I was at the Beilers Machinery auction in Leola (Lancaster County) Pennsylvania this past week. It's a 2 day sale with the first day focusing on horse drawn machinery and the second day featuring antiques,tractors,parts and basic "STUFF". I notices two v-8 flathead engines among the sale items in the field. I wanted to psot a pic, but my pic server is upgrading till March 5th. Anyhow, one was out of a truck with the emergency brake drum and a auxillary power takeoff still intact. It sold for $20!!! and I didn't buy it.. The other one was just the motor but was pretty well complete also. $10 took it home. I guess there wasn't any parts breakers there or else everyone had their money spent already. Does someone know what flathead parts are going for? I imagine the truck transmission could bring an easy $100 to the right buyer, but the engines should have brought more than $30 unless these parts are all over the place. Should I be on the lookout for more engines I wonder?

TonyG

 

Well As long as the block wasn't cracked then it is worth alot. They had a problem with cracks around the valves.
I have seen rebuilt short blocks for 2800.00
I'm not sure about pre 1948 flatheads though.I think they had babbit bearings in them. i have heard that can be very costly to rebuild.
I would say a good block has to be worth at least 4 or 5 hundred dollors.
Of coarse we all know if we were looking for a flathead those 20.00 deals can never be found.Isn't it funny how you stumble on good deals when your not looking to buy a particular part.

 

There was a guy at the sale who mentione pre-38 as having the babbit bearings, but it could be '48 as I'm not that up on the changes of the flatheads. Well from the condition that I saw, they looked as though they were laying in the bottom of a barn or something for a few years. Even the heads would have been worth what he paid, but if I would have started bidding, who know's how high they would have gone. I shoulda taken a stab at them anyhow. I saw on ebay, a crank turne .30 under is fetching a couple hundred, so I'll definately keep an open eye for flatheads in the future. I'll try to remember to post a pic when the pic server gets going again.
Tony

 

Tony, Sounds like those might have been good deals. For unknown blocks like that I've paid $50 and it was too much.

Watch ebay, but understand those are often collectors selling to collectors and most parts go for more than they do at swap meets.

The cranks that fetch upward of 300 are only Merc 4" cranks. Ford cranks (3 3/4" throw) go for 25 - 50 bucks.

Babbit was used in Ford blocks from the Model T's until mid-36. V8 production began in 1932 (21 stud heads) and continued to use babbitt until mid-36 when the LB (loose bearings) blocks were introduced. In 37 waterpumps were moved to the front of the block. Late 38 they went to 24 stud heads. There were a few major changes along the way and a whole lot of minor changes until north American flathead production stopped in 1953 (US) and 1954 (Canada).
tim

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 26-Feb-02 AT 00:18 AM (EST)]Well, I just opened up a yahoo photo album. Enjoy. Hopefully. I tried to post them using html references but I musta not done somethin write..(spelling error intended) So ya'll have to copy n past to see the motors and the last pic is a model T or A or ??.. that was there.
Tony

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/c5d76d8c/bc/Beilers+Auction/Truck+flathead.jpg?bc313y8AqYsbCSLi

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/c5d76d8c/bc/Beilers+Auction/My+Pictures0003.jpg?bc313y8AxBFnAa55

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/c5d76d8c/bc/Beilers+Auction/Another+flathead.jpg?bc313y8AS8dj2XuO

 

Thanks for sharing the pictures. The first one appears to be an 8BA series motor 49-53 and has a truck tranny attached - at least a 4 spd. The second lever is the emergency brake.
The second picture looks to me like an A made into a doodlebug (called a variety of things around the world) but is basically a homemade light duty tractor.
Third picture is a little harder for me to pin down. 24 head studs with center water outlet means 38-48. The double crank pulley I think dates it 42-48. My best guess.

 

So It was 36 for the last of the babbits. Thanks for the info MTflat.
As the saying goes, you learn something new everyday.

 

Flatheads are around...I see them in junk yards all the time in Washington..of course the condition of them varies. Nothing like a flathead....runs like a cat. My 67 f-100 352 is great, but my flathead......is my favorite. jim
http://www-48f-1.com

 

 

still looking for the Ford flatty, M series, 48-53.

Just please e-mail me if you find one. Thanks

John