| vtwinsideways | -- 07-20-2017 @ 1:57 PM |
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I have been trying to figure out which heads I need for a 1941 1/2 ton pickup with the optional Mercury engine. Unfortunately the engine came with one 59AB and one 41A head. I have gotten some conflicting reports. Can anyone point me to some solid research or standards? Thanks for your time. Luke
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| alanwoodieman | -- 07-20-2017 @ 2:14 PM |
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my 41 1 1/2 ton with the 100 hp motor has 9T heads and this tag. my 41 3/4 ton also had the 99 tag but had A heads-go figure that one out
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| kubes40 | -- 07-22-2017 @ 7:49 AM |
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I have done extensive research in regard to factory installed Mercury engines in to Ford vehicles while working on my book. This program began unofficially in 1940 and as such only a very small number of 1940 Fords were built this way. In 1941 the "program" became official but was not promoted so while more vehicles were built this way, the number by percentage of total '41 Fords produced remained insignificant. I find your post especially interesting in regard to "coming with the optional Mercury engine". The Mercury engine had (stock) cast iron heads with a large (about 1" in height) "T" cast upon the face of each head. Cast on the "edge" of one head is 99T-6049, on the other, 99T-6050. Mercury engine installation in to a Ford in 1941 required written permission from the Ford Motor Co. This permission was only considered after a letter was submitted from a limited number of official departments (Fire, Police, Sherriff) through a dealer. The letter from the official department had to be on their letterhead and explain why this vehicle was desired and the (official) capacity in which it would be used. That letter would then be forwarded to Ford Motor CO. with a letter of request from the dealer. NO consideration was given to an "ordinary" citizen. I have never seen any record of a truck being built this way and I have a LOT of records. I suppose it's possible "one slid through the cracks" but without documentation I'd suggest your truck was never built that way in 1941. If you have documentation, I would be eager to inspect it if possible. Mike "Kube" Kubarth
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| TomO | -- 07-22-2017 @ 10:38 AM |
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Ford literature is very confusing in this area. I don't call the 3 3/16" bore engine the "Mercury engine" because it was used in other vehicles before Mercury was announced. As near as I can tell, the 3 3/16" bore engine became available for buses in 1938. Some large trucks could have had this engine. In 1939 this engine became available for all trucks and commercial vehicles. As far as I can tell commercial vehicles and trucks with the 3 3/16" bore engine could have had the 81A, 81T or the 99T heads. I cannot find any correlation with HP figures to determine if there was a real difference, but I believe the 99T and 81A heads were a lower compression ratio than the 81T. I do not have any documentation to support this, as Ford documentation in this area is very poor. My reasoning is the lower compression ratio creates less heat and that is very important in a slow moving truck. I have never seen a 39 or 40 Mercury with an original engine have the 99T heads. As for documentation on trucks having the 3 3/16" bore engine, some model numbers are:99C, 9D, 99T for 1939. There are similar model numbers for 1940 and 1941 in the Chassis Parts catalogs. Tom This message was edited by TomO on 7-22-17 @ 10:43 AM
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| vtwinsideways | -- 07-22-2017 @ 11:09 AM |
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Thanks for your response Kube. If you're writing a book (or have written), then you're the guy I need to talk to. I have been having very little luck in researching the '40-'41 pickups. The only book I am aware of is Howard Town's Two Great Trucks and it is fairly limited but does refer to the optional engine. Vanpelts website also has a little bit of info on the 1941 models and refers to a commercial model 19C. The rest of my info is just hearsay from a few folks who have been doing this much longer than I and I have seen a pair of '41 trucks over the last few years with the Merc engines, one who's owner claimed it was stock. To start off with, I'm not certain what my wife's '41 came with. When her father bought it around 10 years ago, it had no drivetrain. He did a mild hot rod job on it that we are trying to undo. We started collecting parts to convert it back and I went on the hunt for a "raised deck" prewar flathead. A friend had one and we purchased it and began the grueling process of tearing down the seized engine. In researching I found that it is a 1941 or 1942 Mercury. It had the short cam, the pancake distributor and dual pulleys, so odds are it's a 1942 however it also has a rebuild tag and has been floating around in the world of no documentation for a long time, so who knows at this point. I have no illusions when it comes to the world of "all original". Frankly, I don't have the skills or the patience, but I do want the truck to be right. I realize that the most likely way for it to be "correct" involves letting go of the Merc and beginning the search for a Ford, however the limited knowledge I have on the subject pointed me in the direction of the Mercury being a plausabe option. This message was edited by vtwinsideways on 7-22-17 @ 11:13 AM
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| vtwinsideways | -- 07-22-2017 @ 11:32 AM |
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Thanks Tom. Then the block we have may not be Mercury after all. I based my judgement on the presence of the round center water passage. Perhaps if I change my terminology I will get more info. I was unaware that the availability of the 239 predated Mercury. Would it have been the block with the two trapazoidal lower water ports or the one with the round center water port? This message was edited by vtwinsideways on 7-22-17 @ 11:36 AM
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| Stroker | -- 07-22-2017 @ 1:41 PM |
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Kube: This discussion about "optional" engines is very interesting to me. My dad bought my 38 Ford Deluxe Station Wagon new. My older brother remembered when the car was new. Some years ago, he stopped by when I was installing a rebuilt 59A in the car, and told me that the Stromberg 97 I had on it was "wrong", as dad had special-ordered the "truck engine" in this Station Wagon, and it came with a Chandler Groves. Brother said that the engine that came in the car was a 90 hp, rather than an 85. With all the options dad ordered, the car "went out the door" for $1300, and I still have the cancelled check to that effect. That's almost $500 more that a 38 deluxe wagon. So, Mike was brother mistaken, or is it possible that a law enforcement officer could "special order" a 1938 Ford with a 90 hp engine? This message was edited by Stroker on 7-30-17 @ 11:02 AM
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