default Exact Engine Year

Hello everyone, I am in the process of tearing down my Flathead and looking for the exact year and model. I have been looking on line for help. The motor does not have the original tranny so i will tell you what I have. I believe it is 39-41 truck motor. The heads are Stamped 99T-6049 Under the drivers side water pump on the block is stamped D 382 The water pumps are front mounted. The distributor is a "divers helmet" bell type. The intake is three bolt carb mount. The water intakes are in the center of the heads. The valves have split guides. I removed all valves getting ready for cleaning and magna fluxing. The casting number on top of the rear block is C10144 X1 The bore is 3.25 and the stroke is 3.75 I have not removed the crank yet so i don't know if it has the merc dimple.
I want to make sure I will be ordering the right parts for rebuild. Any and all help with this will be greatly appreciated.

Thank You
Seven cylinders is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2020, 05:19 PM   #2
flatjack9
Senior Member
 
flatjack9's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oshkosh, Wi
Posts: 4,516
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

Both Ford and Merc cranks in those years were 3 3/4. Pictures would help.
flatjack9 is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 02-07-2020, 05:29 PM   #3
51 MERC-CT
Senior Member
 
51 MERC-CT's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: East Hartford, Ct
Posts: 5,898
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

Suspect that with a 3.25" bore the engine has seen possibly a few rebuilds and has been assembled with a mish-mash of different parts meant for other year applications.
__________________
DON'T RECALL DOING SOMETHING FOR MYSELF BASED ON SOMEONE ELSE'S LIKES OR DISLIKES
51 MERC-CT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2020, 05:59 PM   #4
JSeery
Member Emeritus
 
JSeery's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Wichita KS
Posts: 16,132
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

Some hints would be the "pencil test". If you were to place a pencil above the front timing cover is there a ledge it could rest on (32-42)? The shape of the holes in the center of the block between the cylinders can provide information. Lots of little hints. If it was a 41 it should have no freeze plugs in oil pan rail, intake area now looks raised. If it is 24 stud and not a 41 then that would narrow it down to late 38 to 40. There was a main bearing size change around 39.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf Flathead Identification.pdf (494.4 KB, 31 views)

Last edited by JSeery; 02-07-2020 at 06:17 PM.
JSeery is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2020, 06:11 PM   #5
oldford2
Senior Member
 
oldford2's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: pittsfield, MA
Posts: 2,086
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

You are going to just get a lot of guesses because we don't know what you have. Without pictures you will not get an answer to your post
oldford2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2020, 05:51 PM   #6
VeryTangled
Senior Member
 
VeryTangled's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: (Not far enough...) Outside of DC
Posts: 3,386
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Quote:
Originally Posted by oldford2 View Post
You are going to just get a lot of guesses because we don't know what you have. Without pictures you will not get an answer to your post
To everyone that ever asks this in the future... If it's bolted on, then it's not a clue to answer your question. Heads, intake, pumps, none of it will help to know the year of the BLOCK.
__________________
-Jeff H

Have you thought about supporting the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum?

Last edited by VeryTangled; 02-08-2020 at 07:58 PM.
VeryTangled is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2020, 08:12 AM   #7
macdonge
Senior Member
 
macdonge's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Frelighsburg, QC
Posts: 165
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

Oldford2 is correct. In the meantime, is there a number cast into the block just forward of the right side cylinder head?
macdonge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2020, 08:36 AM   #8
alanwoodieman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: upstate SC
Posts: 2,962
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

99 is for mercury T is truck so you may have a mercury engine that was in a truck. I have a 40 wagon and two 41 trucks all came with the 99 motor the big difference is the journal size on the crank, so pull the crank and check for numbers indicating a turning on the crank. also were there any numbers on the tops of the pistons? like 030/040/ these numbers would clue you into if the block was bored out
alanwoodieman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2020, 08:54 AM   #9
34PKUP
Senior Member
 
34PKUP's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 794
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

Quote:
Originally Posted by alanwoodieman View Post
were there any numbers on the tops of the pistons? like 030/040/ these numbers would clue you into if the block was bored out
The OP states that it is "3.25" bore.
34PKUP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2020, 10:20 AM   #10
marko39
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: harpursville ny
Posts: 1,038
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

Quote:
Originally Posted by alanwoodieman View Post
99 is for mercury T is truck so you may have a mercury engine that was in a truck. I have a 40 wagon and two 41 trucks all came with the 99 motor the big difference is the journal size on the crank, so pull the crank and check for numbers indicating a turning on the crank. also were there any numbers on the tops of the pistons? like 030/040/ these numbers would clue you into if the block was bored out
Regular truck heads are 81t for that time.
marko39 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2020, 02:23 PM   #11
deuce_roadster
Senior Member
 
deuce_roadster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Shelton, WA
Posts: 3,777
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

When looking at part number prefixes, the second number if a 1 means the part was originally for a Ford and if the second number is a 9, it was for a Merc. This holds for up to 48 anyway. As Marko39 listed the 81t you can determine that the first use of those heads were on 1938 Fords and the T would indicate truck. 99T would indicate 39 Merc part first used on a truck. I would guess for more power. The letter A in the 3rd position indicates passenger car. I know most people here all know this but it doesn't hurt to restate for people new to the hobby.
deuce_roadster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2020, 04:41 PM   #12
Seven cylinders
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 4
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

I have down loaded pics of the motor. Check them out
Seven cylinders is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2020, 04:57 PM   #13
JSeery
Member Emeritus
 
JSeery's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Wichita KS
Posts: 16,132
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

That looks like a 41 to me, "raised" intake area and no soft plugs in the pan rails. Sorry the uploads are so small, but the is the way they ended up!

Also Steve, you might want to reconsider how you have the block mounted to the stand!

Last edited by JSeery; 02-08-2020 at 05:52 PM.
JSeery is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2020, 11:13 PM   #14
deuce_roadster
Senior Member
 
deuce_roadster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Shelton, WA
Posts: 3,777
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

Agree with JSeery, hard to tell about the pan rail if it has bulges or not but the intake area does look like the ones people call "raised" 41. Better pictures from the OP would be a big help.
deuce_roadster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2020, 11:33 AM   #15
JSeery
Member Emeritus
 
JSeery's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Wichita KS
Posts: 16,132
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

The 221 and 239 cubic inch blocks can be differentiated by the center water holes in the cylinder head decks. From Fred Mills document.

This is not an area I am all that knowledgeable in, but I believe the shapes of the water holes between the two center cylinders indicate it is a Mercury block. So, I would say 1941 Mercury. But you would still need to check the bearings and crank dimensions.

The photos (from Fred Mills) show a block with factory relief.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 41 Mercury Block 2.JPG (34.2 KB, 33 views)
File Type: jpg 41 Mercury Block 1.JPG (38.9 KB, 33 views)

Last edited by JSeery; 02-09-2020 at 11:44 AM.
JSeery is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2020, 03:21 PM   #16
flatjack9
Senior Member
 
flatjack9's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oshkosh, Wi
Posts: 4,516
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

Quote:
Originally Posted by JSeery View Post
The 221 and 239 cubic inch blocks can be differentiated by the center water holes in the cylinder head decks. From Fred Mills document.

This is not an area I am all that knowledgeable in, but I believe the shapes of the water holes between the two center cylinders indicate it is a Mercury block. So, I would say 1941 Mercury. But you would still need to check the bearings and crank dimensions.

The photos (from Fred Mills) show a block with factory relief.
I agree.
flatjack9 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2020, 02:24 PM   #17
deuce_roadster
Senior Member
 
deuce_roadster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Shelton, WA
Posts: 3,777
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

Yes JSeery, I have a NOS 41 Merc block with the round water hole in between the other 2. I forgot about that. Looks kinda like a 221 by the timing cover but 3 3/16 bore. I have 5 cars running with flatheads and this block is my spare incase any of the others crack.
deuce_roadster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2020, 05:56 PM   #18
Mart
Senior Member
 
Mart's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Solihull, England.
Posts: 8,732
Default Re: Exact Engine Year

Yes it looks like a 41 99 "Mercury" block. 239 cubes. 60 thou over = 3.248" so it's probably 60 over.

Please heed the warnings not to hold the block like that, there is a current thread running which shows motors that have fell off the stand damaging the bellhousing area.

The motor is similar to the one I am currently working on, (yours has slightly later features). You might find some of my videos helpful, for instance I feature stud removal in some of them.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzc...ro40j-vjjZShg/

Mart.
Mart is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:30 PM.