I have a 1953 Mercury M100 with the 239 CI flathead, I am trying to determine if it is the original engine. It is an 8BA which says Made In Canada on the heads. The engine is blue in color.
Does anyone know if this is correct or should the heads say Mercury on them?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

Mercury engines were only used in a couple of the big trucks (M-5 and M-6) for one year ('52) in Canada only. I'm mildly surprised your heads aren't EAB heads. '53's in the US were mostly EABs. The paint color could have been changed at any time.

As I recall, in Canada there were actual serial numbers stamped into the engines, or bellhousings. Do you see any? Do you know any of the history of the truck? How many miles on it?

In general it is really really hard to prove any flathead-era engine is the original engine in a truck. Few people (including Ford) cared about such things back then.

 

Thanks for the information. I haven't really checked for numbers. Do you know where the numbers would be stamped on the engine besides the bell housing?
I don't know much history at all on the truck. On the plate on the drivers door jamb is a number which no one seems to be able to decode. At the top of the plate it says Gouvernment De Quebec so I am assuming this was used as some sort of government vehicle. The odometer read 24, 658 which I have no idea if this is actual or not.

 

On the bellhousing it would be at 12:00. On the engine, I don't know.

BTW, welcome to the forum! Post some pics of your truck!

 

I found a 1948 to 50 ford F6 that has an 8BA. "Made in Canada" engine. Haven't seen many of those.

I really want it but have to buy the entire truck. Maybe someday.

 

48 to 51 FoMoCo of Canada
1952 Truck Supplementary Catalogue
1953 Ford and Mercury Truck Catalogue.
Refering to my 48 to 51 Canadian Ford/Mercury Parts Catalogue on cylinder heads (6049 and 6050), the prefix for the heads is "8BA". See picture. "C" model is the catalogue designation for 1/2 ton Trucks "F47" from 48-50 and "F-1" in 51-52. My restored 51 has "8BA" heads. My 1952 supplement shows the cylinder heads as "8RT". Hp went from 100 to 106 with camshaft changes on the 239 cu. in. Flathead in 52. The "8CM" cylinder head is for the 255 cu in Mercury engine in M-5 and M-6 trucks. Ford F-5 and F-6 trucks in 52 used the 239 cu in V8, making the Merc 120 hp vs the 106 hp in the same model Ford 2 and 3 ton trucks. The last photo is from my 1953 Ford/Mercury Truck parts catalogue. The Ford F-100 and Mercury M-100 used the 239 cu in flathead V-8 with "8RT" marked cylinder heads, according to the catalogue. I have a "8RT" marked head from a 53 F/M-100. The 239 cu. in. V8 was used in the Ford F-100 to F-600 and Mercury trucks in 1953 and 1954. The M-500 and M-600 continued using the 255 cu. in. V8 in 1953 and 1954 which was the last year of the Flathead in Canada. The engine serial number should be on the transmission clutch housing as Ross stated. This will verify if you still have the original transmission, but the engine could have been replaced.

 

I am curious if this thread is still active and if Tienmac is still here?​​​​​​​

 

I am still around, just not a regular visitor. Are you looking for some information?

 

Tienmac’s page from the 53 truck catalog shows 8RT as the proper head. It also shows EAB under the ‘gasket’ heading. I have an extra pair of heads with EAB cast into them. The EAB heads supposedly had a higher compression ratio and had 110 HP vs the 8RT’s 100 HP. Can anyone verify this? Also, can the EAB designated heads be used on an F-100 or was I strictly for cars? I am confused.

 

EAB heads had smaller combustion chambers, so higher C.R. On a stock bore 239, they will raise the CR from 6.8 to 7.2. Whether they really raise the HP 10%, I couldn't say, but likely an advertising thing more than fact.

The EAB for the head gasket even on an 8RT engine may be because they made some changes to the water holes in the head gasket during the later years, in an effort to produce more even cooling. The HG's with the change were all they made after that, they are a bona fide improvement.

You can use EAB heads on anything you want. My whole engine is an EAB, was apparently put in there from a car.

 

Thanks for the info. So, were the EAB heads originally on cars and not trucks?

 

Yes, cars came with EAB's from about '52 - on. If they were on trucks, it would have been '53's. I'm not that familiar with '53's. From what I've seen and heard on here, it seems like some 48 - 52 trucks came with 8RT's and some with with 8BA's. It does seem like all the F-4's and larger came with 8RT's, but lots of F-1's seem to have come with 8BA's. I've never heard of a 48 - 52 that came with an EAB.

 

1953 239 use one year only water pumps.

 

Thanks for the info. Was that 1953 trucks 1953 only? I didn't understand the reference to water pumps.

 

53 Trucks with the flat V8 used WP's without the "feet" for motor mounts like 48-52's. The engines were supported like Y-blocks, one in the center front under the crank, 2 on the bellhousing.