Technical 8ba to 39 3 speed question

Is this a matter of fact?

 

And the clutch and pressure plate from the early trans. Might need to redrill the pattern on your flywheel.

 

You need the small intermediate bell housing type not the full bellhousing that some cars had. And you need the starter plate that matches the intermediate bell housing. Some were straight and others had an angle.

 

Mercury had the Borg & Beck pattern, Ford used three groups of two holes each. Some people adapt an 80s Camaro pressure plate as the Mercury's are near unobtanium. You need to modify the pressure plate fingers to clear the earlier style 1 3/8 input shaft.

 

OK. My ford buddy told me i needed to see which bellhousing is on the 8ba, I guess that's why.

 

I have an 8ba mated to a '39 trans in my '39 p/u. Used a stamped steel 1/2 bell from a Mercury (but you can use a cast iron 1/2 bell from a truck) Stock 8ba flywheel and pressure plate with a 9" disc to fit the splines on the '39 trans. Make sure you get the correct starter plate for the 1/2 bell. The one for an 8ba full bell housing is different.

 

So my original question, where i posted the screen shot of the other thread, is incorrect? I've been told yes, no, yes, no..... reinforces my reasoning why I have never wanted any flathead stuff.

 

The pressed steel Mercury car bellhousing and starter plate can be used as well as the cast iron bellhousing and starter plate used on the 1/2 ton pickups. Don't be confused by what is called a Hogshead, which is sometimes used as an intermediate step between an early flathead and other transmissions, usually a B/W T5 these days. It does not come into play here.

The Mercury and pickup bellhousings essentially make the back of and 8BA look like an early flathead. And remember, pickups and big trucks are not the same. There are several ways to handle the clutch, some of which require re-drilling the flywheel that gave been outlined above. When I did mine, Merc clutches and flywheels were available, so that's all I have experience with. There have been cases lately where clutch****emblies will bolt together but the throw is incorrect causing problems. It is one area to exercise care.

I'm sure you can find what you need locally, but if there are any problems, I have matched sets of both car and pickup bell housings.

 

It seems to me that you are mixing up 1/2 bellsand full bellhousings but not positive. Bottom line is to make the 8ba you have you need a 1/2 bellhousing that will allow you to directly bolt up the trans in you new '39. I'm****uming the 8ba has the flywheel and maybe the clutch****embly. 8ba's from a car used a 9 1/2" clutch disc with the later smaller diameter spline which is why you'll need a 9 inch clutch from an earlier flathead.

 

Ford is simple.
Just need the truck or Merc 1/2 bell with starter plate.

 

I have a truck cast 1/2 bell, with starter plate I would part with.

 

This is what you are looking for, the short bellhousing (yellow arrow) like is on my 8BA that had the hogshead bolted to it for the Ford 4 speed (red/purple arrows) . Up to 52 Ford pickups with 8 BA in them. This was about five minutes after I pulled it out of the Jeep Wagon that it had powered for a couple of decades or more as a family's hunting rig.