Ultimately, you can move up to one of Cornhusker Engineerings custom front cover and late-model water-pump setups. Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements). Solve cooling problems by using a modern water pump available through Speedway Motors and other sources. Not all flathead water pumps are created equal, though. First invented in the 30s it was 1934 when Stewart-Warner eventually produced over 3 million for use in cars, planes, and military vehicles. 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. The 57-inch-wide Ford 9-inch rearend (Detroit Truetrac limited-slip differential with 3.90 gears) is further enhanced with a triangulated four-bar setup, again Penske coilovers, and upgraded with a Roadster Shop sway bar. The street motors, on the other hand, typically put out "about 1 horsepower per cubic inch, unblown," he says. TCMP #538: Pro-Touring Update with Larry Callahan: How To Create a Garage Studio and Upcoming Pro-Touring Events! In the mid '90s, Orosco took on the task of reproducing the Ardun heads, improving on their design yet making sure they were visually exact duplicates of the originals. A high-pressure system will run fine with no boiling, even at 190-210-degree gauge temps. Open flathead | Bob's 4 Cycle Karting Not long ago, 150 inthe quarter mile, was mathematically impossible??????. You may lose as much as 30 hp above 4,500 rpm.. This isnt any ol ARDUN-equipped Flathead, if theres such a thing, but rather the highly desirable V-8 from ARDUN Enterprises; now under the watchful eye of Don Jr. and Don the III. For that, you're getting cylinder heads with a ton of development work and premium-quality pieces. Magnuson offers an Eaton blower kit, while Joe Abbin of Roadrunner Engineering has Weiand 142 and 174 supercharger setups. 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? HOME | Mysite Amies Flathead is moving in the direction of 400 hp and for a street Flathead that should provide plenty of excitement. What am I missing here? Relieving a Flathead, which is the process of removing material from the block between the valves and the cylinder for better breathing, is a subject unto itself. And, how about 382 hp at 5,300 rpm, roughly four times that of a stock Flathead? The front fenders were then modified to allow for valve cover clearance. Good question. TractorData.com Ford 2N tractor information Chrisman, Rathman and others had Al build custom parts for their cars. Tony Baron says French blocks can be bored 0.250-over (1/4 inch). H&H Top Dead Center T-shirt is printed on 100% cotton. This S, New French blocks are pickled in cosmoline, sealed in plastic bags, and packed in wooden c, This French block was machined and heavily ported by Baron Racing. After reading this article, you'll be capable of . The fastest guys both naturally aspirated and blown run high-dome pistons. He is now replicating S.Co.T. Research has shown there's relatively little air movement over the base of the block. These Lincoln V12 Smooth Aluminum Heads are made in the USA and have the water outlet in the stock location. Whats right for your engine differs per application. Fel-Pro and Victor continue to make head gaskets too. One flathead builder, Dave Tatom, offers a unique line of custom grinds with wide 114-degree LSA for naturally aspirated engines, and 116-118 LSAs for blown motors. The new Arduns have lighter 11/32-inch-stem stainless steel valves and accept modern 12mm, Save another 70 pounds with Ardun's new aluminum block. TCMP #538: Pro-Touring Update with Larry Callahan: How To Create a Garage Studio and Upcoming Pro-Touring Events! Magnuson offers an Eaton blower kit, while Joe Abbin of Roadrunner Engineering has Weiand 142 and 174 supercharger setups. Even stock flatheads can run 6-7 psi boost with no problem. And, of course, they also give you four rather than three exhaust ports for a more contemporary, balanced look.. Most flattie builders modify factory pans. Tony Baron runs 10 degrees of base timing and 23 degrees max at full advance. Again, this is one of those hot rods that you must see in person to appreciate the amount of creativity and craftsmanship that was invested in this ride. There are several techniques; the accompanying photos show the method preferred by Baron Racing. Valves are 1.875 inches in diameter on the intake side, 1.5 on the exhaust. It was great to meet Mark and Phil, and we hope they have a safe trip back to the cold and snowy territory called Michigan. The originals still are. 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. K&F Show #258: The Masters and Adam Sandlers 74 Duster; Movie Review Revisit Happy Gilmore! He works with a couple different cam grinders and will help spec the stick to deliver the poweror the lopedesired. He also made many improvements to his cylinder heads as well. The story starts around a decade ago with Don Orosco, who after a lot of research and a not-inconsiderable investment, had 30 sets of Ardun heads reproduced for his personal racing efforts. At present, the only aftermarket custom oil pan available is from Ardun Engineering. The Southwind isnt a heater anymore but rather the housing for the fuse panel based on a Haywire system and wired to work by the RR&C crew. Dave Putnam (Orangevale, California) used a dark brown leather to stitch over the custom buckets resting on top of unique seat risers all crafted by the crew at RR&C. Starting in July 1938, the blocks went to 24 head-retention studs. As we go to press, word is just in that Mark Kirby at Motor City Flathead has joined forces with Shadow Rods to develop an all-new, improved 49-53-style aftermarket cast-iron flathead block. I love your style Corky. The blown motors make another 50 hp at an easy-to-live-with 5 pounds of boost. 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. Over the meticulous bodywork performed by RR&C, a 1940 Ford factory color was applied. Bridging the gap was a couple of Ardun conversions of note. Stromberg in England is producing new Strombergs again. These are the only 337 high compression cylinder heads on the market. But I digress. You will also find one of these resting on top of Amies 294-inch Flathead. 4451 Ramsdell Avenue Privacy Policy. Fortunately, a wide variety of adapters are available to mate the venerable motor to today's automatic and manual transmissions. (Yes, gasoline!) 5.0 out of 5 stars. Aluminum Flathead engine? | The H.A.M.B. Most flattie builders modify factory pans. The new old cars got a lot of attention. No one runs the old weak stock ignitions anymore. I'd love to retrofit my 36 Ford coupe back from it's current 302 to a flathead. We are now the exclusive distributors of Navarro Racing Equipment, Sharp Speed Equipment, Wilson and Woods Cylinder Heads, Dixon Overhead Valve Conversion, and a complete line of Austin Speed Equipment for the Arudn, Lincoln 337, Lincoln V12 and V8 60. They did a lot of work for different companies around L.A., including some of the early speed equipment makers. With modern flatheads routinely putting out 250-300 lb-ft of torque, the original trannies obviously arent up to the job. 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. High-compression is the way to go. Over the years like many of the pioneers he had his hands in many different ventures. He bought the entire French stock, and at last count still has at least 500 blocks, 120 complete engines, and over 2,000 rods. Relieved blocks must have the reliefs filled to use Ardun heads. It spawned the modern aftermarket speed-equipment industry and became a favorite of bootleggers, dry-lakes racers, dirt trackers, street racers, and a whole generation that just wanted a fast car. Instead, air wants to go over the front of the valve and hit the chamber roof. Automotive American Classic Vintage & Modern, Flathead Myths courtesy of Tony Baron 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. Records are made to be broken. Too high a compression ratio and the engine peaks early due to restricted top-end breathing. K&F Show #258: The Masters and Adam Sandlers 74 Duster; Movie Review Revisit Happy Gilmore! - Frank Comstock @Hemmings, Newly Engineered Flathead V8 Block - Motor City Speed Equipment. It offers adapter kits to mate GM automatic transmissions and Ford C4 automatics to '49-'53 8BA blocks, as well as a variety of adapters to mate both early and late flatheads to most GM and Ford manual transmissions. The heads come complete with Isky valve springs, 1.5-inch diameter stainless steel valves, adjustable push rods, lifters, custom head gaskets and a pair of exhaust flanges. They fit original 39-53 blocks, French blocks, and (perhaps the ultimate evolution) Fergusons new aluminum block. Mostly true, but the French military used flatheads as late as the early '90s and "ancient" flathead technology has evolved to run over 300 mph at Bonneville. There is also an Australian outfit, Flatattack Engineering, offering plenum-style, TPI-like systems controlled by either GM Delco or MoTeC computers. Topping Off Ford's Flathead V8 - MotorTrend Blower Kits. Small-block Chevy valves remain popular, but with reduced-base-circle cams they may be too short to permit proper lash adjustment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Chattanooga Area Hot Rodder Builds A Time Capsule, Make Plans NOW to Attend the Chattanooga Cruise In Toy Drive, Our Favorite Hot Rods from the 2018 NSRA Street Rod Nationals, Barn Find Report: 1947 ACF Brill Bus, The TenneSEEr. The first-design 32 through early 38 engines had only 21 cylinder-head studs and until mid 1936 even used poured babbit main bearings. Early and late distributor styles can be interchanged by using the corresponding front engine covers and cam drive. Ultimately, there are equal-length race headers available from Tatom Custom Engines. That first 50 G's supplied a blueprint -more or less- And that was all. On the following pages, we'll 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. Lightweight Flathead? - Honest Charley Speed Shop The best balance has been the subject of debate for over 60 years. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Flathead in the five-window coupe is the test mule, and Motor City plans to begin production soon. Different top-halves are available for mounting a variety of induction setups. We have continually grown and expanded our engine services. A step by step book on how to identfy and rebuild a ford flatheads. Correct-length flathead 1.800 intake/1.600 exhaust valves are available from flathead specialists like Baron Racing. The fastest guys both naturally aspirated and blown run high-dome pistons. 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. Fabled Stromberg 97 carbs are back, but you can also upgrade to modern Holley four-barrels or even electronic-fuel-injection systems. In order to gain this clearance, the hood sides where they meet the fenders were modified by being raised 1-1/2 inches yielding the necessary ARDUN valve cover clearance. Arms in a gennie Ardun head look downright delicate compared to the beefy 2024 aluminum arms in Don's Ardun. Normally wed title this section Cylinder Heads, but on a flathead, the heads-having neither ports nor valves-only form the combustion-chamber roof. or Best Offer. Earlier 3 1/16-inch-bore blocks will only go 0.090-over. A truck oil pickup tube assembly (PN 8RT-6615) is required to use the M-15 as well as the standard volume Melling M-19 in 48-and-earlier engines; 49-and-up engines can use the stock pickup. With such a small difference; it's relatively easy to take a little off the Ford snout then slightly hone the inside of a Chevy balancer so it slips over the Ford crank. Fel-Pro and Victor continue to make head gaskets too. Different top-halves are available for mounting a variety of induction setups. He also makes a pan for his block that is supposed to work on a stock block? The new block is capable of much more horsepower because of additional webbing and four-bolt mains. Speedway Motors offers pumps with sealed bearings that do an even better job in both early and late configurations. A look inside gives you the sensation of an open air concept that could easily be seen in many of todays homes. Hilborn and Ardun Enterprises offer EFI conversions that look like old-time stacks but with EFI nozzles. Ford Flathead V8 - The engine that gave birth to Hot Rodding is back Solve cooling problems by using a modern water pump available through Speedway Motors and other sources. Theres no doubt we love our Flatheads here at Honest Charley, and we had a visitor this morning that loves his, too. After 1953, flathead production continued in other countries, most notably in Europe, where the engine continued to be used in French military vehicles through the 90s. Home - H&H Flatheads At one end there are restorers who insist on putting everything back to exact original condition. Scat offers affordable cast Pro Stock cranks through 4.375-inch stroke, with either 2.00- or 2.138-inch rod journals. It will use a new oil pan and special bolt-on universal bellhousing that accepts most modern transmissions. Denny is right.ALL of the above is true scoop! The flathead blocks to get are those with a 3 3/16-inch bore. They will not work for a standard flathead build; they lack both exhaust and intake ports. The only aluminum flathead block commercially available that I know of at this time is the block made by Don Ferguson for his Ardun heads. (Tucked away in another barn are future projects, such as a 1940 Suburban and a 1938 Chevy cabriolet.) Still not enough? 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. What's right for your engine differs per application. Are you saying that theres a FLATHEAD in there ? The new Arduns have lighter 11/32-inch-stem stainless steel valves and accept modern 12mm, Save another 70 pounds with Arduns new aluminum block. His manifolds and valve covers graced the of the famous Hurst Hairy Olds twin engine car and he helped Craig Breedlove with the Spirirt of America record setting run. Melling still makes a high-volume oil pump (PN M-15). The Ultimate Source Guide for Flathead Ford V8 Performance - MotorTrend The conversion kits are not inexpensive; pricing starts at just below $14,000. 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. Unfortunately, old-school resistance to this "new and improved" part is so extensive that the SCTA has banned the blocks from competing in classic land speed racing classes. On the street, flatheads are happy on today's crappy gas, because that's the only kind of gas there was back in the '30s. Orosco approached the Fergusons about taking on the Ardun reproductions. The body has an assortment of mild changes but we feel they are well measured as the coupe has a great stance and the appropriate hot rod look. Ratios are 1.375 on the intake side, 1.2 on the exhaust. Just a tall gray wall with a rolling bay door that blends so perfectly you may not even know it is a door until Don sticks his head out. It must have a stock style front for the pumps and front cover or my water pump kits wouldn't work. After getting a good dose of sunshine and warm temperatures, they decided to pay us a visit on the way back home. It was only at the very end of the flatheads reign that the first small four-barrel carbs appeared; back then everyone used multiple-carb setups. There is also an ugly governor mounting boss on the left-rear of the block that many rodders prefer to machine off. The oil, water, fuel, and amp are N.O.S. All tidier and more efficient than original. 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. They specialize in building flathead Ford V8s and Lincoln V12s and the production of Navarro Racing Equipment, Sharp Speed & Power Equipment, Austin Speed Equipment and, most recently, Wilson & Woods 8BA heads and Dixon sohv heads. The Sharp 32 triple carburetor intake is one of the few that accepts Holley 94s and Stromberg 97s. High-compression is the way to go. But that just leaves these pristine virgin blocks for us normal street guys. But with modern solid cams and big stroker cranks, overall engine rpm and piston speed is considerably higher than the old stockers. The 2-inch rod journals are very popular because their diameter and width permits the use of readily available 215-inch-style Buick/Olds/Rover V-8 bearings. Tony Baron says that a good-running flathead should have no less than 0.400 lift and about 250 degrees duration at 0.050-inch tappet lift. A very brief history goes something like this: In 1947, years before his involvement with the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov, along with his brother, Yura, designed an overhead conversion for the Ford Flathead V-8, marketing them as Ardun-an acronym of their second name, originally manufactured in New York and later assembled in England and fitted to many Allard sports cars, hence the confusing differences in the script cast into the valve covers. How To Make and Aluminum Engine Block - The Ford Barn "These engines look cool, run cool, and are reliable," he says. The headliner is a tan wool while the carpeting and floor mats are a dark brown tight weave pile all from the sewing machine of Putnam. Most in this group will accept a modified flathead as long as it is period-correct, with no obvious modern technology visible. I am SO interested in when these will be available. The block is cast from aluminum and features a great number of changes from the original cast iron design. Barney Navarro started machining Weiand speed equipment right before he started making his own in 1947. Some builders also recommend installing exhaust-port dividers to split the siamesed center exhaust ports. Speed-O-Motive still advertises Merc crank cores if you want to go this route, but it's no longer necessary, what with all the aftermarket alternatives available. The Ferguson ARDUN project (picked up where the late Don Orosco of Monterey Speed & Sport had progressed) is based on an aluminum Flathead block (with enhanced main caps and deep skirts, for those wishing Flathead numbing power) and enhanced ARDUN heads (significant design modifications); ARP hardware is used throughout the engine. A good supply of new French (really) blocks exist and outfits like Scat make new H-beam rods and sell cranks with up to a 4.5-inch stroke. The company they formed to produce these heads was named "Ardun," an acronym derived from their last name. A good supply of new French (really) blocks exist and outfits like Scat make new H-beam rods and sell cranks with up to a 4.5-inch stroke. Small-block Chevy valves remain popular, but with reduced-base-circle cams they may be too short to permit proper lash adjustment. The present-day Arduns are CNC-machined using high-grade 356-T6 aluminum, have refined combustion chambers, and improved oiling and valvetrain components. 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. Phone: (818) 248-2371. 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. His passion for Hot Rods and to create new products has helped the after-market industry continue to grow, DIXON heads relocate the exhaust valve out of the block and into the head reducing overheating and allowing for vastly improved exhaust gas flow. Aside from his flathead speed equipment, he built parts for almost every engine that ran down the strip. Speedway Motors offers pumps with sealed bearings that do an even better job in both early and late configurations. Flatheads are old, ancient, obsolete technology. The new old cars got a lot of attention. The new Sharp V8 60 flathead cylinder heads with front water neck. He was the first to run a roots style 371 blower on a destroked 24 stud motor 176c.i. Available in center and front water neck. The Thickstun two-carb high-rise intake (today marketed by Baron) is an excellent street setup and it even provides clearance for the stock generator. This encouraged the old-time flathead parts guys (or their sons) to start repopping the old parts. Provided you have an original bellhousing, you can use available Trans-Dapt adapters to install Ford passenger-car transmissions from the mid '60s to the late '70s behind the '49-'53 flatties. They're machining the first block castings right now. Here you can find some details and specifcations for the newly engineered flathead block, not sure how old this information is? 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. Strombergs were the favorites, but Chandler-Grove/Holley, Zenith, and Rochester two-barrels were also in use. Ford Flathead V8, Cylinder Heads | Speedway Motors Also mounted to the column is an original knee-knocker Stewart-Warner mechanical tach run off the back of the alternator; another one-off piece by RR&C. A new player is Gemini Electronic Fuel Injection, a complete bolt-on flathead conversion kit based on the self-programming Prodigious fuel injection system. Baron, Edelbrock, Sharp (Wilcap), Navarro, and Offenhauser make both old-style heads as well as improved new configurations. Ford Flathead V8 The engine that gave birth to Hot Rodding is back!! I once asked him if he'd considered aluminum and I think he replied that they'd be on the market now. That should get any hot rodders beat to quicken and pique his curiosity. Theres a fine juggling act between compression and promoting proper transfer from the offset valves across the piston top.