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Barney, seen here at Los Angeles’ Carrell Speedway with Tom Beatty and George Pounden (right), was one of the first, if not the first, to bolt a GMC blower atop a flathead. Four Stromberg 97s fed the quad-belt-driven 3-71. (Photo Courtesy H&H Flatheads)
Internal changes included straight-stem valves with one-piece guides. In general, these later Ford engines were commonly referred to as 8BAs and their Mercury counterparts as 8CMs. Later, 1952–1953 Fords were referred to as EABs while the Mercs were EACs. These engines did not have the hardened valveseats like the earlier engines. The markings were usually cast in the head.
Ford also introduced a large-displacement 337-ci version in 1948, primarily for the truck market. However, when Lincoln was unable to produce the V-12 it wanted for its 1949 model, the 337 V-8 was adapted. In 1952, the Lincoln Y-block replaced the 337. Unfortunately, the 337 is not a great-looking engine and never found much favor outside the restoration market.
For the 1952 Ford passenger car model year, the company introduced a new overhead valve (OHV) Mileage-Maker 6-cylinder. Developing 101 hp, the OHV 6 outshone the V-8. Consequently, Ford increased the V-8’s compression ratio to produce 110 hp. Nevertheless, the writing was on the wall, and 1953 was the last year of the flathead Ford V-8 in the United States.
After 21 years of continuous improvement and production, the venerable Ford flathead V-8 ceased production. Well, in the United States at least. The flathead design was produced in Canada until 1954. It was licensed to a French manufacturer for use in the Simca brand until 1961, in Brazil until 1964, and until 1990 in the Simca Unic Marmon Bocquet military truck.
ENGINE ID, EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS
Flathead Ford V-8s. They’re all the same, correct? Not even close. Certainly they are in the same family and often share the same parts, but they have myriad differences, and it is essential that you do your homework and know exactly what you’re looking for before beginning the search. Thankfully, a huge interest in the engine still exists and a supply is available to meet the demand. In addition, parts, tools, and equipment are available to facilitate a rebuild.
This is like asking, “How long is a piece of string?” You could be restoring a 1949 Shoebox Ford or you could be building a hot rod or even putting a flathead in a motorcycle; it’s been done. You could just be assembling an engine to display in your cave. Whatever you’re trying to achieve, it’s good to know up front to avoid costly mistakes. As experienced hot rod builders know: Have a plan and stick to it, because changing direction midway is always costly.
If you thought flathead blocks were scarce, just look in the backyard of H&H Flatheads, where Mike Herman stores his stock. There, hundreds of blocks provide him with the raw material for rebuilds.
It also pays to do your research before you buy an engine. I remember purchasing my first hot rod project engine (a small-block Ford) over the phone. The seller (a friend) told me it was a fresh 289. Somehow, I paid, and he dumped off a filthy boat anchor that not only was not a nice 289, it wasn’t even a 260. It was an early 221 and not much use to anybody. And now it was in my way, and I had to get rid of it.
What I’m saying is, have a plan. Know your intentions and buy the right engine for the job. It also makes sense to buy a complete, assembled engine rather than a cheap box full of parts or even just a block. It’s far better to pay a little more for an engine that you can hear run than to buy an engine that the seller says is top shelf only to find out it’s bottom rung.
Many resources are available; these days there really is no excuse for buying the wrong engine. You can use books such as this one, and the Internet is loaded with sites and forums that, if you can wade through it all, contain everything and more than you ever want to know about Ford’s flattie.
This flathead V-8-60 motorcycle, available for a time from Honest Charley Speed Shop, shows the versatility of the Ford V-8.
Mud-caked maybe, but likely a rebuildable engine resides under all that dirt.
The Green Book, also known as the Bible, lists thousands of parts and specifications for the early Ford. It’s not essential, but it’s certainly a handy reference, as it provides all the factory technical specifications you need for a rebuild, including bearing tolerances, valve clearances, timing and lift, valvespring lengths, as well as closed or open pressure specs. If you can’t find a Green Book, many reprints of factory service bulletins are available.
The thousands of flathead Ford V-8s to be found include this selection at the Early Ford Store in San Dimas, California, a great source for original early Ford parts. However, you must do your research before you purchase; not all flatheads are the same.
Before you go looking for an engine to rebuild (if that’s your plan), be honest and ask yourself, “Is this something that I can tackle?” Rebuilding an engine is a lot of work; takes up a lot of space, time, and money; and requires special equipment and tools. Do you want to make that investment? And let’s face it: You’re bound to make a mistake or two. More time, more money.
Literally thousands of flathead Ford V-8s are available. The Early Ford Store, for example, in San Dimas, California, is a great source of original early Ford parts.
If you’re not restoring a car with an existing engine that you want to refurbish, you could be swapping a late-model flathead into an earlier Ford or Mercury or you could be building a hot rod that did not come from the factory with a flathead Ford V-8. Let’s assume that your project is sans engine and that you have to find something suitable.
The best option is to purchase a complete running engine that you can see and hear run. It might still need a rebuild, but you will know two things for sure: It runs and it’s complete.
If for some reason that option is not available, at least buy a complete engine with all of its ancillary parts intact. Maybe it’s an engine that you’ve known about for a long time. As a last resort, buy a basket case, but with all the parts and all coming from the same engine.
Your final option, which is okay if you’re going to build a hot rod engine, is to buy a block. But to use my schoolboy Latin: caveat emptor, which means, let the buyer beware.
