Hogs head interchange

[Russ T Fender]

I recently acquired a complete running power plant with a ‘26 block and an earlier hogs head. The back of the block is tapped for the later hogs head that bolts to the block. I have a later hogs head with the ears and wider clutch and brake pedals that I would like to use to replace the one currently in place. The transmission has the narrow brake drum. Can I just use the later hogs head as is or do I need to do something else to make the switch?

[Dan McEachern]

Pretty sure you cannot us a 26-27 hogshead with a narrow brake drum transmission because the 26-27 hogshead has the brake pedal shaft positioned farther back to center it with the wider brake drum of the later transmission.

[Oldav8tor]

Dan is correct. A friend had a 26-27 hogshead on an pre-26 tranny. The band did not line up with the drum. He ended up installing a earlier style hogshead.

[Russ T Fender]

Thanks. I guess I will have to go with the earlier hogs head then. I was hoping that all I might need to do would be to swap the later clutch pedal for an earlier clutch pedal so if I decided to set the power plant up as a spare for one of my early cars the floor boards would not need to be changed.

[Wayne Sheldon]

To use a 1926/'27 engine as a backup/spare in an earlier car will work well if it has the earlier hogshead and narrow brake band to fit the earlier floorboards.
You might have to change the fan mount to the earlier type on a low radiator car, and definitely on a brass radiator car. You may also need to change from the 1926/'27 upper neck to the radiator so that the earlier fan can have the room it needs, or the angle for a brass radiator. But that is all easy stuff, provided the parts are handy.

Another issue with brass era Ts, is the firewall is originally cut to fit over a low head. If you don't want to enlarge that opening on your brass era T? You may need to put a low head onto your later engine. Another consideration is the starter mounting on the hogshead might interfere with the firewall. It could be worthwhile since you have brass era cars to set up your spare engine with a pre-starter iron hogshead and low head if you have one to spare?

[Russ T Fender]

Thanks Wayne those are all great suggestions. I have everything I need to implement them so that is the way I will go.