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1937-38 Late 21 stud
The late 21 stud engines were used for all of 1937 production, and continued in decreasing numbers through the end of 1938 model year production.
Ford made a significant change to the V8 engines for the 1937 model year, putting water pumps at the front of the engine block to push cooled water into the engines. Ford USA would make no more poured Babbitt V8 motors, production was standardized to insert main bearings using the crankshaft and associated parts first used in the LB motors. Other than the modification to the front of the block to add water pumps, the late 21 stud blocks are virtually identical to the LB blocks. This allowed Ford to use the late 21 stud motors in the earlier cars by using block off plates for the added upper water pump openings. To this day an owner of a 1932 through 1936 car can use a 1937 block, crank, and oil pan, block off plates, and all other original to the car parts to swap the late 21 stud motor into an earlier car (care must be used to make sure the pistons match the heads, either flat or dome type).
Features of the late 21 stud
- 21 studs retaining the cylinder heads
- Water pumps in the block
- The water drains are angled
- Passes the pencil test
- Core plugs in the oil pan rails
- Crankcase ventilation
- Insert main bearings 2.399” diameter retained by studs
This picture shows the front of a late 21 stud block. The large upper holes are where water pump impellers go. The two bolt holes diagonally across each large hole are the upper two water pump bolts. The lower water inlet hole and two bolt holes above and below the water inlet are the same as the earlier 21 stud motors. This leads to an interesting condition that kinda sucks, the bottom water pump bolt, the one below the water inlet hole, is inside the water pump inlet. The bolt in the water pump inlet was maintained until the end of 221-239-255 engine production. Everything else on the late 21 stud motors looks the same as the LB motors, and very similar to the 35-36 motors.
The crankcase area is unchanged from the LB engines
The cylinder head deck, intake area, valley, etc. are unchanged from the LB engines
