07-29-2010, 01:31 PM | #61 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 249
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Quote:
i think it`s real fun to talk what to do with a Flathead to gain more horsepower etc. Sure you can`t go wrong with a 276ci .It's a really good size, but it would be boring if everybody build the same engine. You are right with Hi-Dome Navarro and Arias pistion beeing WAY to expensive to be used on the street engine , so Rons way is much better!!! Michael |
|
07-29-2010, 02:23 PM | #62 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Chester Vt
Posts: 8,860
|
Re: Boring a flathead
One modification you can make to a cylinder head is to increase the angle of the transfer area into the cylinder. I cut this back with a ball end mill. However it lowers compression and I don't think it helps a street engine.
|
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|
07-29-2010, 02:34 PM | #63 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 6,181
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Quote:
Michael: I absolutely agree. I'll talk hi-po flatheads with the best of them. Maybe someday I'll have a real trick one as well. I'm still taking them one engine at a time. I wish only the best to those who want to and can go big and go all out with the bells and whistles. God bless them and keep 'um flat. |
|
07-29-2010, 04:39 PM | #64 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Kingston NY
Posts: 2,863
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Just reading this post..... sort of like being in church! As an old time car guy (60) I love the enthusiasm and the interest. I have been driving my 31 with a stock, lowly old 49-53 Merc V8 as an almost daily driver for about 7 years and never even added a 2 carb set-up, but hearing you guys has sparked my interest! Thanks for the inspiration! GREAT THREAD
|
07-29-2010, 06:50 PM | #65 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Tehachapi, CA
Posts: 361
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Great post and information to think about. Below is a picture of an 8ba I cut to see what it looked like through the port.
Vergil
__________________
Bigger fonts to aid in reading |
07-29-2010, 07:47 PM | #66 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 583
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
That doesn't happen in any cam I have ever seen...It may appear to but actually does not touch the edge...If it did the cam and lifter would be toast in a short time. The reason for using a larger diameter cam blank in a flathhead is because at anything over .420 lift on a stock core you can't get the cam in the block..To get "more cam" you need to increase the lift along with the RATE OF LIFT...On the Isky 505A and several other manufacturer's cams with more lift they either run the cam in the block or bore the cam line and put inserts in. QUOTE] Pete this paragraph illustrates exactly what I meant. In my original statement I was merely pointing out something I would change (cam diameter) if one could do a "clean sheet" redesign of a Flathead Ford. With nothing to help multiply valve lift the cam bears the whole burden. In a perfect world I think a larger dia cam would be nice. As far as the lifters I guess I retract my statement to a point. While the stock Flathead Ford lifters are certainly adequate they too could be enlarged so as to focus the cam lobe footprint more within the diameter of the lifter. If a tomato can could represent the lifter and your finger the cam lobe's point of contact we can easily visualize this. When the finger tip is in the very center it is easy to balance the can, just like when the lifter is riding on the heel of the lobe touching it in the center. Slide the finger tip past center and the can wants to tip more and more just like the lifter wants to as it rises against the camshaft lift lobe. The process is repeated in reverse down the back of the lobe. You start building taller camshaft lobes and that moves the range of contact much farther out near the lifter margin. That's taxing on the lifter. That's all that I'm talking about. |
07-29-2010, 10:13 PM | #67 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Chester Vt
Posts: 8,860
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Vergils Photo shows the spark plug location right over the valve. I think the plug locatin should be in the transfer area, where a power tip plug could be used. Edmonds and Flatattack heads have better locations. Probably doesn't mean much,but every little bit helps.
|
07-29-2010, 10:20 PM | #68 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 6,181
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Quote:
Didn't some of the Kong heads come without the spark plug hole drilled/tapped for this very reason? Man, does anyone know what happened to Kong's patterns? I also thought he had Winfield's cam masters as well. I also think M. Davidson's heads were patterned after Kong's with some improvement Mike thought were needed. Somewhere there is a treasure trove of flathead goodness stash out there somewhere. |
|
07-30-2010, 12:27 AM | #69 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 249
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Quote:
I wish Flatattak heads were a little cheaper and not down under... |
|
07-30-2010, 12:32 AM | #70 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 249
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Quote:
I follow Petes school of Flathead cams ...... Winfield are lame cams Read Pete statements on the HAMB about cams. BTW I love this thread!!!!!!!!! |
|
07-30-2010, 12:32 AM | #71 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 249
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Has anbody used Motor City Flathead heads and cams?
|
08-01-2010, 12:21 PM | #72 |
Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Central Kentucky
Posts: 43
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Ron
If I wanted to build a late engine using 4" Merc crank, would you recomend the pop-up piston? If so [for street use] what pistons and rods would you recomend? Also what heads would be required for this? Thanks, marvin |
08-01-2010, 01:08 PM | #73 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Chester Vt
Posts: 8,860
|
Re: Boring a flathead
No I don't think that running a pop-up piston would be of any advantage at the engine operating RPM. Also the higher CR may cause fuel and ignition problems. Build a tight combustion chamber, play with the transfer area. You might consider angle milling the heads. But all these mods have little affect at the normal cruising speeds of the engine.
|
08-01-2010, 03:33 PM | #74 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 820
|
Re: Boring a flathead
I've got some ocean front property in Arizona ,from the front porch you can see the sea.For sale ,best offer .
|
08-02-2010, 05:29 AM | #75 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 583
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Are there any more nuggets we can pull from this subject? I have re- read everybody's post at least 3 times. Kinda like a movie you can watch over and over again. What do you think is the highest streetable and naturally aspirated horsepower per cubic inch that is possible from a Flathead Ford? What about the same question for race engines? Anybody have any dyno numbers they'd like to share?
|
08-02-2010, 06:29 AM | #76 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Kokomo, Indiana
Posts: 1,731
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Quote:
|
|
08-02-2010, 07:05 AM | #77 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 583
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Thanks Henry! I have Ol Ron's book (excellent)! Looking forward to obtaining JWL's.
|
08-02-2010, 08:09 AM | #78 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Houston Texas USA
Posts: 29
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Be nice of you folks to post some links to the mentioned books, or at the minimum, some contact info, or just where to get them. The sellers might be amazed at the increase in sales, assuming such are still in print.
The point being, for every post in this thread, 29 1/2 people have been interested enough to look at the thread as of today. John Oder Last edited by craneygartz; 08-02-2010 at 08:34 AM. |
08-02-2010, 10:20 AM | #79 |
Member Emeritus
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Fitzgerald, Georgia
Posts: 2,204
|
Re: Boring a flathead
Thanks for the fine words and interest in my book. I think Ol Ron has some of my books to sell or you can contact me.
Thanks Again, JWL |
08-02-2010, 12:17 PM | #80 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: NorCal
Posts: 2,617
|
Re: Boring a flathead
"What do you think is the highest streetable and naturally aspirated horsepower per cubic inch that is possible from a Flathead Ford? What about the same question for race engines?"
This will generate some arguements, I'm sure, but for "streetable (very subjective), my educated guess, having seen 3 well built flatheads on a dyno, is that about 0.65 HP/CI average. Then there is the race flathead that Ken Kloth built, raced and set records with. It is about, not quite, 1.1 Hp/CI. Not really streetable, but was once or twice driven to the local cruise nites. Helpful? Jim |
|
|
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|