The Ford Barn

don's 37 · 09-27-2011, 11:09 AM

Guy's! I'm confused. I may have twisting issues with the starter on my 1937 Ford 85 HP. Many of you wrote in and told me to get a starter to oil pan bracket which will help. The thing is I cannot find one for my year. I ordered a 51A-11140 and it doesn't fit as it turns out it is for a 1939 and up. I had one of the larger repro companies look one up for me and they cannot find a bracket for my year. If any of you guy's that owe '37 Ford's have the bracket installed can you give me a part number or where you got it from? Thanks, Don

Jack E/NJ · 09-27-2011, 11:40 AM

Make your own.

Jack E/NJ

flatheadfan · 09-27-2011, 11:43 AM

Don-

As I understand it, the bracket did not come out until the 1939 model so there wouldn't be a specific one for years before 1939. However, the '39 bracket should fit your '37 engine without modification. In fact, I have one on my '36 engine and it fits perfectly. I got it from Mac's for under $5. Mac's part number is 51A-11140.

Tom

JM 35 Sedan · 09-27-2011, 01:07 PM

Don, I've seen those brackets listed in many of the old Ford part suppliers catalogs but they are all listed as '39 and later because they did not become available until '39. I have the later bracket on two of my '35's and they fit perfectly. There was a recent post by 'verytangled' and 'Henry1140' about having problems fitting the 51A-11140 bracket on their '36 Phaeton. They had to modify that bracket to make it fit because their starter was mounted in a slightly different radial position than most other Flathead vehicles. You might get lucky and have that later bracket fit your '37 perfectly. If not you can modify a bracket to fit or you could make something yourself from a piece of angle stock. I do believe it is worth having a bracket on there to help in conductivity and provide extra support for the starter torque.

VeryTangled · 09-28-2011, 11:45 AM

http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43762

Reference to the earlier thread that includes some nice photos.

-VeryTangled

OLD...BILL · 09-28-2011, 02:05 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Don's 37. several questions you say you have a " twisting issues " with the starter. I am wondering if someone re-worked the oil pan, somehow, so the starter sits ode,or different from orginial, ?? looking at original pan, where the starter mounts, the two bolt holes are at about 2 and 8 o'clock. with starter in place the top right bolt should be right for the bracket in question. Please no offence, we are working with an 85 hp. engine ?? 37 was exposed to the 60 hp engine ?? please count the head bolts ?? now with the new bracket in hand, make one out of flat stock, you can do it. bend it and drill some, and your there, ... please excuse an OLD geazzer, but your spending to much time in a cataloge ordering book and ( its a 37 and only a 37 ) the fun with flatheads are a lot of parts interchange, a 37 fender or hood will not fit 40 or 41, but the engine will and so will the trans. and the gears out of a 48 will fit in your 37 .... MEAN....OLD....BILL

Bruce Lancaster · 09-28-2011, 02:46 PM

For a flying start, purchase a 90 degree corner brace like you might add to a bookshelf at the hardware...cut one end short, bend other end down 90 degrees, drill two holes to suit. Minimum equipment would only be a vise grip and a drill.
All 221-239 pans and starters 1937-48 interchange, though possibly there might be rotational differences in clocking of starter holes.

JM 35 Sedan · 09-29-2011, 01:04 PM

Bruce, after the problems that VeryTangled and Henry1140 had putting a starter support bracket on their '36 Phaeton, I went out in my parts storage and looked at maybe 8 '35-'48 oil pans and found there was a rotational difference of the starter mounting holes. Looking at the pans as they would be bolted to the bottom of an engine that was mounted in a vehicle, two of these pans had starter bolt holes at 1 o'clock and 7 o'clock positions. The others had starter mounting holes at 2 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. I always thought that these oil pans had the starter mounting holes in the same location but now I know better.

Bruce Lancaster · 09-30-2011, 10:05 AM

So there is an explanation. From big book, it looks like changes between '38 and 9.

don's 37 · 09-30-2011, 11:09 AM

Guy's, my starter mounting through bolt holes are at 2 and 8 o'clock. I've ordered two part number brackets and they ended up being the same thing. Both don't work. I'll have to make something up. I did take a peek at my chassis parts book and didn't see anything about a starter support bracket. I have the 85 horse engine.

09-27-2011, 11:09 AM	#1
don's 37 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Palmyra, NY Posts: 195	Starter to Oil Pan Support Bracket 1937 Ford Guy's! I'm confused. I may have twisting issues with the starter on my 1937 Ford 85 HP. Many of you wrote in and told me to get a starter to oil pan bracket which will help. The thing is I cannot find one for my year. I ordered a 51A-11140 and it doesn't fit as it turns out it is for a 1939 and up. I had one of the larger repro companies look one up for me and they cannot find a bracket for my year. If any of you guy's that owe '37 Ford's have the bracket installed can you give me a part number or where you got it from? Thanks, Don

09-27-2011, 11:40 AM	#2
Jack E/NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 2,176	Re: Starter to Oil Pan Support Bracket 1937 Ford Make your own. Jack E/NJ

09-27-2011, 11:43 AM	#3
flatheadfan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: West Michigan Posts: 1,218	Re: Starter to Oil Pan Support Bracket 1937 Ford Don- As I understand it, the bracket did not come out until the 1939 model so there wouldn't be a specific one for years before 1939. However, the '39 bracket should fit your '37 engine without modification. In fact, I have one on my '36 engine and it fits perfectly. I got it from Mac's for under $5. Mac's part number is 51A-11140. Tom

09-27-2011, 01:07 PM	#4
JM 35 Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Near Rising Sun, Maryland Posts: 10,862	Re: Starter to Oil Pan Support Bracket 1937 Ford Don, I've seen those brackets listed in many of the old Ford part suppliers catalogs but they are all listed as '39 and later because they did not become available until '39. I have the later bracket on two of my '35's and they fit perfectly. There was a recent post by 'verytangled' and 'Henry1140' about having problems fitting the 51A-11140 bracket on their '36 Phaeton. They had to modify that bracket to make it fit because their starter was mounted in a slightly different radial position than most other Flathead vehicles. You might get lucky and have that later bracket fit your '37 perfectly. If not you can modify a bracket to fit or you could make something yourself from a piece of angle stock. I do believe it is worth having a bracket on there to help in conductivity and provide extra support for the starter torque. __________________ *John* *"Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts". Albert Einstein*

09-28-2011, 11:45 AM	#5
VeryTangled Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: (Not far enough...) Outside of DC Posts: 3,387	Re: Starter to Oil Pan Support Bracket 1937 Ford http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43762 Reference to the earlier thread that includes some nice photos. -VeryTangled

09-28-2011, 02:05 PM	#6
OLD...BILL Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Northern California,coast Posts: 552	Re: Starter to Oil Pan Support Bracket 1937 Ford Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Don's 37. several questions you say you have a " twisting issues " with the starter. I am wondering if someone re-worked the oil pan, somehow, so the starter sits ode,or different from orginial, ?? looking at original pan, where the starter mounts, the two bolt holes are at about 2 and 8 o'clock. with starter in place the top right bolt should be right for the bracket in question. Please no offence, we are working with an 85 hp. engine ?? 37 was exposed to the 60 hp engine ?? please count the head bolts ?? now with the new bracket in hand, make one out of flat stock, you can do it. bend it and drill some, and your there, ... please excuse an OLD geazzer, but your spending to much time in a cataloge ordering book and ( its a 37 and only a 37 ) the fun with flatheads are a lot of parts interchange, a 37 fender or hood will not fit 40 or 41, but the engine will and so will the trans. and the gears out of a 48 will fit in your 37 .... MEAN....OLD....BILL

09-28-2011, 02:46 PM	#7
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: Starter to Oil Pan Support Bracket 1937 Ford For a flying start, purchase a 90 degree corner brace like you might add to a bookshelf at the hardware...cut one end short, bend other end down 90 degrees, drill two holes to suit. Minimum equipment would only be a vise grip and a drill. All 221-239 pans and starters 1937-48 interchange, though possibly there might be rotational differences in clocking of starter holes.

09-29-2011, 01:04 PM	#8
JM 35 Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Near Rising Sun, Maryland Posts: 10,862	Re: Starter to Oil Pan Support Bracket 1937 Ford Bruce, after the problems that VeryTangled and Henry1140 had putting a starter support bracket on their '36 Phaeton, I went out in my parts storage and looked at maybe 8 '35-'48 oil pans and found there was a rotational difference of the starter mounting holes. Looking at the pans as they would be bolted to the bottom of an engine that was mounted in a vehicle, two of these pans had starter bolt holes at 1 o'clock and 7 o'clock positions. The others had starter mounting holes at 2 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. I always thought that these oil pans had the starter mounting holes in the same location but now I know better. __________________ *John* *"Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts". Albert Einstein* Last edited by JM 35 Sedan; 09-30-2011 at 11:21 AM.

09-30-2011, 10:05 AM	#9
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: Starter to Oil Pan Support Bracket 1937 Ford So there is an explanation. From big book, it looks like changes between '38 and 9.

09-30-2011, 11:09 AM	#10
don's 37 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Palmyra, NY Posts: 195	Re: Starter to Oil Pan Support Bracket 1937 Ford Guy's, my starter mounting through bolt holes are at 2 and 8 o'clock. I've ordered two part number brackets and they ended up being the same thing. Both don't work. I'll have to make something up. I did take a peek at my chassis parts book and didn't see anything about a starter support bracket. I have the 85 horse engine.