Penny in my block

[32Gnu]

Does anyone know why there would be a penny in the block below the intake?

[32Gnu]

1951 8ba by the way.....thanks

[ken ct]

Someone wanted to block off the exhaust pasage under the carb. Theres usually 2 of them as the passage runs crossways between the 2 sides,should be one more on the oposite side. You must use the old all copper ones not the copper clad.ken ct.

[Jack E/NJ]

As someone mentioned a while ago, rather than copper pennies, you can also easily insert (or remove) thin metal flatstock (such as aluminum, copper or steel roof flashing) to block off the passages after loosening the intake bolts a bit.

Jack E/NJ

[jerry grayson]

Originally Posted by 32Gnu

Does anyone know why there would be a penny in the block below the intake?

This makes the dual exhaust system louder. Old 1940-50 trick.

[ken ct]

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Originally Posted by Jack E/NJ

As someone mentioned a while ago, rather than copper pennies, you can also easily insert (or remove) thin metal flatstock (such as aluminum, copper or steel roof flashing) to block off the passages after loosening the intake bolts a bit.

Jack E/NJ

Personally i think you would end up with a leak there [vacume] ?? ken ct.

[G.M.]

You shouldn't get a leak with 18 gauge or thinner metal. In the fall when it gets a little crisp at night the duals really rap when you back off the gas pedal but it makes the carb. cold and don't want to run as good and needs choking until it gets hot. G.M.

[imnezrider]

Originally Posted by jerry grayson

This makes the dual exhaust system louder. Old 1940-50 trick.

I loved the sound in this as a high school kid in the 1950's. Went back and forth at will.....

[denverslim]

Flattie folklore. Ya gotta find a penny the same year as yer car, put it in the exhaust hole under each head. Abes head to the top. Gives yer car good luck and great sound...slim

[32Gnu]

Should I pop it out and check the year? LOL

What year did they stop using copper?

[Jack E/NJ]

go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(United_States_coin)

Jack E/NJ

[flathead4rd]

I think pennys prior to 1984 were solid copper.

[FL&WVMIKE]

On the last one that I helped with, a penny was too small and wanted to fall through. The hole in the gasket was just a tad smaller than a nickel, so we trimmed a couple of nickels and they fit perfectly ! It cost just a little bit more.
MIKE

[Ross in East Texas]

Originally Posted by FL&WVMIKE

On the last one that I helped with, a penny was too small and wanted to fall through. The hole in the gasket was just a tad smaller than a nickel, so we trimmed a couple of nickels and they fit perfectly ! It cost just a little bit more.
MIKE

That durned inflation!

[lonewolf]

hope its a 1909 s v.d.b.

[G.M.]

We used to go into Philadephia at about midnight on Friday and wind up in first down those narrow streets with row houses on each side and let the duals with the heat risers blocked back down thinking we could break windows like a high pitched opera singer. The lights in the houses started going on and we got out of there fast. G.M.

[Tom/SC]

Those pennies in the manifold also gave the flathead with duals a good "fluttering "sound when you took off from the stoplight. I had to open the hood on my 40 many times to prove that I was not running a Cadillac or Olds engine. When you wound it up it really rattled the pipes. Tom

[[email protected]]

I used to love driving down the streets in my hometown of Grand Rapids Mn. There were block buildings on both sides of the street that trapped the sound and rapping the pipe was fun. We had about 4 blocks like this and I'd love to crank that old flatty up and just as I cleared the light let up on it. Even in the winter I'd roll my window down so I could hear those pipes. And I'm not the only one who did it. Another thing we thought was cool was when two guys would line up and let em go when the light went green. These guys would race for $20 between lights and it use to sound so great. Though I always wanted to race I never had the money to do it. God I want to go back to those nights just for one night.

[ford1]

now to answer your question, they are there to plug the crosser over heat riser for the carb, like a modern heat riser they cause the carb to warm up faster and run better, the cross over is usually plugged any way with carbon and dont work, any way a flat head head doesnt need any more heat at the carb, it gets hot enough with out that cross over passage, with the passage open it tends to cause the carb to get so hot the gas is boiled out of carb and flooding the engine, one cause of hard hot engine restarting

[billwill]

Originally Posted by Jack E/NJ

As someone mentioned a while ago, rather than copper pennies, you can also easily insert (or remove) thin metal flatstock (such as aluminum, copper or steel roof flashing) to block off the passages after loosening the intake bolts a bit.

Jack E/NJ

where in new jersey

[345 DeSoto]

1981 was the last year for copper pennies...clad from 1982 on...

[Jack E/NJ]

Penny Compositions

[rhphotord]

If it's a 1909 S VDB I'll give you $10.00 for it..$20.00 if it''s in excellent condition! Ha! Ha! Now that would be a find! Good luck with the Flattie.

[hbleadsled]

imnezrider, I had a 49 convertible in 1954 in high school in Salinas Ca. it had 2 carbs, high compression heads and duals, the sound was great. I have a 51 now , we must be close in age, old guys, but still car guys. Harold,central coast Ca.

[denverslim]

By the way I have a couple of cracked up 8BAs. They're worth exacly 2 cents!...slim

[doublezo]

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my intake is off and this sounds like something id like to do. maybe a freeze plug sized right will work?

[Jack E/NJ]

Last time I checked, any size freeze plug cost more than a penny. 8^)

Jack E/NJ

[Marv]

With the info given by Jack E you want a penny made prior to 1982. Those zink pennies would not last as long as it took to install them. Marv

[frenchy dehoux]

32Gnu

What size is the plug that you need I have plenty of them let me know. These type of plugs are the same one use on Lincoln blocks which are under the lip of the block where the oil pan bolts on they are freeze plugs.

Frenchy

[Flathead Fever]

I was planning to use 1943 "steel" pennies but I like denverslim's idea of using a penny the same year as the car. It really does make them sound better. It's the cheapest improvement you can make to your flathead.

[Jack E/NJ]

United States Code TITLE 18 PART I CHAPTER 17 § 331. Mutilation, diminution, and falsification of coins Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

[Marv]

Jack the government should fine theirself, because those junk pennies they are making now, only need to be handled and put in a jar and they will decay into dust on their own. Marv

[Paul Dobbin]

I have 4 pennies in the 1934 engine that's in my 35 Ford pickup.
When I bought it I could check the water and oil with the same dipstick!
Changed oil and it was fine until it got hot, the it pee'd in the pan from rusted freeze plugs.
Pennies were the perfect plugs, so I put two on each side (in the bottom of the block are casting holes with plugs where the oil pan meets the block)
That's my 4 cents worth on this thread.

[Frank The Plumber]

Did you find Will and Doctor Smith in your exhaust?

[Frank The Plumber]

Originally Posted by Jack E/NJ

United States Code TITLE 18 PART I CHAPTER 17 § 331. Mutilation, diminution, and falsification of coins Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

What about those machines that mush the coins into souvenirs?

[Fe26]

Originally Posted by Jack E/NJ

United States Code TITLE 18 PART I CHAPTER 17 § 331. Mutilation, diminution, and falsification of coins Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

So that's why Wall Street got into Junk Bonds, they didn't want to break the law by destroying real money.

[wfritchen]

Please help a flathead newb understand this. Anyone got a pic or more details on how/where to install the penny or 18g? 1949 8BA. Stock factory intake.

I am unsure where the exhaust crossover is!!
Thanks!

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

When I first built my flathead dragster I blocked off the holes with pennys, I have 3 short pipes coming out the sides. I was running engine In my driveway and noticed a penny in the driveway all black and sooty. She spit the penny right out the pipe. I removed the intake and in stalled freeze plugs. Walt

[36-5window]

Isn't there a LAW against defacing money???

[Shadetree]

This was a popular thing to do in the 50's for a great sound. It works the same with the more modern V-8 engines. In the early 60's I had a `56 Dodge two door hardtop tri-color, red-white and black with dual exhaust. Instead of pennies I loosened the intake and slipped some flashing material over the heat risers. It worked well enough to get me a ticket in Welch, WV while going through an underpass...

[Ross F-1]

I just put my engine back together, using a Canadian aluminum intake. I used .010 SS shims over the risers, on top of the gasket. With temps in the mid-60's, it takes a solid 5 minutes before I can get off the choke and drive. The carb is ice cold! Going to pull the shims and drill about 5/16" holes in them, try that.

[HELENT]

I welded the intake hold off

[Merc Cruzer]

wfritchen:

You can always remove the intake manifold to install the pennys. Another Barn member told me to use .025 metal stock and cut out small tabs 1 1/4" X 1 1/2 " then bend a tab at the end to help with the installation. Loosen the intake manifold bolts, put grease on both sides of the tabs and slide them in under the manifold and on top of the gasket, then retighten the bolts. That way if you don’t like the sound or for any other reason you can just loosen the bolts and slide it out. The only drawback is in the winter the car will run like crap until the block heats up.


My logic would be: as to the pennies, I am not sure they are legal tender, and if they are in your block or manifold they are out of circulation.

One other point, is that during the summer it drops the temp of the carb, eliminating the "vapor lock" issue.


Hope the pictures answer your questions as to the location of the heat riser and where the block off tabs or the pennys go. I will tell you the sound is great!!!!!