[Flathead Fever]

The 8BA blocks did not use chatter rods. In 1949 Ford switched to an open driveshaft with parallel leaf springs. On these vehicles the springs are actually pushing the frame down the road. On the 1948 and earlier cars the torque tube and the transverse spring were pushing the car down the road. The forward force from the torque tube was pushing the engine forward. The problem was the engine is mounted to the frame with rubber mounts. This allows the engine to move which gives you that shaking feeling that most people call “clutch chatter.” It's not the clutch causing the shaking but the whole drive train is moving forward and backwards. Ford's solution was to install engine stabilizer rods. With this system the torque tube pushes on the back of the engine and trans. The stabilizer rods connect to the engine and are transferring the forward motion of the engine to the frame, the engine is actually towing the frame down the road. You definitely need to have some kind of chatter rods on an 8BA engine with a torque tube rearend.

There is a guy here on the Ford barn advertising adaptor brackets for 8BA motors, here is a link to his thread.

Jerry


http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...hlight=chatter