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. All flatheads overheat, then the blocks crack. Like all fads, once started, the process fed itself. Tom Roberts starts with the Speedway pump, modifies it for even more flow, and also redoes the snout to accept modern, bolt-on, serpentine-belt pulleys. Stay tuned for further updates on this project. Home - H&H Flatheads Opens in a new window or tab. 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. That should get any hot rodders beat to quicken and pique his curiosity. About H&H Flatheads: Founded in 2003 by Mike Herman, H&H Flatheads is celebrating its 15th anniversary. With a 4.5-inch-stroke aftermarket crank, that yields 334 cubic inches. Born-again Flathead | Hemmings 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. French blocks are hybrids, essentially a '49-'53 8BA in terms of deck height and front-end, but with the integral cast bellhousing and corresponding oil pan as found on the '38 1/2-'48 59A. When I was in the ninth grade (56-57), our physics teacher "proved" it would be impossible to accelerate to over some figure like that (138 sticks in my mind) in the quarter. Box 205 Wilmington, CA 90744 (310) 872-9286 D2DFerguson@gmail.com French blocks are hybrids, essentially a 49-53 8BA in terms of deck height and front-end, but with the integral cast bellhousing and corresponding oil pan as found on the 38 1/2-48 59A. But with modern solid cams and big stroker cranks, overall engine rpm and piston speed is considerably higher than the old stockers. Ross, Wiseco, Egge, Arias, and others make pistons in any configuration you desire. TMCP #537: Ask Rick Lessons Learned to Promote (or Dismiss) Employees; Plus an Easter Project Car Review Blowout! Pull off said cover and the biggest difference you see is the change in the rocker arms. Lifters look nearly identical to the originals, except his are made from solid chilled iron. In 1947, they were commissioned by Ford to improve the output of its truck engines. Ultimately, you can move up to one of Cornhusker Engineering's custom front cover and late-model water-pump setups. 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. Don has also raised the floor of the intake and exhaust ports to better move the air. 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 . Great info ! Tony Baron says French blocks can be bored 0.250-over (1/4 inch). He also made many improvements to his cylinder heads as well. The home of the Ford Flathead rebuilding specialist from mild to wild. French blocks are about 30 pounds heavier than a standard flathead, which is a good indication of better metal and thicker walls. No one runs the old weak stock ignitions anymore. Automotive American Classic Vintage & Modern, Flathead Myths courtesy of Tony Baron 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. 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. The king of adapters is undoubtedly Wilcap. Speedway Motors offers pumps with sealed bearings that do an even better job in both early and late configurations. Enjoyed this Post? Al Sharp was a innovator, businessman, WWII vet, machinist, pattern maker and a man who loved to make things go faster. Apparently, the old boys network doesnt want any youngbloods crashing their exclusive country club. Terms of Service. How To Make and Aluminum Engine Block - The Ford Barn You may lose as much as 30 hp above 4,500 rpm. Don Sr. has passed away, but at the shop with us was Don Jr. 's son Don III.). Then, about 20 years ago, traditional street rods suddenly became cool again. Stay tuned for further updates on this project. Apparently, the old boys' network doesn't want any youngbloods crashing their exclusive country club. Trying to gain back compression ratio by using popup pistons may improve airflow provided proper attention is paid to the transfer area and overall piston-to-combustion chamber interface. The old-timers took what they had and made it work. The new valve springs facilitate increased valve lift, plus the lifters are an improved design over the originals. 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. He bought the entire French stock, and at last count still has at least 500 blocks, 120 complete engines, and over 2,000 rods. Recommended bottom-line street-gas-friendly compression ratios are between 7.5-8:1 on naturally aspirated engines and 6.5-7.0:1 with a blower. Welcome to the web site of H&H Flatheads. 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. Barney Navarro started machining Weiand speed equipment right before he started making his own in 1947. What's an ARDUN? The Ultimate OHV Conversion for the Ford Flathead V-8 It will use a new oil pan and special bolt-on universal bellhousing that accepts most modern transmissions. Tom Roberts starts with the Speedway pump, modifies it for even more flow, and also redoes the snout to accept modern, bolt-on, serpentine-belt pulleys. As its name implies, Reds Headers is the place to go for the widest selection of street-style headers. 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. Now its 2005, and the flatheads resurgence shows no sign of diminishing. Chrysler 6 cyl flathead - Massey Harris & Massey Ferguson Forum Traditional flathead airflow management practices call for relieving the block-removing metal between the valve-seat sides closest to the cylinder bore. Adjustable, Change a front-mount distributor cam to vertical drive with this Baron adapter. Behind that door are bays, shelves, and rafters chock-full of streamliners and other cars under construction, customer engines on stands, the Ferguson's lakester under a car cover, bare engine blocks wrapped in plastic, a Superflow engine dyno waiting for its next tune session. Keep it under 8.0:1. You may lose as much as 30 hp above 4,500 rpm.. It was not your Dad's engine-it was your grandfather's. If the combination is properly tailored to the blower application, you should have no real problem. You have to beat him/her at the same game. The old cam grinders-including Isky, Schneider, Elgin, and others-have both old and new cam grinds. Ross, Wiseco, Egge, Arias, and others make pistons in any configuration you desire. Flathead History Lesson courtesy of Charlie Clark. However, there are some significant differences in French blocks compared to the originals. All tidier and more efficient than original. The company they formed to produce these heads was named Ardun, an acronym derived from their last name. The Flathead in the five-window coupe is the test mule, and Motor City plans to begin production soon. There are builders on the left and right coasts and all points in-between who assemble reliable, powerful, 150-200hp engines, or you can buy new parts and build one yourself. At one end there are restorers who insist on putting everything back to exact original condition. 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. Made in the USA. Recommended bottom-line street-gas-friendly compression ratios are between 7.5-8:1 on naturally aspirated engines and 6.5-7.0:1 with a blower. Some fuel-injection setups even run distributorless coil-ignition setups. There are several techniques; the accompanying photos show the method preferred by Baron Racing. There is also an old article here on Hot Rod Network, I also found a video on YouTube from 2012 showing Mark discussing the project. After getting a good dose of sunshine and warm temperatures, they decided to pay us a visit on the way back home. Imagine all the programming that went into this. 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. And in a sense, the flathead also begot HOT ROD Magazine, for this publication probably wouldn't exist if not for the flathead speed industry and the advertising dollars it spawned. 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 originals still are. The third-design "8BA" '49-'53 engines have a bolt-on bellhousing, the distributor was moved to the top-right of the engine, and modern insert-style bearings are used on both the mains and rods. High-compression is the way to go. He works with a couple different cam grinders and will help spec the stick to deliver the poweror the lopedesired. Still not enough? Yes, you can have a classic flathead with modern fuel injection. Starting in July 1938, the blocks went to 24 head-retention studs. For improved cooling efficiency, original '49-'53 pumps have more impeller vanes than earlier models. Just where did this engine come from? What's the deal with that thing? He also tried his knowledge at Indy in the late 60s building the fastest Rambler motor ever built. 226: Big News for The Custom Car Revival! There was a time when Ardun overhead-valve cylinder heads were incredibly rare. 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. TractorData.com Ford 2N tractor information Large-diameter, unshrouded valves combined with a proper combustion chamber configuration and piston design are needed to promote the proper transfer area from the flathead's valves to the far end of the chamber over the piston tops. Whatever, originals are rare, which explains why a select few individuals have looked into reproducing them. 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. Younger guys yearned for a simpler, back to basics approach. Putnam also used the same leather on the center console and boot, the door panels, and the nifty accessory pockets in the doors. Flatheads are old, ancient, obsolete technology. The best balance has been the subject of debate for over 60 years. Keeping three sets, he sold the remaining 27 and then sold the tooling, dies, and plans to Don Ferguson Jr. You can find out more at Don's Web site, www.ardun.com. or Best Offer. RR&C achieved this look by removing the divider between the truck and the passenger compartment. Flathead gurus like Don Ferguson and Tony Baron strongly urge that hot rod engines run a harmonic damper. Most in this group will accept a modified flathead as long as it is period-correct, with no obvious modern technology visible. 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. Shop 1949-53 Ford Flathead V8 Engine parts and get Free Shipping on orders over $99 at Speedway Motors, the Racing and Rodding Specialists. We've seen the dyno sheet, which also reveals the 396.9 lb-ft of torque produced at 4,300 rpm. K&F Show #259: The Dukes of Star Trek; Dukes Review S2E12 Arrest Jesse Duke. ", Among this herd of sheep, a few original hot rods were brought out of retirement, complete with gennie flatheads as the powerplant. 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 present-day Arduns are CNC-machined using high-grade 356-T6 aluminum, have refined combustion chambers, and improved oiling and valvetrain components. Newly Engineered Flathead V8 Block - Motor City Speed Equipment Again, like so many of us, he attended car shows most of his life but life doesnt always present the time necessary to dig in. But the times, theyre a changin and the opportunity wasnt lost on Amie. blower it can achieve another 50 hp with 5 pounds of boost. MCF's born-again flatty will come standard with a 3 1/2-inch bore and 1/8-inch-thick cylinder walls, thanks to special insert sleeves. The heads and valve covers are made from 356 T6 aluminum, far superior to the alloy used back in the day. 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. Built in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. 4451 Ramsdell Avenue 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). Among Flathead builders there is . Then, about 20 years ago, traditional street rods suddenly became cool again. Chrisman, Rathman and others had Al build custom parts for their cars. H&H started in 1972 with rebuilding all early Ford Flathead engines from Model A, Bs, Ts and V8 Ford Flatheads from 1932-36, LBs, 59As, 8BAs,V8 60s, Lincoln 337, Lincoln V12s and Y Block Ford and Mercury. What would you save, 100-150 lbs? Reputedly, they are cast with 10 percent higher nickel content, and the quality of the modern castings is a lot smoother with much less core shift. The flatheads compression ratio is well suited to supercharging, and besides, what could be more hot rod than a blower poking through the hood? 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. It was only at the very end of the flathead's reign that the first small four-barrel carbs appeared; back then everyone used multiple-carb setups. He joined the Navy and went to the South Pacific as a Foundrymans Assistant. That first 50 G's supplied a blueprint -more or less- And that was all. I'm not sure but casting aluminum MIGHT be a simpler process than casting iron. Besides, multicarb setups look cool. The top was chopped ever so slightly with 1 inch cut from it. It has a f, Block mods for adjustable lifters: With the windowed solid flat-tappet lifter, drill a sma, Built to Barons specs, this 12-quart pan with integral windage tray fits 59A and French i, Baron Racings full-flow oil system: Plug the existing main-feed lower lateral port at the, Drill a 3/8-inch hole from the bottom of the cam bore to the rear main journal (photo 2, E, Baron Racing intakes include the Thickstun two-carb high-rise (left), shown here with Chan, The original Edelbrock four-barrel carb intakes were designed for small, now-obsolete, Car, Wilcap is reproducing Sharp intake manifolds. 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