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Old 03-14-2021, 10:30 AM   #1
CA Victoria
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Default 59A 221 Cu in engine

In the mid-years description of Flathead V8 engines on Mac Vanpelt’s website is a foot note briefly describing a 24 stud, 221 cu in replacement engine.

Interesting that ford would reproduce a smaller Cu in engine unless they were using up parts?
Any more info on this engine? Were the sleeves std thickness? Hard seats?
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Old 03-14-2021, 01:55 PM   #2
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

I can't tell you much about them but I have one that is NOS.
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Old 03-14-2021, 10:12 PM   #3
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

I have a NOS 221. All I know about it is that it came from and old guy who used to own a dealership. He had it in parts inventory and kept it after he closed the dealership. My grandfather bought it in the mid 80's in central North Dakota. It was first fired in 1986. It was used to check crops and shoot gophers for a couple of years then sat. It was fired up again last weekend.
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Old 03-14-2021, 10:21 PM   #4
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

I put one in my truck based woodie. It does not have sleeves and it does have hard seats on intake and exhaust. It moves this heavy vehicle very well, but still I find myself gathering parts for a 255. Have almost everything now. Still, I think that 221 is a nice engine and should last a long time being that it has the modern bearings, 24 studs, but the less strain of the smaller displacement. If I never get that 255 built I just hope my wife doesn't sell it for what I told her I had into it.....
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Old 03-14-2021, 11:49 PM   #5
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

Quote:
Originally Posted by CA Victoria View Post
In the mid-years description of Flathead V8 engines on Mac Vanpelt’s website is a foot note briefly describing a 24 stud, 221 cu in replacement engine.

Interesting that ford would reproduce a smaller Cu in engine unless they were using up parts?
Any more info on this engine? Were the sleeves std thickness? Hard seats?

Tim, Ford produced a number of parts specifically for service replacement. These 221 blocks would have been assembled using the original internal parts, including the pistons.
Another example of parts that were made only for replacement would be the block off plates used in place of a '37's water pumps, in order to use the heads from a '36 engine on a '37-'38 21 stud block.
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Old 03-15-2021, 09:32 AM   #6
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

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Thank you for weighing in.
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Old 03-15-2021, 11:15 AM   #7
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

I've seen quite a few of them - they were exactly like a 59AB engine, just had the smaller bores, no sleeves and supposedly thinner cylinder walls. In other words, you could NOT bore them out like you could the "regular" 59AB blocks.

I found this strange that Henry would have different castings for 221's versus 239's, but most claim this to be the case. I've not sonic tested any of these engines - so I can't validate the "thinner walls" myth as fact or fiction for the 221 cube replacement blocks.
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Old 03-15-2021, 11:29 AM   #8
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

Just for reference.....I used a pair of 221 heads on my 59A motor.
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Old 03-15-2021, 05:18 PM   #9
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

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Just for reference.....I used a pair of 221 heads on my 59A motor.
Were they the 81A 'A' marked heads?
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Old 03-15-2021, 05:46 PM   #10
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

I have pair 81A heads on a 276 59A motor.
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Old 03-15-2021, 07:06 PM   #11
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

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Originally Posted by Bored&Stroked View Post
I've seen quite a few of them - they were exactly like a 59AB engine, just had the smaller bores, no sleeves and supposedly thinner cylinder walls. In other words, you could NOT bore them out like you could the "regular" 59AB blocks.

I found this strange that Henry would have different castings for 221's versus 239's, but most claim this to be the case. I've not sonic tested any of these engines - so I can't validate the "thinner walls" myth as fact or fiction for the 221 cube replacement blocks.
What crankshafts and main bores did they have? Ford also made thick main bearings with 59a ODs and small IDS to put the early crank in a late block. Wondering if those were used in these motors.
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Old 03-15-2021, 07:22 PM   #12
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

I have been using the late 41 -42 221 engine blocks and removing the thin wall sleeves then boring them out to accept the standard 3 3/16 bore pistons and later 239 49/53 crankshafts, make a pretty good stock 239 engine.
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Old 03-15-2021, 09:01 PM   #13
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

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Originally Posted by Yoyodyne View Post
What crankshafts and main bores did they have? Ford also made thick main bearings with 59a ODs and small IDS to put the early crank in a late block. Wondering if those were used in these motors.
I've only seen them with the 3 3/4 stroke 81A type cranks - with the 2.00" rod journals, 2.5" mains and the full-floater 91A/21A rods in them.

Can anybody validate that the cylinder wall thickness was thinner than a 59AB 239 blocks? Has anybody actually (themselves) done sonic testing? There are so many stories/myths that are repeated - looking for first hand knowledge.
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Old 03-15-2021, 10:47 PM   #14
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

My 221 is firmly planted in my wagon, but I have quite a few good looking blocks here. I bought some kind of sonic tester on ebay but later found through research it wasn't intended for this usage. Therefore I made a caliper with ends that would feel the cylinder wall of the block through the cooling passages. It was sort of an 'X' affair with the same length legs extending upwards. Reading the gap up high with a mic or caliper would mirror what was going on down below. I could get a pic tomorrow. Of course it wouldn't reach everywhere, but a good indicator.
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Old 03-16-2021, 08:25 PM   #15
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Default Re: 59A 221 Cu in engine

what you need to do the the sonic tester is change the shape of the little probe thing from flat face to a curved one, I did mine with a small fine file,maatched it to the inside radius of the bore , then checked the reading on an old liner the same ID to get it right.
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