Help me identify these crankshafts
Question:
I recently bought a 1953 Mercury. In the sale was an assortment of parts for Ford and Mercury flatheads, including two crankshafts. I’m not a professional mechanic but I’ve heard there is a way to identify whether the crankshafts are for a Ford or a Mercury. How do I do that?
Answer:
Assuming the crankshafts are from the same era Ford V-8 as your car, a Mercury crankshaft would have a four-inch stroke and a Ford would measure 3¾ inches. This was the same from 1949 on. The bores on those engines were identical. The Ford engine was called an 8VA, and the Mercury was called a CM for whatever reason.
