I'm looking to get a flathead 8 that was running when pulled out of a 49 truck. What should I look for and if I choose to rebuild it where to get the parts and about how much does a rebuild cost. Thankx Dennis

 

Look for cracks inside the cylinders on the bottom. You won't be able to see them unless the engine is apart. Cost to rebuild a flathead... an arm and a leg.

 

Rebuild costs will vary by location, here in salt lake my rebuilder says about 3k but I cant rememebr if thats with a good block as a core or not. plus I think he's got lots of rebuild parts on hand so he's not buying them at todays higher prices?

If your truck is a 49 then you could look for a donor engine from pretty much anything 48,49 through 53 car or truck.
only problem you would have if its from a 53 truck or from any car of that era is you would need to swap water pumps (53 truck and cars), pullys fans etc from the narrow belts (cars) to the wide belts. but easy enough to do.

Actually I have seen a few 48-52 truck with the earlier style flathead in them but not sure of what other issues or concerns you may run into with that optiion?


Also if you look at a "running" engine take your compression tester and at least make sure you've got good compression on all 8, But thats no guarantee that there isn't any cracks from cylinder wall into valve pockets. if heads are removed then you can at least visually check.

buying a flathead is like going to Vegas and gambling, So far I've had much better luck with flatheads but I have lost a few times too!

good luck

 

Those would be along the pan rail, and are almost always from freezing. Could happen in FL but less likely than overheating. Overheating can lead to cracks as Josh said, from valve pockets to the cylinders. If there is no water/ antifreeze in the oil, that's a good thing, but doesn't guarantee no cracks. A car engine has likely received better maintenance and hasn't been as stressed as a truck engine, and the water pumps are the primary difference. Not likely you'll find a dozen engines to choose from. Good luck! There are a lot of flathead guys in FL, several of them post here:

Ford Flathead V8 .. 1932 thru 1953 • Index page

 

Of course check the oil and look for signs of water. Water in the engine could mean pitted cylinders. Also see if you can pull the heads before buying. I bought a flathead that "was running" and I guess they were running with a valve seat dislodged. On a brighter side it already had hardened valve seats whic his required for unleaded fuel. With the heads off you can check for cracks and warping.

Yes a flathead costs an arm and a leg. You can go harass the local machine shop with the how much to .... questions and use the worst-case scenario to figure out how much it would be. Then multiply it by ten.

 

I just bought a 53 truck "running when parked"..still has the key's in it..but it was parked at least 10 years ago...the motor is stuck..so far..that said my 54 ford truck..was parked in 95 ,,stopped running in 01 ...and took me half an hour to wake her up..and runs great ...I now have 4 flathead motors...if you like them ..enjoy ..if your trying to look good ...a flatty will drive you nut's...just look at this crowd !!!

 

Here's a guy in Tallahassee with one for sale

Ford Flathead V8 .. 1932 thru 1953 • View topic - motor and trans for sale or trade.

 

i have a 1949 8-rt v-8 from a truck i might sell. it would need a full rebuild. has around 50k on it. is all original and spins freely. no freeze damage. (8-rt is 110 hp) make a good candidate for your project.

 

Thanks for all the imput I started to go with a 351w and got one, but felt like I got over my head with all the mods to make it happen. So thats why I'm thinking about going with a flathead. Petey shoes where do you live and what do you want for the fatty,

 

not supposed to sell on the forum! will pm you.

 

On the parts end of life, Flathead Jack (Flathead Jack, USA's Hot Rodding Headquarters) can get you just about anything under the sun for a flatty, from stock stuff on up through as souped up as you wanna make it. Also he's a really great resource for information, I've spent many an hour on the phone picking his brain, and he is more than happy to share his knowledge

 

I called Flathead Jack one time to ask him a question about the Merc flatty in my 52 F-1. I told him the motor was more or less stock and he said to me very snottily "I don't deal with stock!" I told him he just lost my business and the business of many of my friends and promptly hung up on him, that was in 05. I will never deal with him again, ever with that kind of attitude!

 

Wow i'm sorry to hear that, he was always real polite when i spoke to him.....

 

I visited his place once and even though he wasn't there at the time I spoke to him on the phone with a couple of questions and he was pleasant and very helpful. Maybe when I called him two years later he was having a bad day. He's got a lot of cool stuff but his prices are out of sight so I won't buy anything from him. I've heard good and bad from people regarding him as well, so each case is different.