We have continually grown and expanded our engine services. At around the same time, old-time hot rods gave way to modern musclecars and street machines. If anybody is following Terry Bertz and his five main bearing cast iron Model A block, you'll know the heartaches and headaches he's been dealing with and the only solution to his problems was to go across the Pacific. Most builders convert the stock oil system to a full-flow design with a modern, remote-mounted oil filter. However, the main caps are beefier than traditional stock flatheads. For reasons known only to the crazy French, flatheads were used in French Army trucks through the early 90s. RR&C achieved this look by removing the divider between the truck and the passenger compartment. H&H started in 1972 with rebuilding all early Ford Flathead engines from Model A, B's, T's and V8 Ford Flatheads from 1932-36, LB's, 59A's, 8BA's,V8 60's, Lincoln 337, Lincoln V12's and Y Block Ford and Mercury. Cast in Los Angeles from the highest quality T6 tempered A356 aluminum and CNC machined, the 24-stud Wilson & Woods heads are designed to fit the desirable 1949-53 8BA flathead. 1949-53. . Sometimes it takes just a better idea. $1,120. Speedway Motors offers pumps with sealed bearings that do an even better job in both early and late configurations. supercharger. When I think about it, an aluminum flathead block makes no sense, economic or otherwise. Those few Ardun heads that did trickle down were found at the lakes, on the salt, and at dragstrips, running on various types of fuel, setting records, and winning races. Reliefs between the valves and bores are much less pronounced than the old days, only about 0.080-inch deep instead of the old-school 31/416 inch. Not many of the heads were madebest guesstimates put the number at 200 to 250 sets, with another dozen or so made for the smaller V-8/60 enginesand a few more were built in England during a short association Duntov had with Sydney Allard and his J2 sports car. Ardun Enterprises (Don Ferguson) Wilmington, CA 323/775-6803 www.ardun.com Ardun OHV cylinder heads and related valvetrain and camshaft parts; aluminum blocks, cast-aluminum oil pan, EFI systems . Just where did this engine come from? The present-day Arduns are CNC-machined using high-grade 356-T6 aluminum, have refined combustion chambers, and improved oiling and valvetrain components. The first-design '32 through early '38 engines had only 21 cylinder-head studs and until mid 1936 even used poured babbit main bearings. The Ford flathead V8 is a V8 engine of the valve-in-block type designed by the Ford Motor. Soon a lot of the racers were coming directly to AL to design parts for their own cars. For improved cooling efficiency, original 49-53 pumps have more impeller vanes than earlier models. Like all fads, once started, the process fed itself. Why not let us all see? The engine may "feel better" with 27-30 degrees total timing (as read on the crank), but Baron says "it slows up the flame travel. Guys who once dreamed of owning a flattie back in the '50s but who had neither the time nor the money were now in their 50s, with lots of disposable income. Because the French version was used in trucks, the intake- and exhaust-port throats are choked down under the valve pockets, so extensive port-work is required for racing. At the other extreme are dry-lakes, Bonneville, and nostalgia drag racers who have applied modern technology to the point where in some instances it is questionable whether the engine still remains a true flathead: Once-85hp engines now produce over 400 hp on gas and have exceeded 700 hp on fuel-all this on an engine with only three main bearings. Still not enough? In 1947, long before Zora Arkus-Duntov became famous for his work developing the Corvette and performance Chevrolet parts, he and his brother Yura designed what has been considered the ultimate flathead performance mod-turning the engine into an overhead-valve hemi. Newly Engineered Flathead V8 Block - Motor City Speed Equipment - Automotive American Newly Engineered Flathead V8 Block - Motor City Speed Equipment Advertisements Googling around as you do I initially found the story of Mark Kirby's newly engineered Flathead V8 block on the Coker Tyres website This is a quite old story from back in 2010 Kop Schneider's 278F solid (0.420 lift, 250 degrees at 0.050 duration, 110-degree lobe separation angle) is one grind that falls within these specs. Powered by vBulletin
But it didn't take long for the hot rodding community to learn about these conversion kits and how well they hopped up the flattie. The pinnacle of flathead tech, this Dick Landy-built 700-plus-horsepower motor powered Ron, The 38-48 59A block (right) has an integral cast-in bellhousing. Ronnie: Is the Ferguson motor allowed at Bonneville? The new old cars got a lot of attention. Centerforce offers clutches and flywheels. Among Flathead builders there is . Available in center and front water neck. Simple by today's high-tech standards, during its performance reign from the late '30s through the mid '50s, the flathead was unsurpassed for building go-fast power on the cheap. French blocks are about 30 pounds heavier than a standard flathead, which is a good indication of better metal and thicker walls. The H&H Flatheads catalog has the complete line up of Flatheads compenents for your Flathead V8, V12 and other vintage motors. Denny is right.ALL of the above is true scoop! Most in this group will accept a modified flathead as long as it is period-correct, with no obvious modern technology visible. "Look, if you're going to spend upwards of $30,000 on a motor, why wouldn't you get the best components?" In the old days the hot ticket was dropping a '49-'53 Mercury 4-inch-stroke crank in place of the Ford 3.75-inch-stroke unit. Copyright 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. (Tucked away in another barn are future projects, such as a 1940 Suburban and a 1938 Chevy cabriolet.) Here we have botha great car and a great story. Earlier 3 1/16-inch-bore blocks will only go 0.090-over. Strombergs were the favorites, but Chandler-Grove/Holley, Zenith, and Rochester two-barrels were also in use. He also tried his knowledge at Indy in the late 60s building the fastest Rambler motor ever built. The arms have an internal oiling system that Don has set up with stainless lines, a compact banjo fitting on the edge of the head, and a drainback plug plumbed to a finned oil pan of Don's design. The old-timers took what they had and made it work. These new aluminum hemi heads will bolt directly to any small-block Ford from a 289/302 all the way up to 351W as well as Cleveland engines. I once asked him if he'd considered aluminum and I think he replied that they'd be on the market now. TBI injection through billet Stromberg 97 carb-like throttle-bodies is available from Flathead Engineering. TBI injection through billet Stromberg 97 carb-like throttle-bodies is available from Flathead Engineering. The current incarnation is 3 inches taller than the originals and has smaller 1 1/2-inch ports (vintage versions had 1 3/4 ports, but the new casting is thick enough to hog 'em out). Coolant needs to remain in liquid form when it circulates through the motor. The full article is here on Hot Rods website, http://www.romax.addr.com/offy/Movie1.swf, The Ultimate Source Guide for Flathead Ford V8 Performance Marlan Davis Hot Rod Network, Engines Exposed: Fords Hot Rodding Pioneer Flathead V8 Brian Grabianowski @CARBUZZ, What To Look For When Buying and Building A Ford Flathead Hot Rod Engines 101 Matt Murray @Irontrap Garage, Early Ford V-8 Meet comes to Auburn; Lime Rock to celebrate Italian masterpieces - Tom Comerro @Hemmings Automotive American, Best 19 History Of The Ford Flathead V8 - Oto-1.Co, The vilification of Leo Beebe: Ford's mission to win Le Mans in 1966 - Frank Comstock @Hemmings, So-Cal Speedshop SF Flatheads Stage 1 to 3 Mercury/Ford Flathead V8 Blocks, Was Leo Beebe a corporate villain or a good guy with a tough job? Also, what does "wet jackets" mean? Most hot rod engines use oversize valves. Since taking on the cylinder heads, Don's fabrication business has grown to encompass much more than just the Ardun conversions. He is now replicating S.Co.T. . Get yours today. Strombergs were the favorites, but Chandler-Grove/Holley, Zenith, and Rochester two-barrels were also in use. Fel-Pro and Victor continue to make head gaskets too. He has even made some aluminum flathead blocks, with massive main caps and deep, sturdy skirts, for those interested in making ultimate flathead power. There are kits to install Weiand and Magnuson superchargers, or even one or two GMC 71-series blowers. He has even made some aluminum. These Lincoln V12 Smooth Aluminum Heads are made in the USA and have the water outlet in the stock location. Although new aftermarket iron blocks are reputedly under development, right now a real-world solution to finding a good core for your flathead is to start with a brand-new French block. You can now build a brand-new flathead. But I still have one dumb question.how does this block in video cool? The block, heads, intake manifold and water pumps are made out of aluminum, making this a very light alternative to its cast iron brethren. The frame was fitted with brackets to accept a blown ARDUN V-8, TREMEC TKO five-speed, clutch pedal, power brake booster and pedal, and plumbing package, which includes stainless steel brake lines. An alternative are Pertronix conversion kits that fit inside the original distributor; they retain the classic look, and versions are even offered that function on 6-volt power. Doesn't anyone remember the one built by Mark Kirby of Motor City Flatheads 10+ years ago?? The block is cast from aluminum and features a great number of changes from the original cast iron design. Stay tuned for further updates on this project. You need lots of timing to make a flathead run. It was not your Dad's engine-it was your grandfather's. In fact, unless you have a badly core-shifted block, most of them can accept a whopping 0.1875-inch overbore (3/16-inch over standard). Though parts will interchange with originals, these new heads feature stronger rocker stands and billet aluminum roller rockers with improved geometry and internal oiling restrictors, as well as greater adjustability. Stewart-Warner 2-3/8-inch-diameter gauges mounted into the stock dashboard with a clock mounted in the glovebox door. Don Sr. has passed away, but at the shop with us was Don Jr. 's son Don III.). However, there are some significant differences in French blocks compared to the originals. The coupe is no stranger to awards, having won the Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year in 2019 and three Goodguys Pros Picks as well as a Best Rod at the Grand National Roadster Show. The king of adapters is undoubtedly Wilcap. He also makes a pan for his block that is supposed to work on a stock block? While enduing lifes ups and downs, hes held steadfast to what he likes in vintage tin, a 1936 Ford coupe. After getting a good dose of sunshine and warm temperatures, they decided to pay us a visit on the way back home. A new player is Gemini Electronic Fuel Injection, a complete bolt-on flathead conversion kit based on the self-programming Prodigious fuel injection system. Seal the heads to the block using slick new graphite-impregnated head gaskets available from Best Gasket, Red's Headers, and Tatom. Some builders also recommend installing exhaust-port dividers to split the siamesed center exhaust ports. On the following pages, well take a look at some of the stuff available for the flathead and also cover the lineage, interchangeability, and secrets of this proud forebear of modern hot rodding. Baron also offers a modern version of the famous Tattersfield/Baron four-carb race intake in more civilized street form. Theres no doubt we love our Flatheads here at Honest Charley, and we had a visitor this morning that loves his, too. Keep it under 8.0:1. Before he joined General Motors, Zora Arkus-Duntov, with his brother Yura, operated Ardun Mechanical Corporation in New York. Ken Austin grew up on a farm in Newberg, Oregon where his interest in cars started when he got his permit to drive to school. Custom billets stretch all the way to 4.5-inch stroke. Flatheads may not have the cubes or brute airflow potential of many of today's modern mills, but there is a solution: Bolt on a supercharger. Only 200 original sets are known to exist, but fortunately, Ardun heads and associated conversion parts are back, reproduced in improved form by Don Ferguson of Ardun Enterprises. There is also an ugly governor mounting boss on the left-rear of the block that many rodders prefer to machine off. Navarro High Dome Heads are designed for special high performance applications. The Ford 2N was a variation on the 9N introduced due to World War II. Ford Flathead V8 The engine that gave birth to Hot Rodding is back!! Rising from the console is a 1939 Ford truck shifter handle, while immediately alongside is a 1936 Ford steering column complete with ignition key and topped with a 1935 Chevy steering wheel. A step by step book on how to identfy and rebuild a ford flatheads. The solution is to raise the boiling point by upping coolant-system pressure to 17-21 pounds, using a modern crossflow radiator and higher-pressure cap. Improved internal components and casting technology make them more reliable and leak-free. He joined the Navy and went to the South Pacific as a Foundrymans Assistant. Ross, Wiseco, Egge, Arias, and others make pistons in any configuration you desire. They fit original '39-'53 blocks, French blocks, and (perhaps the ultimate evolution) Ferguson's new aluminum block. Flatheads are old, ancient, obsolete technology. Traditional flathead airflow management practices call for relieving the block-removing metal between the valve-seat sides closest to the cylinder bore. The battery and alternator were eliminated, and replaced with a magneto and . Those streamliners we mentioned earlier in the story are among the Ferguson's current stable of salt-assault vehicles. And there are always billet caps and girdles available. And there are always billet caps and girdles available. The bottom end is beefed with soli, A potential new kid on the block: Uncommon Engineerings working on a SOHC three-valve F, Mechanical solid and roller cams are available for both early and late blocks. Back in the old days, all cars used low-pressure cooling systems, so coolant often boiled. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Small-block Chevy valves remain popular, but with reduced-base-circle cams they may be too short to permit proper lash adjustment. Automotive American Classic Vintage & Modern, Flathead Myths courtesy of Tony Baron Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Jimmy2car, Apr 26, 2010. Aside from his flathead speed equipment, he built parts for almost every engine that ran down the strip. Then, about 20 years ago, traditional street rods suddenly became cool again.
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