Non-standard engine
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 233
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From: Silverthorne Colorado
IF it is IN FACT a Mercury flathead engine, or IF it has the 4-inch stroke Mercury crankshaft in it, those original un-turned Merc crankshafts wil usually bring about $400.00. The heads actually don't mean much except to a restorer. If a person was to put stock Mercury cylinder heads on a 3-3/4" stroke (239 cu. in.) Ford engine he would end up with around 6.0:1 compression and it would be a dog! The 'sneaky' hot set-up was to put Ford heads on a Mercury engine which with the Mercury's longer 4-inch stroke and 255 cu. in. displacement, made it go from about 7.5:1 compression to about 8.5:1 compression. If you bought your truck for about $400.00 and it DOES have a Mercury crankshaft the seller wasn't too far off, (except he didn't know the correct displacement for a flathead Merc. engine, 255, not 302)
BobJonesSpecial
BobJonesSpecial
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Joined: Jul 2001
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From: Southern New Hampshire
Casting # tell very little if anything Scott.
The following link will at least tell you when the engine was assembeled if it was built for a vehicle but it wont tell you if it is a Ford or Merc.
If the stamped ID is missing or meaningless then it is a replacement block or a factory rebuild so you go back to square one.
The following link will at least tell you when the engine was assembeled if it was built for a vehicle but it wont tell you if it is a Ford or Merc.
If the stamped ID is missing or meaningless then it is a replacement block or a factory rebuild so you go back to square one.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 233
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From: Silverthorne Colorado
You might stick a piece of thin welding rod down thru a spark plug hole and turn the engine over BY HAND and measure the stroke. If it's 3 3/4 you've got a Ford crankshaft. If it's 4-inches you've got a Mercury crankshaft.
BobJonesSpecial
BobJonesSpecial
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,119
Likes: 2
From: Southern New Hampshire
<b>You might stick a piece of thin welding rod down thru a spark plug hole and turn the engine over BY HAND and measure the stroke</b>
How would you manage that when the spark plug is not over the cylinder?
How would you manage that when the spark plug is not over the cylinder?
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