I just got around to reading my Street Rodder magazine and again noticed an ad from Shadow Rods with that Aluminum Flathead engine. If it boils, steam pockets form, and when you have steam, youll get cracks. You will also find one of these resting on top of Amies 294-inch Flathead. Turns out that's the third of three such engine combos owned by Scott Gillen, whose gray Deuce is this issue's cover car. 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. Baron Racing offers this hub that adapts the 6 1/4-inch-od, Dont want to do any machining and need to retain the stock pulleys and beltdrives? Ford Flathead V8 The engine that gave birth to Hot Rodding is back!! 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. Coolant needs to remain in liquid form when it circulates through the motor. 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. Are you saying that theres a FLATHEAD in there ? The block also has a number of upgrade internally, in terms of its intake and exhaust ports, as well as its valve guides. 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. 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. 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. Research has shown theres relatively little air movement over the base of the block. He joined the Navy and went to the South Pacific as a Foundrymans Assistant. The first-design 32 through early 38 engines had only 21 cylinder-head studs and until mid 1936 even used poured babbit main bearings. You need lots of timing to make a flathead run. Younger guys yearned for a simpler, back to basics approach. The street version of the ARDUN-equipped Flathead produces about 1 hp per cubic inch unblown but with a S.Co.T. 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. 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. 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. ", Among this herd of sheep, a few original hot rods were brought out of retirement, complete with gennie flatheads as the powerplant. 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. He traveled from home to New Mexico then to Los Angeles and onto Sacramento where he located the perfect foundation for his new build. La Crescenta, CA 91214 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. Combining the Likes of Old Time Nostalgia with Todays Technology and Durability. There are kits to install Weiand and Magnuson superchargers, or even one or two GMC 71-series blowers. Most flattie builders modify factory pans. You need to know the differences and which one is right for your build. At present, the only aftermarket custom oil pan available is from Ardun Engineering. Opens in a new window or tab. The man behind it all is Mark Kirby of Motor City Speed Equipment, out of Dundee, Michigan. Built in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. Before we get to the tech, some history: Ardun is a contraction of Arkus-Duntov, a name well known among the Chevy faithful, especially Corvette owners. There are several reasons for developing a new aluminum block for the Flathead. By designating a new model, Ford was able bypass wartime restrictions on price. 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. 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. 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. 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. Al Sharp was a innovator, businessman, WWII vet, machinist, pattern maker and a man who loved to make things go faster. 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. Some builders also recommend installing exhaust-port dividers to split the siamesed center exhaust ports. He also makes a pan for his block that is supposed to work on a stock block? 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. The heads and valve covers are made from 356 T6 aluminum, far superior to the alloy used back in the day. All tidier and more efficient than original. "Of 17 new records established at this meet, 12 of them were set with overhead valve engines." For even more protection, install a crossflow radiator and increase coolant system pressure to 17-21 pounds. The two most common Flathead motors are the 59AB (1946-1948) and the 8BA (1949-1953). Theres no doubt we love our Flatheads here at Honest Charley, and we had a visitor this morning that loves his, too. 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. Original 50-plus-year-old blocks without cracks are getting scarce. K&F Show #259: The Dukes of Star Trek; Dukes Review S2E12 Arrest Jesse Duke. While enduing lifes ups and downs, hes held steadfast to what he likes in vintage tin, a 1936 Ford coupe. Scat offers affordable cast Pro Stock cranks through 4.375-inch stroke, with either 2.00- or 2.138-inch rod journals. Fortunately, a wide variety of adapters are available to mate the venerable motor to today's automatic and manual transmissions. Most in this group will accept a modified flathead as long as it is period-correct, with no obvious modern technology visible. Aside from his flathead speed equipment, he built parts for almost every engine that ran down the strip. Improved internal components and casting technology make them more reliable and leak-free. 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. Flatheads are old, ancient, obsolete technology. Don Sr. has passed away, but at the shop with us was Don Jr. 's son Don III.). Learn how your comment data is processed. (Yes, gasoline!) "These engines look cool, run cool, and are reliable," he says. 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. Original price. 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. French blocks have some unique features and are covered separately. For improved cooling efficiency, original 49-53 pumps have more impeller vanes than earlier models. 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. As for cylinder heads, Baron, Edelbrock, Navarro, Offenhauser, and Sharp (now sold by Wilcap) all have their adherents. 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. The '39-'48 flatheads used a direct camshaft-driven front-mount distributor; '49-'53 engines use a gear-driven, vertical-mount distributor on the right-front of the engine. Like a lot of race shops located in industrial sections of Southern California, Don Ferguson's place is nondescript to the point of camouflage. Here we have botha great car and a great story. Most of these parts became the foundation for the Sharp Speed and Power Equipment company. There are over 50 different flathead intake manifolds, but they aren't all created equal. No one runs the old weak stock ignitions anymore. There is also an Australian outfit, Flatattack Engineering, offering plenum-style, TPI-like systems controlled by either GM Delco or MoTeC computers. Traditionalists can go with Vertex or Mallory mags, while modern guys may want to move up to MSD or Mallory electronic distributors. Googled Don Ferguson Aluminum Ardun Flathead and came up with an article on the old R&C Hot Rod Network with pictures of an aluminum FH style engine using the Ferguson built block that was assembled by H&H. I've sold Don my 409 Chevy to Flathead aluminum water pump kits for years. superchargers, which, like the heads, look period-correct but are filled with contemporary tech, in this case 4-71 helical-cut rotors. The high-tech engineered design has a runne, A unique feature of Magnusons Eaton blower is the bypass valve (arrow) that opens under c, The improved 49-53 pump (left) can be used in place of the early pump (right) by pluggin, Typical water pumps, from left: a 38-48 passenger-car pump modified for a bolt-on pulley, This is MSDs 8BA billet flathead distributor (PN 8574) that works with all the trick MSD. Don Orosco is a hot rodder and vintage racer whose restoration business (now known as Monterey Speed and Sport) was responsible for the rebirth of several significant and historic hot rods, including the Dick Flint roadster and the So-Cal "Triple Threat" coupe. Baron, Edelbrock, Sharp (Wilcap), Navarro, and Offenhauser make both old-style heads as well as improved new configurations. Austin Lincoln 337 32 Barrel Intake Manifold, Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 3:00pm And there are always billet caps and girdles available. Most hot rod engines use oversize valves. As the story goes, the owner really didnt want to part with the coupe but six months of perseverance finally netted Amie the decisive weekend of negotiating when a deal was made and the coupe was brought home. French blocks are about 30 pounds heavier than a standard flathead, which is a good indication of better metal and thicker walls. 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. Al moved to So Cal with his family from Oklahoma in the 30s and started working in shops and garages. 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. But you will notice a gauge that youve probably never seen and thats the blower pressure gauge that RR&C had made up for this particular blown ARDUN. 5.0 out of 5 stars. Fel-Pro and Victor continue to make head gaskets too. 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 step by step book on how to identfy and rebuild a ford flatheads. Some builders also recommend installing exhaust-port dividers to split the siamesed center exhaust ports. He was basing his calculations on the assumption that a coefficient of friction of over 1.0 could not be achieved. What kind of power are these Arduns putting out? What's right for your engine differs per application. 226: Big News for The Custom Car Revival! Magnuson offers an Eaton blower kit, while Joe Abbin of Roadrunner Engineering has Weiand 142 and 174 supercharger setups. He has even made some aluminum flathead blocks, with massive main caps and deep, sturdy skirts, for those interested in making ultimate flathead power. Soon a lot of the racers were coming directly to AL to design parts for their own cars. I've sold Don my 409 Chevy to Flathead aluminum water pump kits for years. Normally wed title this section Cylinder Heads, but on a flathead, the heads-having neither ports nor valves-only form the combustion-chamber roof. Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues! No one runs the old weak stock ignitions anymore. 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? On the street, flatheads are happy on todays crappy gas, because thats the only kind of gas there was back in the 30s. 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). Although a great leap forward when it was originally introduced in 1932, by the '50s the aging motor could not stand up to the new generation of overhead-valve powerplants like the small-block Chevy. 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. Correct-length flathead 1.800 intake/1.600 exhaust valves are available from flathead specialists like Baron Racing. Terms of Service. Enter the Ferguson family. Aree the new aluminum flathead locks in production yet? The king of adapters is undoubtedly Wilcap. As for cylinder heads, Baron, Edelbrock, Navarro, Offenhauser, and Sharp (now sold by Wilcap) all have their adherents. Flatheads are old, ancient, obsolete technology. 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. 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. We mentioned an ARDUN Flathead V-8. Mark designed an all-new flathead block that resembles Henry's old boiler, but improves it in every way. The old-timers took what they had and made it work. Terms Of Service. If theres one thing that we all have in common its the miles we travel and the time we invest in finding the right project. Whether they were or were not intended for use on Ford trucks, and whether they were or were not copied from the French Talbot design, and why they are so similar to the early Chrysler Hemi are all points that have been argued before. Most flattie builders modify factory pans. Besides, multicarb setups look cool. His greatest impact was at the salt lakes where he is a legend. (Pardon me if I'm wrong about this.). The street motors, on the other hand, typically put out "about 1 horsepower per cubic inch, unblown," he says. 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. "This year's Nationals saw the mass use of overhead valves," said the magazine. There are kits to install Weiand and Magnuson superchargers, or even one or two GMC 71-series blowers. Fabled Stromberg 97 carbs are back, but you can also upgrade to modern Holley four-barrels or even electronic-fuel-injection systems. If it boils, steam pockets form, and when you have steam, you'll get cracks. Early and late distributor styles can be interchanged by using the corresponding front engine covers and cam drive. Still not enough? Are you saying that theres a FLATHEAD in there ? This grew into 6 different Ardun, V8 60 intakes, Lincoln 337 heads and intakes, Lincoln V12 intakes and heads and ford flathead intakes. 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. You can now build a brand-new flathead. The sight of this engine certainly drew a crowd when Mark Kirby opened the hood of his full fendered 34 Ford five-window coupe. And, how about 382 hp at 5,300 rpm, roughly four times that of a stock Flathead? Flatheads need high compression because they dont breathe. A stock flathead rod (rear) is forged from steel that will bend instead of break outright. Powered by vBulletin 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. 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. $1,120. In fact, the growing flathead movement has basically sorted itself out into three distinct groups. Valves are 1.875 inches in diameter on the intake side, 1.5 on the exhaust. Then, about 20 years ago, traditional street rods suddenly became cool again. 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. Speedway Motors offers pumps with sealed bearings that do an even better job in both early and late configurations. RR&C achieved this look by removing the divider between the truck and the passenger compartment. I'm doing an open 14.5 ci flathead for a friend of mine for the Big O from some stuff he has from a stock appearing and other flathead pieces, we're sleeveing a raptor III block down to 2.548", a Lunati .400 on a ARC 4.250" rod, 34.5 mm intake valve on a reverse port ground .437L cam. French blocks have some unique features and are covered separately. TCMP #538: Pro-Touring Update with Larry Callahan: How To Create a Garage Studio and Upcoming Pro-Touring Events! With 6 Ford Flathead Cylinder Heads for sale, and options to fit your needs including custom and direct fit Cylinder Heads for your needs. 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. Traditionalists can go with Vertex or Mallory mags, while modern guys may want to move up to MSD or Mallory electronic distributors. Hilborn and Ardun Enterprises offer EFI conversions that look like old-time stacks but with EFI nozzles. 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. 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. 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. Trust Speedway Motors for best in class Cylinder Heads for Ford Flathead - delivered quickly, efficiently and without any hassles. 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. 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. I once asked him if he'd considered aluminum and I think he replied that they'd be on the market now. Isn't Don Ferguson making an 8BA aluminum Flathead block? $299.00. Dressed with up to four carbs and that unique flathead sound accentuated by glasspacks, the old codgers were suddenly the rage again. 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. By Brian Brennan Photography by the John Jackson. From its debut in 1932 to the end of its U.S. production life in 1953, the flathead Ford underwent three major evolutionary changes. Back in the old days, all cars used low-pressure cooling systems, so coolant often boiled. It was at this point in the journey when Ben York, of Roseville Rod & Custom (RR&C) in Roseville, California, entered and he and Amie linked up. 217 and 201 are only 4 bolt which you can see if the lower cover is off the bell housing. Ronnie: Is the Ferguson motor allowed at Bonneville? Even stock flatheads can run 6-7 psi boost with no problem. Shop 1949-53 Ford Flathead V8 Engine parts and get Free Shipping on orders over $99 at Speedway Motors, the Racing and Rodding Specialists. That should get any hot rodders beat to quicken and pique his curiosity. 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. It also sells gear-re, This all-Wilcap engine sports Wilcaps Sharp heads and intake, a gear-reduction starter, a. In fact, the growing flathead movement has basically sorted itself out into three distinct groups. Its been uttered over and over that discovering the how and why someone builds their hot rod is oftentimes more interesting than the car itself. The stock flathead oiling system is marginal for performance use. TMCP #537: Ask Rick Lessons Learned to Promote (or Dismiss) Employees; Plus an Easter Project Car Review Blowout! we're not talking about how much money you can spend breaking a record set by someone following the rules. small block chryslers (head approx 23" ) will be 201, 217/218, and 230 cu in, the 230 is the only of the 3 that has a 8 bolt crank flange. But that just leaves these pristine virgin blocks for us normal street guys. If we were talking top-end cutting-edge technology here, yeah, maybe so. The new engines overpowered the old chassis, so modern suspensions and disc-brake swaps were added to the mix. It was in the 40s that the Stewart-Warner Southwind used them in Fords. Anyone know of any updates? 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. The block, heads, intake manifold and water pumps are made out of aluminum, making this a very light alternative to its cast iron brethren. High-compression is the way to go. Sometimes it takes just a better idea.