Motor mount spacers

[62pan]

Can someone tell me the thickness of the metal used to make the U shaped spacers that are used when putting a later model flathead in an earlier frame.

[Newc]

Not only do you need the spacers, but in order to change the fan belt, you need more space maybe 3/4" lift. Also a front spring clamp that is low on the crossmember. Newc

[19Fordy]

I think it's 1/4 or 5/16 in. I am leaning towards 1/4 in.
There's a couple of photos here.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...athead.758900/

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

I think it's 1/4 or 5/16 in. I am leaning towards 1/4 in.
There's a couple of photos here.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...athead.758900/

[Flathead Fever]

I have a couple sets of original Merc spacers from my dads' collection of stuff. They are 5/16". They measure anywhere from .313" to .320" thick. .313" is equal to 5/16". He was going to use them for a '33 pickup build. I inherited that basket-case project plus I bought a '34 pickup project so I'll need both sets. They are made from 3" wide ( measured 3.00" to the .001"), 5/16" thick plate. They measure 1.893' high, outside to outside but the bend is probably off a little so just call them 2 inches tall.

[62pan]

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Thanks, that's the information I was looking for.

[38 coupe]

Honest question from someone who hasn't installed an 8BA into a 32-34 Ford: If you are using the taller mount truck pumps why do you want the Mercury spacers?

[jimTN]

side to side spacing is made up with the Merc spacers.

[Flathead Fever]

Originally Posted by 62pan

Thanks, that's the information I was looking for.

Here are some photos. I was putting this one away and I noticed there are right and left spacers The angled cuts are just in the opposite directions. The motor mount bolt holes are offset a little towards the long angle cut and the bottom stud is centered. There is a second larger holes in the top that I don't have clue about. I should have taken a photo of the inside opening measurement too. It's close to 1.250" in case you're going to use something to heat that 3" wide plate and bend it around. That bottom stud is probably splined and was pressed it there before the metal was bent. I don't which one is right or left and which way they face or exactly sure which flatheads with which water pumps people use them on when installing them in '33-'34 Fords and maybe others. I haven't gotten that far on my '33 and '34 pickup projects yet. My dad just said he needed them on the '33 pickup which he never finished. just collected parts for it.

You definitely do not need the spacers on a '32 Ford with a later flathead, 59A or 8BA. A lot of people weld the water pump motor mount type brackets flush with the top of the frame rail on a '32. That is too high, and the back of the intake will hit the firewall. I use the forged stock '32 mounts since they bolt to all the other flatheads except for just one block I saw that was never tapped and drilled. With my luck that would be the block I bought. I wonder if all the later engines were intended to be replacements for the '32s. One person said those mount holes were used to hold the block during the machine and assembly process. if that was true, how did they machine the block I saw without the holes. A friend of mine had it, it was one of those 1937 21-stud blocks with the 24 stud style heads and water pumps and no '32 motor mount holes. If you're building a '32 with a flathead and '39 trans and welding side mounts to the frame do not permanently attach the mounts without the block in the frame with a trans bolted to the K-member, the intake on it and the firewall in place You will see those water pump motor mounts arms need to be lower than the top of the frame rail. Just guessing I'd say around a 1/2". I bought a chopped 3-wiondow 30-years ago that a "professional" hot rod shop had started on. They welded the mounts flush with the top of the frame and then the firewall hit the intake. They had the firewall all scribbled with a sharpie marker where they were going to torch it out. The 1932 came with a flathead, the intakes are all exactly in the same place from 1932-1953. Think about it guy, why would you need to torch the firewall for the intake to clear. I was new to flatheads. I called the shop up that had been paid to do the work. They had been only installing Chebbys in Early Fords. I asked the guy, why did you weld the mounts flush thinking he knew something I didn't. He said, "we looked in a magazine with a '32 with a flathead and that was what it looked like they did."

I tell car people, you can work on your cars yourself and screw this stuff up for free, there is no reason to pay somebody to screw it up for you. I should probably put that on a T-shirt

Always assemble the chassis without painting, chroming and welding anything until you know it all is going to work.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Speedway used to sell a repro version of those U shaped spacers, but I'm not sure they are still available, and I don't believe the quality is/was as good as the original Mercury spacers.

[bobH]

I've got a pair of the 'repros'... The blue ones. The material is 3/8 x 1 3/4. The height is about 1.55. And the offset of the holes is about 1/2 (guess). As you can tell, they don't exactly match what Yucaipa has posted. They are available....
What I've always wondered... Yucaipa.... have you ever put a 37-up block in a 32, using 32 motor mount brackets, and let the water pump mounts hang there in the breeze? And, measure the height of where that welded-on frame bracket SHOULD be, to duplicate a factory installed height of the motor? I'm asking for the distance down from the top of the frame rail... where should that plate be welded to duplicate a factory engine height? And, yes, 65 years ago, I welded those plates even with the top of the frame rail on a 32. I probably looked at the same magazine. I did the same thing on a Model A... It wasn't a good idea for a Model A, either.
I'd also ask the same question for a 33-34... Seems to me, the frame bracket on a 33-34 should also not be at the top of the rail. The last 33-34 that I had, I used the 33-34 engine brackets (water inlets). This was with an LB engine, so there were no water-pump mounts.

[Flathead Fever]

Originally Posted by bobH

I've got a pair of the 'repros'... The blue ones. The material is 3/8 x 1 3/4. The height is about 1.55. And the offset of the holes is about 1/2 (guess). As you can tell, they don't exactly match what Yucaipa has posted. They are available....
What I've always wondered... Yucaipa.... have you ever put a 37-up block in a 32, using 32 motor mount brackets, and let the water pump mounts hang there in the breeze? And, measure the height of where that welded-on frame bracket SHOULD be, to duplicate a factory installed height of the motor? I'm asking for the distance down from the top of the frame rail... where should that plate be welded to duplicate a factory engine height? And, yes, 65 years ago, I welded those plates even with the top of the frame rail on a 32. I probably looked at the same magazine. I did the same thing on a Model A... It wasn't a good idea for a Model A, either.
I'd also ask the same question for a 33-34... Seems to me, the frame bracket on a 33-34 should also not be at the top of the rail. The last 33-34 that I had, I used the 33-34 engine brackets (water inlets). This was with an LB engine, so there were no water-pump mounts.

When I put my 59A engine in my '32 chassis, using the stock '32 mounts I left the water pump arms on to see where they would end up so if I ever did want to weld side plates onto a '32 frame I'd know where to put them. I would never do that to a nice '32 frame. I think somewhere I wrote that measurement down. but I don't where it's at. I have so much stuff in a 2400 sf garage I can't walk in it. It's in the house, in the yard and in the basement. Ford stuff everywhere. On my '32 roadster chassis I cut the water pump arms off of the 59A pumps for a cleaner look.

I'm such an idiot, I have too many cars (15 or around that, not sure). I forgot I have my dad's '32 roadster out in the garage. I hauled it home and put it up on the hoist. It hasn't been started in over ten-years. It has an 8BA with speed equipment. It has stock '32 mounts with 8BA truck water pumps and the motor mount arms are still on them. Looks like crap they need to be cut off. I could measure down from the frame to see how low they are. The problem is there is stuff piled under the hoist including a '29 roadster. It would take half a day just to lower the '32 to the ground. I found some photos of it and those pump mounts. That is where they ended up with the engine on stock '32 mounts. I have to straighten out all the things that are Mickey Mouse with this car, my dad bought it this way. Its real. He bought it and never did a thing to it but put the '39 taillights in it. He had a red '32 roadster with an 8BA in 1956 and this one reminded him of it. He sold the first one for $225.00. The second one cost a little bit more.

I found a photo of my chassis from about 15-years ago with a 59A on '32 mounts with the water pump arms cutoff. I still have not finished the last coat of black paint on the Brookville roadster body, too many projects around here. That was such a nice frame that I did not want to weld motor mounts to it.

[Flathead Fever]

This frame was probably a track roadster. dry lakes car or a drag car built in the early 1950s. The frame rails don't have a rust pit. It also never had a stamped vin, maybe an early replacement frame. Model A front crossmember. spots for a ear push bar to slide into and that wonderful trick stuff. The steel in the boxed-in rear "Z" weighs more than the rest of the frame. The guy was good welder. He placed his motor mounts 7/8" of down. Looking at the photos of my dad's roadster and measuring a used mount with its metal washers, it measured 1 1/4" . I don't think 7/8" would be enough. Its probably going to be closer to a 1 1/2" down from the top of the frame.

I still don't know what that little tubing with the grease zerk welded to the front crossmember was for. I was thinking tach drive but it's not centered. He used a piece of channel for the engine mount and added a piece of steel to the bottom, you can see the weld. Probably scap pieces of channel from that custom rear crossmember.

[cas3]

When I put a 59a into my 34's those merc mounts did not fit proper. Wrong height if I remember. I made my own U shaped things 3/8's thick and used the front crank hole/ crank bolt line up as a guide to where it should be.

[Newc]

So, How do we change fan belts, without raising the eng? 59 types in a 33/34 frame. Even with Merc risers. Newc

[cas3]

Newc, my home made spacers look just like yours. The photo is a little blurry, but it looks like your crank bolt is a pinch lower than stock. In mine I can squeeze a belt between it all. Can you shim up a bit? Its tight !