I am lookng at removing the 350 out of my '47 1/2 ton and puting an 8 flathead in. I have seen several for sale but have no idea of what model flathead I should use, what I should expect to pay, or what automatic trany would work best with it. I looked at an 8BA that was advertised as a '49 with a 4 speed trany. Is this an engine I should consider or are there preferable options and what are the pitfalls I should avoid. I have read that the babbit bearing engines should be avoided due to o-haul cost. I use my truck as a driver and still need to tow the boat to the lake (that's how I sold my wife on this truck) and I will be adding A/C this year as well. I hate doing work twice and even more than that paying for parts twice so any information or sorces whare I can do some research would be great.
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You will need all the power the flathead produces for the towing. AC will sap some of those horses.

 

Hat's off to you for pulling the 350. You're a classy guy I can tell already! Here's a few guidelines - not exhaustive, but will give you the pointers you can look for.

The early flatheads 32-mid 36 used the babbitt bearings. They range from 65 - 85 hp and wouldn't be suitable for what you're planning. These have 21 studs per head as do 37-39's. These are all 221 ci engines.

Any 24 stud/bolt engine would work for your project. The correct engine would be a 59 series, 24 stud heads and have the water outlets in the center of the heads. These have 239 ci and produce between 85 and 95 hp.

The 49 8BA you found would be my choice. Used from 48-53 in trucks they run about 100 hp, use 24 bolts to hold the heads on and are 239 ci. It's fairly easy to increase hp to around 135+ with a cam, headers and intake/carb inprovements. An 8BA/8RT would bolt right into your truck - the only difference was the upper water pipes are smaller than your radiator inlets. Not too difficult to get around this hurdle.

The 4 spd tranny would be a granny low, crash box - learn to double clutch as you shift. Or better, there are several options to put T5's or C4's behind the flatheads. But then you're into hotrodding

I run a 48 as a daily driver - flat V8 with a HD 3spd. My only caution would be the size of the boat you plan to pull. If the boat/trailer is any size at all, invest in trailer brakes. Your truck only weighs around 3300 #'s and will get pushed around by a large outfit.
Tim

 

Tim,

Thanks for the information!!! This is exactly the type of infomation that I was looking for. I will be doing some follow up on the engine I was looking at.

 

Tim, now that you have answered Tottspop's questions, maybe you can answer a crazy one of mine. What is double clutching, and what does it accomplish?
Mike

 

Double clutching has been discussed here...
http://www.bonusbuilt.com/forum/view...uble+clutching

Here's another thread...
http://www.bonusbuilt.com/forum/view...uble+clutching

Read both (especially the second thread) and it'll give you an idea.

Ilya

 

I like the 8BA too, because the distributor is in a place you can reach! Make sure you have adequate cooling, and keep your system in tip top shape. Adding A/C and trailer towing adds a lot of strain to motors already known for getting hot in some situations. I had a '40 w/ an 8BA that always ran hot, but 1) This is Florida, and 2) The '40 was known for airflow problems. IMHO, there is NO engine prettier than a full-dressed flattie!

 

51panelMan, thanks for the threads.