To those new to the old fords.

[Graeme / New Zealand]

All good stuff . when I first got into v8s I liked them because of their looks and knew bugger all about their mechanicals. For my first old v8 I very nearly bought a tan 47 business cpe with a 283 C**vy in it. That very same day I viewed the car I blew up the auto trans in my every day driver so I had to can the coupe and get the driver fixed. I later bought another coupe this time with a "real engine" in it. I didn't know a lot about the flatty but I hung around at a rodders work shop and learn't stuff and read everything I could get my hands on. Nothing worse than trying to discuss a subject like flatheads and making a "tit" of yourself because you think you know what you are talking about when know sweet FA because you haven't done the research. Everyone knows "a fraud".

GB

[Tinker]

I've learned a lot here also from the experience of the people willing to share.
$7 fix and have been driving it since 2011. replaced the 94 with a new English 97 too.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39045

Torn my 38t down to the frame and up. bolt to paint. Couldn't have done it with out many here that helped.


Just sometimes you have to get into it. Kudos to the real masters that help here and share.

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Originally Posted by Tinker

I've learned a lot here also from the experience of the people willing to share.
$7 fix and have been driving it since 2011. replaced the 94 with a new English 97 too.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39045

Torn my 38t down to the frame and up. bolt to paint. Couldn't have done it with out many here that helped.


Just sometimes you have to get into it. Kudos to the real masters that help here and share.

You are right Tinker. I couldn't of restored that red coupe in my avatar without the help of the "real masters" here.

GB

[ford38v8]

For those with little or no mechanical experience, don't be ashamed of that, just study harder before you tackle a mechanical job. Get the books and diagrams, read up on the job, read it again until you have a fair understanding of it, and THEN post your questions here. We cannot undertake to educate you from scratch, we're lucky to be able to get you over the humps, but nearly impossible to do that if you haven't studied enough to ask the right questions.

Don't misunderstand, I don't wish to discourage questions, any and all are welcome, but you can get better information a lot quicker if you already know about the Exhaust Bearing Retainer Nut and other important basics!

[Craig CT]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Though I am no hot rodder by any means, Back in the mid 90s I was given a book written by Floyd Clymer titled something like. 'How to hot rod the Ford V8' Notice it wasn't called the 'flathead V8' because it was written before there was an option. It was just the ford V8. The book was given to me by Frank Rouleau who had a gravel pit here on Orcas Island. In his youth he raced dirt track flathead fords at Skagit Speedway in Alger Wa. He was constantly bad mouthing the inline chev sixes. He hated them. Anyway I still have his book. He passed away about 10 years ago. My youngest son and I still go to Alger at least once a year for the sprint cars. They don't sound like a flathead V8, but they go really, really fast. Specially the 410s.

Hi GB; I'm not being critical, just credit where credit's due, Clymer is the publisher and Roger Huntington was the author. If you read some biography on Huntington I think you'd find it very interesting. Happy Thanksgiving, Craig.

[RalphM]

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Originally Posted by ford38v8

For those with little or no mechanical experience, don't be ashamed of that, just study harder before you tackle a mechanical job. Get the books and diagrams, read up on the job, read it again until you have a fair understanding of it, and THEN post your questions here. We cannot undertake to educate you from scratch, we're lucky to be able to get you over the humps, but nearly impossible to do that if you haven't studied enough to ask the right questions.

Don't misunderstand, I don't wish to discourage questions, any and all are welcome, but you can get better information a lot quicker if you already know about the Exhaust Bearing Retainer Nut and other important basics!

Okay, I must be a flathead dunce, I know nothing about the exhaust bearing retainer nut. I thought it took a cotter pin instead of a nut!

[SofaKing]

Originally Posted by Ol' Ron

?.. Also the interesting part is: you can't get 100 hp from a 239 with bolt on parts.

I have not and don't plan to attempt any mods, but I find this statement curious. Is this generally true that 100hp from an 85 hp engine is beyond bolt on components? What kind of torque figures go along with bolt on items?

[Black Fifty]

Hello All.
Pretty new to this site. This thread is priceless. Thanks to all of you who have discussed "must have" references for the Early V8 cars/trucks.
Mike

[tubman]

"Ol' Ron" - Just curious; do you consider an after-market high-performance camshaft a "bolt-on" part? How about a Merc crank? I would think a 255" engine with well-prepared heads, two or three carbs, and a decent cam and ignition could easily exceed 100 HP.

[Black Fifty]

Yeah, I'm curious about that too,Tub Man. I assumed he meant carb, intake, headers.

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by tubman

"Ol' Ron" - Just curious; do you consider an after-market high-performance camshaft a "bolt-on" part? How about a Merc crank? I would think a 255" engine with well-prepared heads, two or three carbs, and a decent cam and ignition could easily exceed 100 HP.

Acorn nuts and a chrome air cleaner ought to do it!

[Phil Gillespie]

My 39 standard coupe: 221cu 83 thou over, Edelbrck small 65 combustion chamber heads headers, and a single Stromberg 97. Just rebuilt. after 450 mls on engine was run up on a dyno to check fueling etc as follow up to detonation failure.
Peak torque: 175ft/lb at 1700 rpm. Peak HP: 87 at 3000 rpm onwards at the rear.
Had it limited to 3500 rpm in view of rebuild mls to date.
Anyway allowing 18% transmission train power losses, believe this is right.
then my engine in present codition is delivering 103 HP so guess this is a pretty good result.
Phil NZ

[Black Fifty]

Interesting Phil. Any idea what your compression ratio was with those heads installed?
Thanks, Mike

[Phil Gillespie]

Originally Posted by Black Fifty

Interesting Phil. Any idea what your compression ratio was with those heads installed?
Thanks, Mike

Compression ratio 8.5 :1. fuel i use here in NZ is a 95 octane straight fuel nil blended extras. Still 6v with stock distributor 19 degrees max advance.
Phil NZ.

[Ol' Ron]

I was hoping this would bring up some comments. The "Statement" is: You can't get 100 hp from a 239 flathead with bolt on parts. Yes adding a cam or boosting displacement will. However in JWL's book the stock engine, not running a fan or generator, produces aprox, 80 hp. adding any speed parts won't do it. In JWL's book he sends 92 pages modifying the stock engine, almost reaching 100 hp, but not quite. After adding a Max#1 cam the engine produced 112 hp. Read the book. Next, can you get 200 hp from an un-blown flathead on 91 oct gas. How???

[Ggmac]

Originally Posted by Ol' Ron

I was hoping this would bring up some comments. The "Statement" is: You can't get 100 hp from a 239 flathead with bolt on parts. Yes adding a cam or boosting displacement will. However in JWL's book the stock engine, not running a fan or generator, produces aprox, 80 hp. adding any speed parts won't do it. In JWL's book he sends 92 pages modifying the stock engine, almost reaching 100 hp, but not quite. After adding a Max#1 cam the engine produced 112 hp. Read the book. Next, can you get 200 hp from an un-blown flathead on 91 oct gas. How???

I bet you know that answer ! I'm willing you can , but how long will a flathead last with a 2 stage nitrous shot last ?
I was always taught that you could have all the horsepower at once ( for a very brief period ) or for a couple of seasons if you limit it to 1/2 of its max .
I'm not sure I said what I was trying to , but I hope the message got thru .

[Black Fifty]

"Next, can you get 200 hp from an un-blown flathead on 91 oct gas. How???"


I'm guessing the answer is "by reading the books posted above." Ron's telling us to go do our homework.

[Ol' Ron]

I and a few others have tried to get power numbers fron the ol" flathead, but it's breathing is limited. So is the compression ratio. By boring and stroking you can build very hi CR, 10 even 11:1 . However thei limits the breathing capisity of the ports and combustion chamber. So, add a little nitro. Or had a blower to a smaller engine with a lower CR like one of the last engines I built and 235HP at 4500, and this is a street engine.. Five lbs of boost will do that. I doubt very much if anyone has ever reached 200 hP on pump gas.

[RalphM]

Has anyone run a flathead on alcohol? I’m sure the answer is yes, but I want details

[SofaKing]

Originally Posted by Phil Gillespie

My 39 standard coupe: 221cu 83 thou over, Edelbrck small 65 combustion chamber heads headers, and a single Stromberg 97. Just rebuilt. after 450 mls on engine was run up on a dyno to check fueling etc as follow up to detonation failure.
Peak torque: 175ft/lb at 1700 rpm. Peak HP: 87 at 3000 rpm onwards at the rear.
Had it limited to 3500 rpm in view of rebuild mls to date.
Anyway allowing 18% transmission train power losses, believe this is right.
then my engine in present codition is delivering 103 HP so guess this is a pretty good result.
Phil NZ

I understand stock figures are 85hp, 150lbs torque. Do you notice a significant seat of the pants feel with your numbers? I ask because there is nothing about my truck or its driveline that inspires spirited driving, quite the opposite. The advice I give to friends when they drive it the first time is "nothing happens fast".