Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-01-2020, 05:44 PM   #1
harvest
Senior Member
 
harvest's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Lehigh Valley PA
Posts: 820
Default flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

a friend has this old ford engine he removed today from his fathers garage who passed. the heads are marked mercury. can anyone possibly tell me what year this engine is from?
i think its stuck. he says its complete but cant turn it by hand. what year would you all think this is from and what the value of a non-running mercury flathead? how many hp? Thank you
Attached Images
File Type: jpeg 6DC9653F-AD8C-44F6-8BBE-9121EA35FF5E.jpeg (183.4 KB, 203 views)
File Type: jpeg ECA93C7B-3168-4D33-A2B0-DCEEBAB891DC.jpeg (165.1 KB, 185 views)
File Type: jpeg 4F36D1F2-F316-4D40-BAAB-DFF4FD5DAB84.jpeg (142.8 KB, 171 views)
harvest is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2020, 05:58 PM   #2
Merc Cruzer
Senior Member
 
Merc Cruzer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Conifer, Colorado
Posts: 2,421
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

Based on the carburetor and the heads: 125 HP from a 53' Mercury. Based on: "he says its complete but cant turn it by hand" and the condition of the crank - $200 +/-

Last edited by Merc Cruzer; 04-01-2020 at 07:17 PM.
Merc Cruzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 04-01-2020, 06:03 PM   #3
tubman
Senior Member
 
tubman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys
Posts: 10,259
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

"EAC" is a '52 or '53 Mercury engine. They had the highest HP rating of all of the "normal" flatheads at 125 HP. (337 Lincolns and big truck engines are completely different and don't count.) To determine the exact year, check for letters and numbers stamped on the top (intake manifold) surface of the block. If they are there, there is a table somewhere that will allow you to date the engine, although it really doesn't make that much difference.. There is a chance it may not be a Mercury with a 4" stroke crank, but the color says Mercury to me and that ain't a fresh paint job.

That engine looks pretty good. It still has the carb and generator and was stored inside, which probably means it "ran when pulled". I have had very good luck with engines like this, but until you find out whether it is cracked or not, you can't really put a solid value on it. Also, trying to value this without pulling the heads is a crap-shoot.

I see "Merc Cruzer" beat me to it. I will have to say I think he is low on his value.

Last edited by tubman; 04-01-2020 at 06:15 PM.
tubman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2020, 06:09 PM   #4
42merc
Senior Member
 
42merc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Buchanan, MI
Posts: 675
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

Looking at the carb, water pumps, red oil filter & the bell housing next to it, I say it was plugged into a truck.
Scrape a clean spot on the block, if there is lite green paint that matches the heads, it's a good chance it is a Mercury.
The motor not turning & unknown condition of the block, the only valuable part is the 4" crank.

Edit: The bell hsg is 53 truck - The water pumps are '48 - '52 truck

Last edited by 42merc; 04-01-2020 at 06:17 PM.
42merc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2020, 06:10 PM   #5
51 MERC-CT
Senior Member
 
51 MERC-CT's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: East Hartford, Ct
Posts: 5,898
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

From what I see it looks like possibly an 8BA truck engine with Mercury heads.
There may or may not be a date code on the rear passenger side intake manifold mounting surface.

__________________
DON'T RECALL DOING SOMETHING FOR MYSELF BASED ON SOMEONE ELSE'S LIKES OR DISLIKES
51 MERC-CT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2020, 06:22 PM   #6
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,367
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
It could be a diamond in the rough or it could be a boat anchor. The prices listed previously are in the ball park for stuff that still needs a trip to the machine shop. A block that has some meat left on the cylinder walls and no cracks (will pass a pressure test) is worth a good bit. All 8BA blocks are basically the same and interchangeable. A crank that is 4-inch stroke with usable journals is also worth a good bit but it takes a lot of work to find out if one of these old hunks of cast iron is good. Tearing one down takes some special tooling to do it within a day. Rusted cylinders with stuck pistons can take a lot more time. Just getting the valves out can be a real chore on a crusty one.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2020, 07:01 PM   #7
51504bat
Senior Member
 
51504bat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SoCal-Redlands
Posts: 2,997
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

Hard to tell from the photos but it appears that the engine has wide belts. If so its a 1949 Merc unless the pumps and related pulleys were changed from narrow belts to wide belts. If the belts are narrow it has the OCM Merc pumps from '50-'51 if I'm not mistaken. In '52 or thereabouts Merc went to Ford narrow belt car pumps. Or if the pumps are wide belt it could have 8rt truck pumps. Lots of stuff got changed around in the last 70 or so years. A photo showing the front of the engine would help narrow the pump issue down but the only way to know for sure if its a true Merc is to measure the stroke. I once bought what was said to be a Merc engine without pulling a head. It had Merc narrow belt pumps, a Merc pan, and a Merc stamped steel 1/2 bell housing. When I tore it apart it has a 3 3/4 crank.
__________________
Making the simple complicated for over 30 years.
51504bat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2020, 10:52 AM   #8
harvest
Senior Member
 
harvest's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Lehigh Valley PA
Posts: 820
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

Thank you all for this helpful information
harvest is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2020, 09:27 PM   #9
skidmarks
Senior Member
 
skidmarks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: newark, delaware
Posts: 3,735
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

The bell housing alone is worth $125 to $150. Its a one year only bellhousing.

Its also got the truck intake manifold and carburetor

Easiest way to tell if it has a merc crank is roll it on its side and pull the pan off. Merc cranks usually bring $275.to $375 depending on what its been cut to.

Probably has adjustable tappets.
skidmarks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2020, 09:49 PM   #10
tubman
Senior Member
 
tubman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys
Posts: 10,259
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

Quote:
Originally Posted by skidmarks View Post
The bell housing alone is worth $125 to $150. Its a one year only bellhousing.

Its also got the truck intake manifold and carburetor

Easiest way to tell if it has a merc crank is roll it on its side and pull the pan off. Merc cranks usually bring $275.to $375 depending on what its been cut to.

Probably has adjustable tappets.
Out of idle curiosity, on what do you base this statement?
tubman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2020, 12:27 AM   #11
56markII
Member
 
56markII's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Sask. Canada
Posts: 64
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

First thing to do is pull the heads! Check for cracks of course and perhaps a piston out of the group of 8 is bottom dead center and measure the stroke. Another thing is after determining you don't have a Humpty Dumpty riddled with cracks regardless of whether or not it's a 255 or 239, soak the valves and make sure they at least move!! I have had to deal with some in the past that were broken loose and turned over with severely seized valves resulting in the hollow non adjustable lifters being collapsed! IMHO a crack free block is worth more than worrying about a 3 3/4 or 4 inch crank. What good is a crank without a block?? As for the bell housing a 49-50 Mercury has an SAE style bell housing like a truck as well.

51 MERC-CT THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR THAT CHART!!
56markII is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2020, 05:50 AM   #12
skidmarks
Senior Member
 
skidmarks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: newark, delaware
Posts: 3,735
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

Quote:
Originally Posted by tubman View Post
Out of idle curiosity, on what do you base this statement?
Adjustable tappets?
The majority of junk motors i have taken apart recently have had them. Could just be my luck. The rest is based on actual sales.

A flashlight and a 1/2" wrench would answer that pretty quickly.

Like the way you base the question like its a court case.
skidmarks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2020, 12:24 PM   #13
harvest
Senior Member
 
harvest's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Lehigh Valley PA
Posts: 820
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

i found these numbers on the block in the area where 51merc showed a pic of. hope this helps to determine what this is engine is.
Attached Images
File Type: jpeg 454956C7-796F-4211-9518-1788E7085E6E.jpeg (168.1 KB, 62 views)
harvest is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2020, 02:50 PM   #14
Merc Cruzer
Senior Member
 
Merc Cruzer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Conifer, Colorado
Posts: 2,421
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

When I bought my replacement block for my car (due to cracks in the original block), I took these pictures after I had cleaned it and before the rebuild. They were all viable once I took the intake manifold off. Hope this helps.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg DSCN6162.jpg (60.5 KB, 47 views)
File Type: jpg DSCN6163.jpg (64.4 KB, 43 views)
File Type: jpg DSCN6164.jpg (54.4 KB, 38 views)
File Type: jpg DSCN6165.jpg (32.7 KB, 35 views)
File Type: jpg DSCN6174.jpg (58.3 KB, 38 views)
File Type: jpg DSCN6190.jpg (72.0 KB, 36 views)
Merc Cruzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2020, 03:08 PM   #15
51 MERC-CT
Senior Member
 
51 MERC-CT's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: East Hartford, Ct
Posts: 5,898
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

Quote:
Originally Posted by harvest View Post
i found these numbers on the block in the area where 51merc showed a pic of. hope this helps to determine what this is engine is.
What you show is not a date code as per chart.
The code will be a letter (to designate month) followed by a number (to designate day of month ) followed by a letter ( to designate year )
__________________
DON'T RECALL DOING SOMETHING FOR MYSELF BASED ON SOMEONE ELSE'S LIKES OR DISLIKES
51 MERC-CT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2020, 03:26 PM   #16
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,367
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

That 1BA casting mark in Merc Cruzer's post indicates that it's a block that originally had the rotator valves and the crankshaft that a Ford-O-Matic or Merc-O-Matic torque converter could bolt up to that came along starting in 1951. These markings would have been there through the end of production in 1953 in the US.

There are a lot of characteristics to ID a Ford 8BA family block even if there is no date code. Most have date codes but not all. After a person finds out all these tidbits, it is easier to nail a manufacturing time frame within 2-years or so. Most date codes are around the right side rear of the intake deck surface. Crankshafts can be identified by measuring the width of the counterweight cheeks. Mercury 255 cranks have a 6.5-inch or so dimension across the cheeks. Ford 239 cranks are smaller.

Last edited by rotorwrench; 04-03-2020 at 03:52 PM.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2020, 04:14 PM   #17
Merc Cruzer
Senior Member
 
Merc Cruzer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Conifer, Colorado
Posts: 2,421
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

Quote:
Originally Posted by 51 MERC-CT View Post
What you show is not a date code as per chart.
The code will be a letter (to designate month) followed by a number (to designate day of month ) followed by a letter ( to designate year )
So what I have is an undated block, interesting and good to know.

Thanks
Merc Cruzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2020, 04:26 PM   #18
51 MERC-CT
Senior Member
 
51 MERC-CT's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: East Hartford, Ct
Posts: 5,898
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

Quote:
Originally Posted by Merc Cruzer View Post
So what I have is an undated block, interesting and good to know.

Thanks
It's not the blocks that were dated but the date that the complete engine was assembled/tested and ready to install.
__________________
DON'T RECALL DOING SOMETHING FOR MYSELF BASED ON SOMEONE ELSE'S LIKES OR DISLIKES
51 MERC-CT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2020, 07:38 PM   #19
Merc Cruzer
Senior Member
 
Merc Cruzer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Conifer, Colorado
Posts: 2,421
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

Quote:
Originally Posted by 51 MERC-CT View Post
It's not the blocks that were dated but the date that the complete engine was assembled/tested and ready to install.
Good to know. Maybe they were on a coffee break when the block went by.
Merc Cruzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-04-2020, 10:36 AM   #20
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,367
Default Re: flathead mercury EAC engine info needed

It's certainly correct for your 53 Merc since it has the same visual characteristics of the blocks from mid 1951 through 1953. Replacement blocks may not have been date coded. Some blocks still had hardened valve seats and some only had hardened exhaust valve seats. Late ones may have no hardened valve seats. Trucks used hardened valve seats through the end of production but cars may not have.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:59 AM.