Hi. I'm brand new here and so here goes... I just bought a 1951 Mercury 1/2 ton with a flathead v8 in it. The engine is complete and dry and turns over fine. I would like to try to start it up and will probably clean out the pan and oil sump, change the oil and filter and give it a try. BUT...the fuel pump and the other part that attaches the fuel pump to the intake manifold( I think the push rod travels in it) are missing. My question is this...is it ok to blank the intake manifold off and use an electric fuel pump regulated down to 2 psi to try to start it and would it run ok this way? thanks for any and all input as I have limited knowledge on these motors.....Jim

 

Jim-

Welcome to the forum! You've discovered the single best resource for Ford/Mercury trucks.

When I bought my '53 F100 (with a flathead V8) it was set up just like you describe and it ran. Since I was taking my truck back to stock, though, I ditched the electric pump and was able to pick up a brand new fuel pump and push rod (exact of originals) for around $45. There are plenty of suppliers that have them, so if you're planning to spend any more than that on the electric setup, you may want to reconsider.

Also, your truck was originally 6 volts. If it hasn't been converted, I suppose you'll need a 6V pump.

Good luck! You'll find that the people around here love to see pictures, too, so if you get some time, please set up your gallery and show off your truck.

 

Welcome Jim, nice to have you on board.
Don`t forget to visit your local Alberta FTE Chapter, here is the link: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum79/.
jgurland pretty well covered the bases but I`m sure there is more info coming.

 

Just a thought of why the parts might have been removed. The push rod for the fuel pump rides on the back lobe of the camshaft which can wear down and not push the rod the full stroke. If it's in good condition it doesn't move a lot so it's kind of hard to tell if it's worn. But this might be a reason the parts were removed, maybe the fuel pump wasn't pumping fuel. It's just one more thing to check.

Good luck on your start up.

 

Welcome to the board!!

Its always good to have another Bonus Built around here, expecially a Mercury. I love the extra chrome on the Mercs

When you get settled in and figure this place out a bit sit down andput together a gallery so you can show of your project. We love pics!

Again, welcome
Bobby

 

You can block off the hole in the intake and run an electric pump, but you also probably want to find a plug for the hole in the valve galley that the fuel pump push rod goes in. This will keep oil from coming up into the intake and keep it on I think the cam bearing (having a brain moment remembering the oil routing). Anyway, some people don't see it that important but it can't hurt either. I siliconed in a plug I got at a hardware store.

 

Hi every one thanks for the replies. Here's an update:

I was able to talk to a guy here that knows a lot about these old engines and he gave me a pushrod and tower for the fuel pump. He said I at least needed the push rod so that oil would stay where it belongs. So I installed the rod and tower and put a blanking plate on the tower for now.

Last Saturday I and a friend decided to take a closer look at the engine and see if we could get it fired up. First thing we noticed was that the crankcase was overfull of a liquid like kerosene. I think some one put it in there to preserve the engine. Anyways we drained the stuff out and removed the old filter and drained the filter reservoir and filled the crankcase with fresh oil.

Then we took out the spark plugs abd I put some Marvel Mystery oil down each spark plug hole and turned it over by hand a couple of revolutions. We put the spark plugs back in ( they looked to be in good condition) and checked the distibutor and points which also looked very good.

At this point we figured why not try to start it so we hooked up a bottle of gas to the carb and a battery and gave her a try. She turned over about 3 revolutions and fired right up. After the cylinders cleared out it actually ran pretty nice. I shut it off and we put some water in the rad and fired it up again. This time I let her run longer and boy she settled down to a nice purr and ran really nice. The only thing is both water pumps were leaking so that will have to be repaired.

I was surprised and pleased that the old girl ran as nice as it did and seems to be a good engine. I will have to replace the water pumps and figure out how to fix a wobble on the fan shaft. New brakes and I think the old Merc will be driveable again.

Any how thats it for now....regards....JIm

 

Well Congrats on getting the engine running so easily ;-) ......and a belated welcome to the board :-)

 

Welcome to FTE JimAlberta.
Are you the same Jimalberta that frequents the quad sites?
I have a 50 Merc that I am almost done the restoration on. There are a few old Merc's around and it is always good to find another one. As some have stated there are a few places that have most parts for these trucks.
Don

 

Great news!!! That's gonna be a sweet ride.

Welcome.

 

Jim,

Congrats on the engine. Nothing sounds like a flattie.

I had basically the same experience with my '51 F-4. I bought it mainly for parts but once I got it home I found it was too nice to part out. When I bought I was able to turn the engine by hand so I knew it wasn't froze. The guy that sold it to me told me his neighbor had the engine running a few years before but did something to it and it hadn't run in three years. I had it about six months before I decided to try to start it. It wouldn't even pop over so I pulled the distributor cap, everything in there was crusty so I filed the points, put it back together and hit the starter. It fired right up and it was the best sounding engine I have ever heard, including OHV engines, and it still had the dried out spark plug wire. I wonder what it will sound like once I change the wires and replace all of the ignition parts.

Good luck on your truck and keep us updated. This place is filled with knowledge.

 

Wow Jim,

That's excelent news on the engine. You must be living right! I got lucky like that once with a straight 8 flathead in a 49 Pontiac. When it first started it knocked and clattered like crazy and ran really rough. I let it sit there at idle for a bit and it got quieter and quiter and smoothed right out until it was purring like a kitten. I drove that car for several yeas before trading it off for a big handful of cash and my F1.

Hopefully everything else goes just as smoothly

Bobby

 

What a great story Jim!
Thanks for sharing it. We hope you havea digital camera or a friend with one who can help you load some pictures to your gallery.

Happy Easter

GW