Hey Scott, how does it run? I can't help with the number locations, but I think Merc engines are cool. I hope it works out so you can keep it. John 
What engine is this?
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Lewisville, NC
What engine is this?
My '53 Ford F100 may be a mix and match truck. The glove box plate says Ford assembled in USA but it has Mercury (blue) heads. How can I find out what engine this really is? The engine appears to have been out of the truck based on the lack of grime around the engine/bell housing joint.
I've heard that Mercury heads on a Ford engine are bad news - low compression/no power. Where do I find the casting numbers for the block and the heads and what # is what type?
-Scott
I've heard that Mercury heads on a Ford engine are bad news - low compression/no power. Where do I find the casting numbers for the block and the heads and what # is what type?
-Scott
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Joined: Feb 2004
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From: new jersey
Scott, try looking on the front of the heads, there should be some thing on them like 8rt=52 and 53 ford truck and eab or eac would indicate merc. common displacements for those years were if i'm right were 239 and 255 ford and merc made both of these engines. Also you said the heads were blue, this tells me that the heads and possibly the entire motor is of early 1949. I hope this info proves to be some what accurate and helps you some, try this site old mercury engines or old ford engines they both should take you to the same place, go luck! your friend fever
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From: Lewisville, NC
The engine seemed to run well and smoothly, stumbling a bit on acceleration (probably a dried out accelerator pump - I've since rebuilt the whole carb). I couldn't really dirve the truck though to test the power since there were no brakes. Well I guess I could have, but...
The heads are definitely blue and Mercury, I think they say are EAB, IIRC. My concern is if they are Mercury heads on a Ford block. How can I tell block type?
The doghouse comes off on Saturday, so I'll have very good visual access then.
-Scott
The heads are definitely blue and Mercury, I think they say are EAB, IIRC. My concern is if they are Mercury heads on a Ford block. How can I tell block type?
The doghouse comes off on Saturday, so I'll have very good visual access then.
-Scott
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Senior User
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From: Lewisville, NC
How do I tell what the block is? My understanding (perhaps flawed) is that the heads and blocks were interchangeable but different.
-Scott
-Scott
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There are way too many veriables with the Ford and Merc engines to tell what you have by looking at the paint color or what the heads have embossed on them.
One place to look for a possible clue is the right (passenger side) top of the engine, at the rear, between the head and the intake manifold. Sometimes there is a code stamped there that will give the "Birth Date" of the engine. Bore and stroke can be another clue.
But in the end, does it really matter, ya have a running Flatmotor, you have many possibilities to build it the way you want it to run and look.
One place to look for a possible clue is the right (passenger side) top of the engine, at the rear, between the head and the intake manifold. Sometimes there is a code stamped there that will give the "Birth Date" of the engine. Bore and stroke can be another clue.
But in the end, does it really matter, ya have a running Flatmotor, you have many possibilities to build it the way you want it to run and look.
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Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Alaska
The Merc's had a 4" crank and the Ford's had a 3.75" crank. Even if you figure out what block it is, you don't know what's inside it because all the parts are interchangeable. The easiest thing to do is pull off a head and measure the stroke. I believe the Merc heads had a larger volume, so when put on a Ford cranked engine there would be a lower compression.