Different Heads on my Flatty!

I noticed the right head says 8BA and the driver's side says EAB. It's a 53 so it's an EAB engine. Is that bad? They have different compression ratios right? I have a set off a 53 Merc I can put on, but their compression is lower. I don't have the cash for aftermarket, but is it a big deal to have different heads?

 

BTW the Merc heads are 8CM stamped from a 53.

 

8CM is '49-'51 Mercury; '52-'53 Merc heads were EAC. Anyway, find another EAB head for your engine. I see stock heads all the time for really cheap, or sometimes free.

 

When you get matching heads, do it the traditional way.
Take them to a machine shop to mill for higher compression ratio
without buying high buck finned ones.

I collect stock heads from swap meets for one buck each
that have been put to good use
as "stepping stones" to the back yard.

 

Ford and their rebuilders along with people did some crazy things to the flatty.
The 8BA heads you have on one side (if you have a stock motor) will give you around 6.8 to 1 CR. The EAB heads (which I think are truck heads) will give you 7.2 to 1 CR. I don't think it will make much difference.
If you take the 8CM heads and put them on, the CR would be around 6.5 to 1.
Like someone said, find another EAB head and replace the 8BA head. You can always have a machine shop shave the heads down.......................IMHO

 

If it don't bother you just run as is, the CR won't make that big a difference. EAB heads used to be plentiful but are getting harder to find as people find they have a higher CR.

 

Thanks for the replies guys I'll keep my eyes peeled for a EAB head.