Keep it under 8.0:1. (The Fergusons represent three generations of speed. But with modern solid cams and big stroker cranks, overall engine rpm and piston speed is considerably higher than the old stockers. 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. 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. superchargers, which, like the heads, look period-correct but are filled with contemporary tech, in this case 4-71 helical-cut rotors. High-compression is the way to go. York and his staff used their substantial talents and blended a Roadster Shop chassis, an ARDUN Enterprises V-8, and a beautifully massaged 1936 Ford coupe with just the right number of modifications to bring this hot rod to life. The new old cars got a lot of attention. Most of these parts became the foundation for the Sharp Speed and Power Equipment company. Among Flathead builders there is . This is an amazing process. Copyright 2000-2009 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited. The new block is capable of much more horsepower because of additional webbing and four-bolt mains. TCMP #538: Pro-Touring Update with Larry Callahan: How To Create a Garage Studio and Upcoming Pro-Touring Events! It should be remembered that, although the Ardun has gained cult status over the years, the Arkus-Duntovs didn't have the money for fancy engineering and were working to a tight schedule as well as the restraints of the Ford engine block. Written by Mike Herman and Tony Thacker, foreword by Ray Evernham. 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. For even more protection, install a crossflow radiator and increase coolant system pressure to 17-21 pounds. When I think about it, an aluminum flathead block makes no sense, economic or otherwise. Making power with a flathead is a fine balancing act, juggling the higher thermodynamic potential of raising compression against improving airflow through the combustion chamber. Besides the Ford flathead, H&H also specializes in Ardun conversions as well as rebuilding other vintage engines including Y-Block Ford, Nailhead Buicks and Chrysler Hemis. From help designing the runners of his manifold to enter the block at a 45 degree angle to act as an extension of the ports to making his manifold have a 180 degree pattern to distribute the fuel equally. Don Ferguson of Paramount Forge has designed an built aluminum FH blocks to be used with original or his Ardun Cylinder heads only. Flathead Myths courtesy of Tony Baron Different top-halves are available for mounting a variety of induction setups. Copyright 1995-2008 Atomic Industry: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. 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). 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. How bout Uncommons twin 4-71 top-mount system, shown here in m, Reds Headers offers more than 60 different flathead header sets including this stream-lin, Tatom offers equal-length headers for all fat fenders and roadsters. SPAL supplied the 16-inch electric fan, Powermaster supplied the starter, and the custom alternator runs off the blower drive all masterfully handled by RR&C, which also made the custom air cleaner. Back in the day, four-barrel carbs had barely been invented. 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. The new old cars got a lot of attention. In 1947, they were commissioned by Ford to improve the output of its truck engines. The downside was, as Flathead Engineering's Charlie Clark puts it, street rods "began to look about as exciting as a belly-button-everyone had one. Privacy Policy. Here you can find some details and specifcations for the newly engineered flathead block, not sure how old this information is? All flatheads overheat, then the blocks crack. But thanks to the efforts of several hot rodders and land speed racers, especially Don, the coveted conversion kits are readily available and much improved over those first heads built in the '40s and '50s. 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 brothers, working with designer George Kudasch, greatly enhanced the breathing and combustion efficiency of the flathead by developing an overhead-valve cylinder head with hemispherical combustion chambers. The battery and alternator were eliminated, and replaced with a magneto and . Flatheads need high compression because they dont breathe. According to Baron Racing, the limiting factor is not piston-to-head interference, nor even valvespring coil-bind-it is running out of cam bearing clearance for the lobes. With a 4.5-inch-stroke aftermarket crank, that yields 334 cubic inches. Amies Flathead is moving in the direction of 400 hp and for a street Flathead that should provide plenty of excitement. Where are the water jackets for coolant? 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. Baron, Edelbrock, Sharp (Wilcap), Navarro, and Offenhauser make both old-style heads as well as improved new configurations. The old-timers took what they had and made it work. The new Sharp V8 60 flathead cylinder heads feature a centered, bolt on water neck. 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. Fast-forward nearly half a decade. Strombergs were the favorites, but Chandler-Grove/Holley, Zenith, and Rochester two-barrels were also in use. He showed us dyno sheets of full-race engines making north of 800 hp on alcohol. It's been over 50 years since the last Ford flathead V-8 was commercially produced in the U.S. He traveled from home to New Mexico then to Los Angeles and onto Sacramento where he located the perfect foundation for his new build. While exact ignition timing will vary per combination, in general flatheads running gasoline like about 23 degrees total advance normally aspirated and just 19 degrees with a blower. Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2016 6:17 am Post subject: Re: Chrysler 6 cyl flathead. Why not let us all see? I love your style Corky. The times they were a-changin', and change was happening fast. I'm not sure but casting aluminum MIGHT be a simpler process than casting iron. He has even made some aluminum flathead blocks, with massive main caps and deep, sturdy skirts, for those interested in making ultimate flathead power. Edelbrock, Wilcap (Sharp), and Offenhauser continue to market a wide variety of intakes. Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements). At present, the only aftermarket custom oil pan available is from Ardun Engineering. With just three mains (modern V-8s have five), a flatties bottom-end is marginal for high, Tom Roberts uses a 6-inch-od early 327 Chevy small-journal damper, honed and rebroached wi, Dont want to do any machining? 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. He was the first to run a roots style 371 blower on a destroked 24 stud motor 176c.i. Back in the day, four-barrel carbs had barely been invented. Small-block Chevy valves remain popular, but with reduced-base-circle cams they may be too short to permit proper lash adjustment. Scat offers affordable cast Pro Stock cranks through 4.375-inch stroke, with either 2.00- or 2.138-inch rod journals. 226: Big News for The Custom Car Revival! They are available in both two- and three-ca, Ardun Enterprises overhead-valve hemi heads are shown with old-school mechanical stacked, Flathead Engineering offers single, twin, and quadruple TBI systems. The old cam grinders-including Isky, Schneider, Elgin, and others-have both old and new cam grinds. But I digress. 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. There is also an Australian outfit, Flatattack Engineering, offering plenum-style, TPI-like systems controlled by either GM Delco or MoTeC computers. Keep it under 8.0:1. Get yours today. Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues! Flatheads may not have the cubes or brute airflow potential of many of todays modern mills, but there is a solution: Bolt on a supercharger. 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. 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. "These engines look cool, run cool, and are reliable," he says. Stewart-Warner 2-3/8-inch-diameter gauges mounted into the stock dashboard with a clock mounted in the glovebox door. The stock flathead oiling system is marginal for performance use. The Flathead in the five-window coupe is the test mule, and Motor City plans to begin production soon. Austin Lincoln 337 Heads Different top-halves are available for mounting a variety of induction setups. 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. Other appointments include the Autotrend EFI with a Holley HP ECU, an electronic ignition housed to look like a vintage magneto (possibly a Vertex), an MSD coil, cloth braided spark plug wires, while the juice is derived from the trunk-mounted Optima RedTop battery. 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. Whether you're looking for a full blown show engine or hopped up daily driver, H&H Flatheads can help build the engine you need. They fit original '39-'53 blocks, French blocks, and (perhaps the ultimate evolution) Ferguson's new aluminum block. Austin Lincoln 337 32 Barrel Intake Manifold, Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 3:00pm Story and Photos by Zac Parks Check out more from Zac on his Instagram Account: @wiredcustoms.va When shopping for the right Flathead for your traditional Hotrod, knowledge is power. Enter the Ferguson family. The new engines overpowered the old chassis, so modern suspensions and disc-brake swaps were added to the mix. 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. The search lasted about two years before Amie found the right car. Although it sounds weird in this modern age of thin-wall castings, the 3 3/16-inch-bore, U.S.-built flatties can be bored 0.125-inch (1/8-inch-over). New stainless valves are available from several sources. Thanks ! 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. Yes, you can have a classic flathead with modern fuel injection. "This year's Nationals saw the mass use of overhead valves," said the magazine. The man behind it all is Mark Kirby of Motor City Speed Equipment, out of Dundee, Michigan. There are kits to install Weiand and Magnuson superchargers, or even one or two GMC 71-series blowers. No one runs the old weak stock ignitions anymore. 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. Normally wed title this section Cylinder Heads, but on a flathead, the heads-having neither ports nor valves-only form the combustion-chamber roof. Mark designed an all-new flathead block that resembles Henry's old boiler, but improves it in every way. Next to the heater you will see a panel thats held in position by a pair of clips but its what rests behind the panel thats of interest. Speedway Motors offers pumps with sealed bearings that do an even better job in both early and late configurations. we're not talking about how much money you can spend breaking a record set by someone following the rules. Seal the heads to the block using slick new graphite-impregnated head gaskets available from Best Gasket, Reds Headers, and Tatom. He also made many improvements to his cylinder heads as well. What am I missing here? In fact, the growing flathead movement has basically sorted itself out into three distinct groups. The king of adapters is undoubtedly Wilcap. and ran 146.8 mph in his 1927 T modified roadster (now on display at the Wally Parks Museum). And there are always billet caps and girdles available. Al moved to So Cal with his family from Oklahoma in the 30s and started working in shops and garages. Its a Holley touch screen that allows one to manage the computer settings. Its everything you need to make the conversion. ". For that, you're getting cylinder heads with a ton of development work and premium-quality pieces. It was a statement, in effect saying, "I am not a cookie-cutter rod.". Besides, multicarb setups look cool. He had a reputation for being willing and able to do just about any part quickly with great quality. 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. 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. 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. You may lose as much as 30 hp above 4,500 rpm. It was a statement, in effect saying, I am not a cookie-cutter rod.. For this group-whether building a rat rod, yanking a Chevy that just doesn't look right in that old Deuce, or building a brand-new car-the outlook couldn't be rosier, even better than the flathead's heyday so long as the bucks hold out. Original 50-plus-year-old blocks without cracks are getting scarce. Sharp 32 Super Dual Early Intake Manifold can accept either Holley 94s or Stromberg 97s. This grew into 6 different Ardun, V8 60 intakes, Lincoln 337 heads and intakes, Lincoln V12 intakes and heads and ford flathead intakes. And that brings us to this all-steel 1936 Ford three-window coupe. With such a small difference; its 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. Bolted to Zora Arkus-Duntovs creation is a TREMEC TKO five-speed from Modern Driveline, which also supplied the clutch, flywheel, and a handful of trans mods to make the package work. Good question. Like all fads, once started, the process fed itself. Like a lot of race shops located in industrial sections of Southern California, Don Ferguson's place is nondescript to the point of camouflage. A high-pressure system will run fine with no boiling, even at 190-210-degree gauge temps. 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 49-53 8BA block (, Fergusons Ardun kit includes heads; valvetrain spark-plug tubes; valve covers; Coke-bottl, Compared to the original Ardun (bottom), the new kit (top) includes stronger rocker stands, Tom Roberts makes this trick two-piece intake. 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. Ford Flathead V8 The engine that gave birth to Hot Rodding is back!! The single and twin u, Gemini Electronic Fuel Injection looks like traditional mechanical fuel injection but is a, Roadrunner Engineering offers complete kits including beltdrives for the Weiand 142 and 17, Uncommon Engineering specializes in, well, uncommon setups-modern renditions of the most f, Dont want a front-mount? I'm not up to speed on the status of that item. Relieved blocks must have the reliefs filled to use Ardun heads. Now its 2005, and the flatheads resurgence shows no sign of diminishing. What you see here, however, isn't just a pair of reproduction heads atop a Ford block but instead a brand-new, 284ci, all-aluminum improved block, reproduction Ardun heads, and vintage 4-71 blower (the only old part on the whole deal) bolted to a new manifold from Ken Austin. This block is completely beefed up, with four-bolt caps, reinforced bottom-end and webbing, furnace-brazed sleeves (max bore is 3.5 inches), and new-design head studs that tie into the bottom of the block. Earlier 3 1/16-inch-bore blocks will only go 0.090-over. RR&C achieved this look by removing the divider between the truck and the passenger compartment. French blocks already h, Before the SCTA banned French blocks, Ron Main was treating this one to his valve-reversal, Piston evolution, from left: Not a cartoon caricature, the modern 50s-cast Hi-duty Ford O, Chamber evolution, from left: The early 32-36-style chamber worked with flat-top pistons, The 7/16 popup piston is at 23 degrees BTDC, the point where its 60-degree chamfer starts. Currently the most popular approach is running a big popup piston, but with a scallop on the side adjacent to the valves to keep the transfer area clear between the valves and the cylinder bore. A look inside gives you the sensation of an open air concept that could easily be seen in many of todays homes. Most stock flatheads never came with an effective harmonic damper. 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. Baron, Edelbrock, Sharp (Wilcap), Navarro, and Offenhauser make both old-style heads as well as improved new configurations. Flat-O Products sells well-designed, complete kits to install the Ford C4 automatic and T5 manual behind either 8BA or 59A engines. Welcome to the web site of H&H Flatheads. Short of machining the block oversize for custom roller-cam bearings, even with a reduced base circle this limits max cam lift to about 0.460 inch. Fel-Pro and Victor continue to make head gaskets too. Flatheads began to come back, and prices of swap-meet stuff skyrocketed. Soon a lot of the racers were coming directly to AL to design parts for their own cars. Many hard-core guys still swear by Isky's 400-JR solid (0.400 lift, 244-degrees at 0.050, 111-degree LSA). Fair, is fair. Early and late distributor styles can be interchanged by using the corresponding front engine covers and cam drive. I once asked him if he'd considered aluminum and I think he replied that they'd be on the market now. Arms in a gennie Ardun head look downright delicate compared to the beefy 2024 aluminum arms in Don's Ardun. A high-pressure system will run fine with no boiling, even at 190-210-degree gauge temps. Four carbs on a properly designed intake manifold offer the best distribution short of todays dry EFI systems. Pull off said cover and the biggest difference you see is the change in the rocker arms. Stromberg in England is producing new Strombergs again. A wide variety of headers are available for flathead engines, which certainly should not retain the restrictive stock exhaust manifolds. Apparently, the old boys network doesnt want any youngbloods crashing their exclusive country club. Custom billets stretch all the way to 4.5-inch stroke. Scat offers affordable cast Pro Stock cranks through 4.375-inch stroke, with either 2.00- or 2.138-inch rod journals. He started The Hot Rod Shop in 1945 where he fixed and customized cars. The old cam grinders-including Isky, Schneider, Elgin, and others-have both old and new cam grinds. French blocks are about 30 pounds heavier than a standard flathead, which is a good indication of better metal and thicker walls. You need the right amount of plenum volume and runner length to complement the engine size, camshaft, cylinder-head flow, and operating range. Isn't Don Ferguson making an 8BA aluminum Flathead style block? According to Baron Racing, the limiting factor is not piston-to-head interference, nor even valvespring coil-bind-it is running out of cam bearing clearance for the lobes. Somewhere in the middle is the largest group: Potential street rodders who just want reasonably fast hot rods without having a cookie-cutter, 1-800-car. There are several techniques; the accompanying photos show the method preferred by Baron Racing. He was a pioneer in the evolution of the flathead. While attending college he gained interest in making parts for himself and started making some speed equipment and honed his pattern making skills.In 1964, Ken built an improved air-powered vacuum system known as the Air-Vacuum System which helped found his dental equipment company A-dec. Ken and Joan have grown the company to become the leading manufacture of dental equipment in the world offering a com-plete line of dental equipment.Throughout the years he has been a classic car collector and enthusiast. 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. (Pardon me if I'm wrong about this.). Made in the USA. The exhaust is by way of RR&C headers featuring 1-1/8-inch tubes that link with a custom RR&C stainless steel exhaust system. Most stock flatheads never came with an effective harmonic damper. This lateral flow severely restricts flathead breathing capability, although it does promote what todays high-tech engineers term swirl and tumble, which enhances fuel mixing and combustion. Its a hot rod befitting any road well-traveled. 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. Melling still makes a high-volume oil pump (PN M-15). Should you look into the trunk you can see forward to the dash. 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 new engines overpowered the old chassis, so modern suspensions and disc-brake swaps were added to the mix. The downside was, as Flathead Engineerings Charlie Clark puts it, street rods began to look about as exciting as a belly-button-everyone had one., Among this herd of sheep, a few original hot rods were brought out of retirement, complete with gennie flatheads as the powerplant. So, there is room for a little improvement over the original design, especially taking into account the advances in technology and engineering in the intervening 60 years! At one end there are restorers who insist on putting everything back to exact original condition. BlockNew 356 high-grade aluminium by Don Ferguson at Ardun Enterprises and polished by The Polishing Shop in Oxnard, California. 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. Relieved blocks must have the reliefs filled to use Ardun heads. Four-bolt center main cap. Reserve these early blocks for collector cars due to their inferior head-retention and bearing design; speed equipment availability for them is also severely limited. Turns out that's the third of three such engine combos owned by Scott Gillen, whose gray Deuce is this issue's cover car. Like all fads, once started, the process fed itself. Yeah, you should be impressed. These second-design '38 1/2-'48 blocks (often referred to as "59A" castings) retained an integral cast-in bellhousing, used a distributor that mounts flush to the front cover with a horizontal shaft on the front of the engine and had insert-style main bearings but still used full-floating rod bearings (one bearing shell for each rod pair). Opens in a new window or tab. At first everyone was dumping modern engines into old metal, but eventually the supply of stock bodies dried up and reproduction glass bodies took over.