Hi everyone, I'm kinda new to the hot rod field, but my dad and I are starting on a 1930 model A coupe (to be turned into a traditional ford hot rod). We have two 8BA engines, the target engine out of our 53 ford tudor. All this will be mounted to our 39 zephyr transmission (looking forward to running this set of gears). I like the look of the 59A's distributor on the front of the engine as opposed to the slant distributor on the 8BA, as well as the heads on the 59A (with the spout in the center of the head). Is there any way that I can rebuild this 8BA with these changes, or should I just go with the layout it has? P.S. this is going to be my first hot rod project. My dad has been doing it for years, but I now that I'm old enough I got to pick out a car to restore the way I wanted it. I picked the 30 A coupe because it would be easy to chop, and relatively easy all round for a beginner. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pics here as I get things rolling this upcoming spring. Until then I'll be collecting parts for the build!
<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Welcome! (where is "Kirkland Lake") You and Dad have some good parts (sounds like). Stay on the HAMB and don't listen to R.Rodders! </TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Sure you can. That's the great thing about flatheads, almost any combination of external and internal parts is possible. The 59A heads will bolt on the 8BAs with a modifcation to the block on the RH side front where the bump-out water holes must be plugged. Early style cam and gears puts the early front cover on and you can use the 21A flat crab-style or 59A 2-piece tower distributor caps. Many folks like the early heads in combination with the later up-top distributor just for convenience of replacing points etc.
Check out the tech archives here - lots of good stuff on flatheads. If you search for "flathead heads" here, you'll find this is a common question with an easy answer. Same for the distributor.
Thanks guys, it's nice to know this is a place where there are knowledgeable people on these subjects!
Everything pretty much interchanges between 59 an 8b...with tricks. Earlies were generally considered stronger as race bocks, especially caps, but doesn't matter much for street and would likely be replaced for racing... Early rods are marginally better in a couple of ways, but more expensive and harder to set up. All early visuals work, and will make the 8BA potentially a lot shorter (see earlier post on this) for use in an A. '39 LZ box should have 28 tooth gears if original.
What Bruce means on the ****** is that the 38-39 L-Z trannies had the regular Ford 28 tooth cluster gear. The "fabled" LZ gears that go for outrageous prices on Ebay are usually the 26 tooth, but also the 25 tooth cluster. They only made the 25 tooth for one year so you're more likely to find the 26 tooth. These were made for LZ gearboxes from 1940-48, but can also be swapped into any of the earlier gearboxes (whether Ford or LZ). You must also match up that cluster gear with the mating L-Z main drive gear (input shaft) and second gear. You need all 3 pieces to make the swap. Depending on what mainshaft you are using, you may need to match up the correct synchronizer as well. It's all in the details............... Mac VP http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_trans-book.htm
The new gears made for use with the '39--up Ford transmissions were actually introduced in the '38 LZ, the one with the strange Ed Roth looking shift lever...with 1938 Ford part numbers. The new stuff carried 81A PN prefixes, but '38 Fords never got them so far as I know. "Zephyr" gears came along in '40,I think...would have to lookitup in the catalog. The close ratio gears were coupled wit low rear gears and usually overdrive.
The Jalopy Journal
