[JSeery]

The 8ba engines are fine, it is the earlier engines you need to be concerned about. The metal in the half-bell area is very thin and the extra distance of the center of gravity from the mounting surface increases the load in that area. I currently have a block that had the half-bell broken, but it was repairable. I have some photos that others have posted.

A lot of people will claim they have mounted them from the bellhousing for years and never had a problem. I'm sure that is true, but all you have to do is take a look at that area to see how fragile it is. Every casting is a little different, you might get lucky (in fact lucky on most blocks) but then when it fails it is often not fixable! Keep in mind, Ford authorized repair used the exhaust bolts to mount the engines.