What flathead is this?

[1937pickup]

I thought I was beginning to understand various iterations of the flathead. Then I run across this one. It appears to me it had the distributor is mounted in the rear of the engine. What engine is this? It looks Ford to me. The poster says it may be from a big truck.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Flat-Head-Me...e90be5&vxp=mtr

[deuce_roadster]

I'm thinking the big truck was a French Military truck.

[scooder]

337cube Lincoln or truck (f6 and up?) 27 head studs.

[Vic Piano]

Scooder got it, it is a 337, used in the BIG F- Series Trucks as well as in the '49 to '51 Lincoln Cosmopolitan and '49 "Baby" Lincoln, it is not a Merc as the EBay ad says.

[ken ct]

That's my opinion too. ken ct. 337" motor. Heavy as the devil and almost no parts available for them. ken ct.

[itsa52]

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Interesting with the dizzy on top and in back like a sbc.

[epw1949]

I own two 337's one is truck F7 or F8 not F6 they where 239's or 6 cylinder. The other is in a 1949 Baby Lincoln convertible. The only differences between the two engines,is the truck engines had solid lifters,and the heads had Ford casted into them,the lincoln used hyd lifters,and had Lincoln casted into the heads

[Vic Piano]

I own one 337 in a '49 Lincoln Cosmopolitan Convertible. 337's, like most unusual engines (if you can call them that), parts are available, you just have to know where to look for them and, like other engines, they have their applications and work very well in them. That said, I would not recommend using a 337 to build an "A" V8 Roadster... although, there is one '39 Ford CS that was fitted with a 337 back in the mid to late '50's by a well known Hot Rod builder (whose name escapes me at the moment, CRS). 337's, like all other Ford Flatheads (I-4, I-6, V-8, V-12) are strong reliable power plants when built and maintained properly.

[1937pickup]

Thanks guys-once again the information available here is amazing. The rear mounted distributor is what threw me for a loop.

[denverslim]

I'm curious to know how many are still out there. I own one also. Saved it and the matching trannie a few years ago from an old scrap yard. I rebuilt it, test ran it, and still have it on the engine stand. The windows in my garage are still shaking from the test run. They truly are tork monsters.

I'm not sure why, but the V-8 flattie guys don't seem to give them much respect. Unlike the old GM buffs that go bonkers over the old Cadillac flathead engines we seem to stick to the ones that are easy to find parts for. Since I've had this one I've seen quite a few parts and part engines but we're not ordering them out of the performance catalogs like we've grown used to with the 239s.

Dale Fairfax has a beauty of a pickup with one in it. I know he won't mind if I show it here...slim

[Vic Piano]

That's outstanding! I'd sure like to know where he got the aluminum heads and two pot intake manifold, I think they would look sharp on the 337 in our '49 Cosmo...

[denverslim]

Vic, sent you a private message.

Like I said, parts are available, just not as easy as picking up a catalog, or going to the on-line forums. We still have to "hunt"...slim

[1937pickup]

Denverslim-thanks for posting the picture. Can anyone provide information on the distributor? Is it like a GM? Unique to Ford?

[nbrskn]

waterpump area is interesting looking

[Dale Fairfax]

Vic: I haunted swap meets for years before finding that set-and had to pay way more than I wanted to But, as the saying goes: "When it's the only game in town--------".

1937pickup: That distributor is an Autolight-I believe similar to one in a Chrysler straight 8 (I know it uses the same points). However, I have a Delco-Remy (SBC) converted by GMC Bubba which I'm going to install soon's good weather returns.

Slim: Thanks for again doing PR work for me.

Nice thing about that motor is that the truck is now a two speed: I don't really need to use 1st gear. Unless, of course, I just don't want the engine to run any faster than idle.

[Vic Piano]

Dale, yours is only the second 337 I've seen with "speed equipment", the other is in a Muntz Jet, owned by the Founder and CEO of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Vic

[1952henry]

Ken Austin in Oregon does, or did make manifolds for them. Can't find his website, however. I did see a pair of vintage aluminum heads and a two pot manifold at the Portland swap meet a few years ago, didn't have a price on them. The vender probably figured if you have to ask, you can't afford them.

I've seen Austin's various intakes at the Portland swap meet different times.

[Dale Fairfax]

About 5 years ago I saw a real nice '50 or '51 "baby" at the James Dean run here in Fairmount, IN. It had the same set-up as mine (except the carbs-mine has Stromberg WWs). The car was from Ft. Wayne but I failed to get any info from the owner.

The very first time I saw a 337 with the Edmunds equipment was in 1950 when a neighbor brought his brand new Lincoln home from the dealer with the goodies already installed. I was 11 or 12 at the time but never forgot the combo. It was the reason I chased after the parts all those years. My truck actually had the 337 in it for about ten years before I tore it down for a body off resto and an engine overhaul at which time I pulled the heads and manifold off the shelf, blew the dust off, gave them a mild polish, and bolted them on.

Originally Posted by Vic Piano

Dale, yours is only the second 337 I've seen with "speed equipment", the other is in a Muntz Jet, owned by the Founder and CEO of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Vic

[denverslim]

I used to go to the swap meets and auctions a lot. (gitten old is a b****)

Every once in a while, I'd see this stuff, usually buried under the more popular 8BA flathead goodies. Often the owner didn't even know what it was.
Most recently an estate auction from the sticks out in the middle of Nebraska sufaced a lot of it. Aluminum 6 cyl heads, 12 cylinder heads, a pickup load of goodies for the taking. I got my grubby hands on some of it, but a lot of it was scooped up, I believe, by the auction company...slim

[1952henry]

If you would rather be injected...

http://www.hotrodstreet.com/337ci-li...lock-flathead/