New block, a further discussion

[Henry Floored]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lancaster

I think my imperatives would mostly involve maybe a cast-in porting job, maybe extra metal and/or deeper water jacket in crack zone (after study of the 1946 press release on that area!), mebbe make the block webs thick slabs like the do on aftermarket SBC's. Everything generally works on flatheads, it would just be nice to have easy clean ones!
Radical changes? Seems silly. Chevy successfully updated the flathead in 1955 with the obvious modernizations, and those easily fit where a flathead lived if someone wants lots more steam.
Oh yes...some good stock looking iron heads done like Denvers, with tightened up chamber volume and decent transfer area! That would be a neat starting point and fundraiser for a block project...

Bruce you and I agree on some stuff. I think GM very consciously went for the Ford V8 formula when they brought out the sbc. They have routinely taken what Ford had first and built on that idea. Examples, the Camaro was a response to the Mustang. The LS engine being very small block Ford like in concept. The SB2 NASCAR heads that effectively caught them back up when the Cleveland headed Fords were stomping them into the mud.

Nowadays GM and FCA will once again follow Ford with aluminun bodied pick up trucks and small displacement turbocharged DI engines.

Now that doesn't have a thing to do with this conversation except to point out that any new Flathead block would never be a substitute for more modern but soulless OHV V8.

What this would be for is to eventually become a keystone product for hobby of early V8 ing.

Of course the block should have a "cast in" port job. There is literally horsepower laying in the cutting room floor with the original porting designs. I think valve position could be "tickled" too.

Let's say an as cast superior porting job that could easily add 30-50hp to your build and the corresponding 100+ pound weight loss, ask yourself what could that do for overall vehicle performance?

I mean every aspect from acceleration to cornering to braking would be improved.

"Power Dense" is a phrase they toss around a lot these days. While you immediately think about physical size it also refers to power to weight ratios.