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For some reason I can't log in from my phone. Yet I log in on my desktop?? Pics are on my phone. Getting tired of being sent in circle to reset my password. I used all attempts to do so for a while.
Updated my password on my account on my desktop and tried to login on my phone and still says it's wrong?? I'll keep trying
Ok finally got the login thing worked out. Here's a couple pics of the pair. No made in Canada on these. Weird corrosion on gasket surfaces though.
The one chamber is clean because I wire wheeled it to get a better look at the "pattern" visible in the pic. It's also where it stuck out of the bucket of cleaner I soaked it in. It looked like a repair at first.
There's a handful of guys over on the Shoebox Ford forums who refuse to acknowledge that our truck engines regularly had "8BA" labeled heads until about 1951-52 as mentioned above. They flatly refuse to even consider that Ford used their 8BA heads on truck engines at all, despite lots and lots of evidence that clearly shows it was the norm. One guy on Shoebox Ford dared me and another FTE/Shoebox member to remove our heads and prove we had standard bore cylinders underneath. He even offered to mail us both a head gasket to just do it. When we did indeed remove the original engine from my truck a couple years later, I smiled and thought about that guy when we took the heads off and looked at the original standard bore pistons underneath.
I've seen quite a few 51 and older truck owners mention 8BA heads. My 52 F3 has the 8RT heads and engine is original to the truck (I'm 3rd owner and still in contact with 2nd owner).
Wes
Both of my 8rt engines, from 1952, had 8RT heads. One pair had 8RT and part number. The other pair are as pictured, just 8RT, neither has Canada on them.
there is no difference between the 8RT block and the 8BA block. in fact, looking at ledge inside valve chamber where fuel pump rod goes through, ¹you will see same casting code.
Off the top of my head, 48-53 Flathead V8 Trucks should have the 8RT engine which should have 7RT or 8RT carburetors (both have 7RT stamped on the carb), 7RT manifolds (some have one 7RT and a 21A exhaust), larger 8RT rear sump oil pump and pan with clean out, 8RT wide belt water pumps... the list goes on. As for the block casting bring the same, yes, generally that is true. However, the bell housing situation changed between the 8RT engine introduction in 1948 and the 8BA engine in 1949. Now to the 8BA/8RT head "debate", I can only attest to what I have:
52 8RT engine with its original 8RT (no Canada) heads.
49 and 51 8RT engines that also have 8RT (also no Canada) heads, but I can't be sure those are original.
48/49 8RT engine that has 8BA heads that certainly are not original.
Now, IF Ford started in 48 with 8BA heads on 8RT engines, and continued to use those all along, why would Ford, later in late 1951 or 1952, introduce a seemingly undesirable lower compression 8RT head? To me, it makes more sense that the 8RT was the first head, and then further refined into the 8BA and Mercury higher compression heads, but that is just my logic/thinking. I'm open for real definitive evidence and answers since I can't be sure either way. Yes, I am aware of the claims that 8RT 6049/50 part numbers were not in the parts book until January 1952, but that is far from definitive by itself.
why would Ford, later in late 1951 or 1952, introduce a seemingly undesirable lower compression 8RT head?
When Chuck said the 8RT heads were introduced in 51-52, it made sense because that was when Ford upgraded to the EAB higher compression heads, and they probably didn't want to use those in trucks, so they made the truck 8RT head to replace the 8BA no longer in production.
it made sense because that was when Ford upgraded to the EAB higher compression heads, and they probably didn't want to use those in trucks, so they made the truck 8RT head to replace the 8BA no longer in production.
WIth that premise, it doesn't make sense to me that Ford would engineer/develop a new casting/part when they already had the suitable 8BA head design on the books. What was so compelling at this time to engineer the worst compression head design in the family when supposedly the 8BA head used successfully all along?
P.S. I'm not arguing with YOU, just posturing around Ford's logic or lack thereof.
When Chuck said the 8RT heads were introduced in 51-52, it made sense because that was when Ford upgraded to the EAB higher compression heads, and they probably didn't want to use those in trucks, so they made the truck 8RT head to replace the 8BA no longer in production.
That makes sense, but I wonder why they wanted lower compression?
That makes sense, but I wonder why they wanted lower compression?
JB
Would lower compression equal cooler running engine? Better Gas mileage numbers? Why would they have larger belts for that matter? The compression numbers aren't that different between 8BA and 8RT are they?
The quality of gasoline was not nearly what it is today back in the 40's and early 50's, just like oils, especially in rural America where trucks were used more. Truck engines were worked harder than car engines, so lower compression would be desirable to prevent detonation under those conditions. Research and development is always ongoing, and even though Ford knew the flathead's days were numbered, they still kept improving their engine right up to the very end, with new heads and camshafts introduced just a couple years before replacing the flattie with the Y block. It would not be unexpected for them to develop a new truck head along side a new car head. They were designed to do two, different things, one for work, the other for speed. That's my take on it, anyway.
Digging through the old parts catalog, I see that the 8RT heads have a notation that they are to be used with unique EAB head gaskets. There are no 8BA heads listed in the catalog, further evidence the 8RT's were introduced later and shown as the available replacement head for 48-53 V-8's in 1954. The pictures and drawings in the Shop Manual show the heads with 8BA markings.
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Digging through the old parts catalog, I see that the 8RT heads have a notation that they are to be used with unique EAB head gaskets. There are no 8BA heads listed in the catalog, further evidence the 8RT's were introduced later and shown as the available replacement head for 48-53 V-8's in 1954. The pictures and drawings in the Shop Manual show the heads with 8BA markings.
The EAB-type head gaskets can be used on all 48-53 engines, and AFAIK that is the only style provided after their introduction. The difference in those gaskets is in the cooling passage hole at the back of the engine on each side. The idea was that too much flow was going thru that area.
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