Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Has anyone got any first hand knowledge putting a early extended bell Cadillac motor in a 40 Ford coupe using the adaptor ring to the stock 40 ford transmission? Are there any issues with the firewall exhaust oil pan or any other issues etc?

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

There is a guy on the HAMB, moriaity who has a Cad engine in his 40 and he hasn't modified the body at all.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

A friend of mine installed one, a '53 if memory serves, in his '39 coupe without any body modifications. In fact, that Cad. appeared as if it was installed at the factory back in '39.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Look here:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=cadill...ANAB01&PC=HCTS

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Several years ago I installed a '51caddy extended bell housing in my '40 ford tudor. The only interference was the rear end of the left exhaust manifold with the shifting arms on the steering collum. When this is removed from the housing there is a hole in the housing that determines it's location on the tube. I had a hole drilled in the tube 1 inch up from the factory one. Then adjusted the shifting rods. No other interference problems.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Thanks Roger. I'm running a 38 transmission so that shouldn't be a problem then.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

I put a 55 331 in my 40 convertible a few years ago. The 55 motor is the first year without the extended bell, so I wound up having to trim the flange off of the firewall at the very bottom just in the center where the toeboard meets. The steel trans cover still fits and covers the trimmed area it wasn't a lot. It's a pretty straight forward swap. The front mounts needed to be raised about an inch and a half to get the oil pan off of the crossmember and I had to raise the radiator to match.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

"Holy Toledo Batman, We've crossed the great divide." LOL
Lookout Hambers! We're coming for ya!

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Yeah it's getting pretty Hokie in here of late ....

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

I see what you did there:D:D

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

[QUOTE=Gene1949;2421743][SIZE="2"][B]Ahh, more complaints from the “purists”.

I think you are mistaken Gene, especially my post. I was finding humor as I believe the other posters were. Any way that these old Fords can stay on the road is fine with me. The high cost of machine work and finding NOS parts for a Flathead V8 restrict younger folks. I like to go to the small weekend car shows in Iowa and the prewar Fords are as rare as hen's teeth. When I was young these cars were common and I really miss them.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

There is no place safe and no early Ford forum immune from the cancer that has infected so many early Fords. If Caddy engineering is so great buy a Caddy. Those guys only look down at Ford people anyway. The automotive equivalent of r a p e.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

These are inanimate objects. It is absurd to make the comparison of an engine swap to a violent, heinous crime.

Cadillac flathead in a Ford is cool. So is a Ford flathead.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Remember Uncle Tom McCahill who wrote in Mechanics Illustrated magazine? He loved the Fordillac as he named it. He also used to say, "zero to 60 in nothing flat."

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Go to a Harley Davidson rally and offer to exchange a half dozen of the nicest bikes there with a brand new Indian V Twin crate engine and get back to me on how that goes.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

And on the road, they won’t wave unless you are on a Harley :-)

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Ford made in the hundreds of millions of OHV V8 engines and none of them are any good to repower the old Ford?

https://i.postimg.cc/G2yXT5Y6/IMG-2565.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/D03BrPPn/IMG-2567.jpg

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Not back in the fifties.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

The one who carries a grudge carries the whole load! I would never install another manufacturers V8 in my old pickup but I sure don't care what someone else does with THEIR vehicle. Nor would it keep me from buying my dream 33/34 coupe, (as long as it wasn't too shiny.) LOL

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

The 50’s was a long time ago.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Well it always stops at that answer. It’s “their” vehicle at the end of the day to destroy in any manner they so choose


I tell you this phenomenon is unique in the world of automobiles. You don’t see enthusiasts from many other brands crossbreeding their cars with engines from the rival companies. Maybe the occasional race car to fit a particular set of rules but I’ve been trying my whole life to understand why Ford engines aren’t the first choice for Ford cars, especially ones from the golden “V8” era.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

It’s funny but Doane Spencer, builder extraordinaire who built one of the most iconic Deuce Hiboy roadsters of all time refused to use a brand X engine in any of the Fords he built not the least of which was that ‘32 Highboy.


It was almost like an act of rebellion NOT to use a GM or Mopar refrigerator motor in the car. That’s the way the hot rod ragazines portrayed it at least.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/vint...-chevy-camaro/

Who'd a thunk!
https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassi...ality=70&ssl=1

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

I wonder???
Back in the very early days, did folks swap different BRAND engines into their Models As?

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Again, I spoke without thinking. I wonder why I let myself get sucked into these ridiculous discussions. Nothing is accomplished and no one is about to change their mind. We all have a right to our own stupid opinions! In the end it is all horse manure, just like trying to defend politics or religion. From now on it's the "New Me" LOL

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

I think that T could be a big seller!

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Well now wait a minute, if we don’t discuss this “stupidity” here then where? Not at the dinner table or the bowling alley or on the golf course. It’s meant to go right here on an enthusiast’s forum.

I’m not good at explaining why I hate to see vintage Fords from the golden era gutted and filled with engineering from other manufacturers but it just does bring up the aw’ shit! feelings every time. Like there’s another one gone. They don’t make them anymore you know?

Updating a Flathead era Ford or a Model A or T with another more modern Ford driveline doesn’t seem like it goes against nature so much. It seems kind of a natural progression. Stuffing a Chevy or caddy or any other bastard motor brings forth Frankenstein images.

You all may not feel the same I’m just telling you there’s a few and maybe quite a few people who agree with me but are either afraid to say it or smarter than me and just ignore the butchers that destroy the Ford outta their Ford till they end up with a silhouette car eventually.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Nothing is etched in stone here. I have acquired a early Cadillac standard flywheel and adaptor. My 59 AB is running very well but the rear main is leaking ever since it was rebuilt. I'm just thinking down the line if I need to I may possibly put a Caddy in there.. At least it keeps it period correct.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Believe it or not I actually got a rope rear main seal to stop leaking by using Blue Devil seal restorer. I think it cost me $15.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

I may try that. I have a freshly rebuilt 8BA that was perfect except for low oil pressure. I tracked that down to an inferior Speedway oil pump. I pulled the pan to replace the pump with a stock Ford pump which solved the problem. I thought I was really careful doing it, but it still developed a slight leak. Since the seal is almost new, maybe this will work.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

You know the whole Ford in a Ford thing was born in the muscle car era. Not period correct for Fordbarn.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Allow me please to comment on that. While the Olds and Caddy were the “go to” engines on the street they didn’t come with the transmission most often. Those guys usually adapted the GM engines to Ford gearboxes because Olds and Caddy’s were most often backed up by an automatic in the 50’s.

A “Ford swap” is not a muscle car era swap in my opinion because if you research typical modified sportsman races held in the 50’s and 60’s you most often found the early Ford cars either with Flatheads or “T-bird power” aka 292/312.

For some reason the Olds,Chrysler, Caddy or Buick V8’s were never that popular in short track racing. They were most suited to mall crawling and boulevard posturing.

So in my humble opinion an OHV Ford engine fits right in when speaking in terms of period correct. But I realize this puts me in the minority here on the “Ford” barn.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

I have a stock 255, with the exception of a Charlie NY distributor and a 2GC Rochester carb, in my stock 1950 Merc Monterey, one of approximately 2000 made in 1950.
I have given a lot of thought to what I would do if I had to replace my flathead and could not find another flathead?
I think the only non Mercury engine I would use would be a Buick Nailhead!

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

Good choice! Early hemi's also seem to be a good fit with those Mercury's.

Re: Early Cad engine in 40 Ford
 

My first v8 was a 46 coupe that was stock. That was back in the late 70's. Later on I found out it was an old coupe that another student used to bring to school a few years before. I used to ogle that thing and it had a 401 Nailhead in it. It was returned to stock between that bloke selling it and me buying it. I didn't know it was the same car. Nailheads look cool in the way they are configured.