So hanging around on this board has shown me that choosing to run a smallblock Ford is allright but it will never be as cool as a Flatty. So I got me a Flathead. I am trying to figure out what it is and from the numbers I keep finding on here and other places I have made a mistake in taking the numbers off the back pad by the bell housing. Cause they don't cross with anything I found. The heads says 8RT6050B The block says E1283 I am going to go back out to count the studs. Before I go back out I was wondering if anyone on here knew what size the bolts in the bellhousing are cause I want to get it on a stand. Oh yeah and should I remove some stuff before I put it on the stand or is it ok. The stand is a four wheeled one.
8RT is the part number for the 48-53 8BA truck engine. The bell housing bolts on an 8BA block are 7/16, the block numbers i can't help with...Ed
even on a 4 wheeled stand those motors are pretty heavy, put a 2x4 under the crank to support the front of the motor while it sits idle. Tuck
I got a mount that bolts to the exhaust and holds the block sideways on the engine stand. It works great, and is very stable, even though I had to pound like crazy on my seized up pistons to get them out.
Thanks guys!!! I will have thhe intake stripped off of it and the heads before I put it on the stand. I will stilll use the 2x4 for saftey. I have heard there is a shit ton of sand still inside the water passages from the casting. Is that true or BS??
It might have sand - the earlier ones were worse for that. Mine have all been pretty clean. You've got a garden variety late series flathead. The 8RT were low compression truck heads. The other head should say 8RT 6049 - pn's for right and left heads. None of the other numbers mean anything. You will also be ok with a regular engine stand with the 8BA/8RT series engine.
Take it apart on the drive if you can. These old flatheads need to be chased around and beat-up to get them apart sometimes. After it's apart, put it on the stand. Matt
The Jalopy Journal
