OHV for Model A engine

[kenparker]

Can anyone give me info on a COOK Overhead Valve head for the Model A engine.? Have friend that has one and we can find Nothing about it. Where bbuilt? HP? How does it work? reliability? Anything? ken

[Marshall V. Daut]

You might check the back issues of "Secrets of Speed" magazine by using the on-line index (if there is one) or contacting Charlie Yapp directly via his website: http://www.secretsofspeed.com/. My issues stop at about 2002, so I can't speak to what's been in the magazine since then. I don't recall anything specific about the Cook head in my issues, but it may have been discussed in the Letters to Editor section.
Jim Brierley's Forever Four magazines are great, too. Maybe he can chime in here with some info.
Marshall

[Jason in TX]

Jim Brierley owned one.

If I understand it right, Cook is for Cook Machine in Los Angeles, who made the Cyclone heads. They were made in the the late 30s / early 40s. There were 104 of those heads made. Jim Brierley briefly mentioned them in a "History 101 of the Ford Four-Banger" article from May 2000.

Jim Brierley ran a Cook on his Bonneville engine. Used Chevy valves, but had a little problem with his rocker arms mushrooming the tips a little bit. He also ran a Holley 4 bbl on it. It was a big motor!

Cached article here...

[wingski]

Do you remember what his speed was?

[Jason in TX]

johnneilson from Santa Clarita California worked on a Cook head for someone back in March 2016 and posted about it on the HAMB.

LINK HERE.....

[Jason in TX]

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In the book "Old School HotRods" They feature the Bob Hayes/Wes Cooper roadster. It ran at Muroc, August 1941 with a Cook 4 Port on it and turned 107:52 on 8-28-41

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ARTICLE WITH PICTURES

..scroll up and down to see the whole article. The car is now in Colorado.
..
..

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

A Friend ran one in a Pickup, but sold it & I lost track of it. The engine had supposedly been run in a car on the So-Cal Salt Flats.
Bill W.

[russcochiolo]

Post 6 Bill, Bob S. has John R's pickup with the Cook. I thought I had photos of the engine but don't. Next time Bob has it out, I'll surely get some pics. Bob also has a sedan delivery with and OHV. I'm not sure whose. I'll be sure to check on that as ell when he next has it out. Russ

[Jim Brierley]

I bought mine in 1956, still have it, last ran it on the Salt in 2013, ran 167 in our Club Lakester, on my 162 record. e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll send you the chapter in my book that covers mine. The picture above by Jason shows the original combustion chamber, mine was modified a few times. They are very heavy, thick on the bottom, thin on top. HP depends on many other things, I estimate my Bonneville engine at about 225 or so? Cook made 104 iron heads and one aluminum. Steve Serr of Miller Hi-Speed is currently developing a head based on the original design but much improved.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

I bought mine in 1956, still have it, last ran it on the Salt in 2013, ran 167 in our Club Lakester, on my 162 record. e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll send you the chapter in my book that covers mine. The picture above by Jason shows the original combustion chamber, mine was modified a few times. They are very heavy, thick on the bottom, thin on top. HP depends on many other things, I estimate my Bonneville engine at about 225 or so? Cook made 104 iron heads and one aluminum. Steve Serr of Miller Hi-Speed is currently developing a head based on the original design but much improved.

Hey Jim,
Wasn't that attempt to resurrect Cook(by Dan) , based on your original ?
If I remember, the one copy that ran, ran in the Richardson coupe or was it your car ??

[BillLee/Chandler, TX]

As related to me over breakfast last week: the car in question is a roadster pick-up, bought from somewhere in California and shipped to Texas.

[dapster]

Originally Posted by BillLee/Chandler, TX

As related to me over breakfast last week: the car in question is a roadster pick-up, bought from somewhere in California and shipped to Texas.

New to the forum and the Model A world, but I believe I am now the proud owner of the Roadster pickup in question. If not, it's very coincidental . I just picked up a 1929 Roadster pickup over Memorial Day weekend and brought it home to Georgia from Texas and I found this post in researching the Cook OHV setup.

A lot of great information on here and looking forward to learning more.

[California Travieso]

Originally Posted by dapster

New to the forum and the Model A world, but I believe I am now the proud owner of the Roadster pickup in question. If not, it's very coincidental . I just picked up a 1929 Roadster pickup over Memorial Day weekend and brought it home to Georgia from Texas and I found this post in researching the Cook OHV setup.

A lot of great information on here and looking forward to learning more.

Very nice Roadster pickup and engine.

I noticed that your engine has what looks like an aftermarket Model T water pump in the lower outlet. I believe Charlie Yapp had the same type of water pump on his Roof 101 OHV setup in one of his videos (Roof 101 Cyclone Engine 1) several years ago. The video is still on YouTube.

David Serrano

[dapster]

Good eye on the water pump, thanks for the info, I'll add those to my research. On the subject of the water pump, I have axial movement on the pump shaft, but I haven't been able to find a way to control it yet. I've learned about a collar on traditional pumps, but the T aftermarket pump doesn't have one and the issue is with the shaft/pulley moving outward, not inward which what I expect the collar would solve far.

Any thoughts from someone would be much appreicated.

Thanks.

[1931 flamingo]

I've always wondered what ever happened to all the OHV conversions that were made.
You hardly (if ever) see one for sale, or I'm not looking in the right places.

Paul in CT

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by 1931 flamingo

I've always wondered what ever happened to all the OHV conversions that were made.
You hardly (if ever) see one for sale, or I'm not looking in the right places.

Paul in CT

Hey Paul,
Good question. I know several guys, just local, who have MANY different kinds of A/B OHV heads. Some I've never heard of. Many are in museums, but not nearly as many as in personal collections. The personal collections may as well be in museums, as they , IMO, will not see the light of day while those guys live. Just talked with an OLD dude yesterday, who came to visit/talk shop. I ask him this very question. He says....after I die, my family will have them to deal with and probably will end up in a museum. I then ask him...what would have happened to guys like you, when you raced, if all of that equipment had not been available..silence .

[Offy 220]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Hey Paul,
Good question. I know several guys, just local, who have MANY different kinds of A/B OHV heads. Some I've never heard of. Many are in museums, but not nearly as many as in personal collections. The personal collections may as well be in museums, as they , IMO, will not see the light of day while those guys live. Just talked with an OLD dude yesterday, who came to visit/talk shop. I ask him this very question. He says....after I die, my family will have them to deal with and probably will end up in a museum. I then ask him...what would have happened to guys like you, when you raced, if all of that equipment had not been available..silence .

HardTimes,
Years ago my dad worked with an older mechanic [they were both the same age] his name was Bill LaRosa [or Rosie] and his son Mike worked for the Ford plant in Pico Rivera.
I remember going to his house as a youngster and he had 4 bangers and OHV heads stacked in his garage. He also had a pre WW2 sprint car with a 4 port Riley. He didn't care too much for Strombergs but like a lot of the older generation he had a liking for Winfield carburators. Do you know if he is still around or what has happened to his 4 bangers and other rare equipment he had? I think he had about every "rare" head made back before the war.
Thanks,
Bruce [Offy 220]

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by Offy 220

HardTimes,
Years ago my dad worked with an older mechanic [they were both the same age] his name was Bill LaRosa [or Rosie] and his son Mike worked for the Ford plant in Pico Rivera.
I remember going to his house as a youngster and he had 4 bangers and OHV heads stacked in his garage. He also had a pre WW2 sprint car with a 4 port Riley. He didn't care too much for Strombergs but like a lot of the older generation he had a liking for Winfield carburators. Do you know if he is still around or what has happened to his 4 bangers and other rare equipment he had? I think he had about every "rare" head made back before the war.
Thanks,
Bruce [Offy 220]

Hey Bruce,
I''ve only heard guys (like you) talk of Bill LaRosa. I've read different pieces written with his name involved. Would be nice to visit with him and to have him explain all of the 'stuff' that he was involved with.
Talking sprint car, the old racer who I mentioned that was visiting, ask me to keep an eye out for a sprint car body/frame for him to build/work. Guess the 'fire' in the belly never goes out while alive, eh !
I found him one possible, but turned out to be 'cardboard' body as the original alum melted everything down to a puddle in a fire during a race(circa 40). Darn near brought a tear to my eye, as the original 4 port riley and winfields were also ruined.

[pooch]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Hey Paul,
Good question. I know several guys, just local, who have MANY different kinds of A/B OHV heads. Some I've never heard of. Many are in museums, but not nearly as many as in personal collections. The personal collections may as well be in museums, as they , IMO, will not see the light of day while those guys live. Just talked with an OLD dude yesterday, who came to visit/talk shop. I ask him this very question. He says....after I die, my family will have them to deal with and probably will end up in a museum. I then ask him...what would have happened to guys like you, when you raced, if all of that equipment had not been available..silence .

Typical old farts,

They are worse than top choppers of pristine bodies..

When they die, they THINK their junk will end up in a museum.

In reality, it will go in a skip bin (dumpster to you Yanks) for sure.

If you cannot or will not use when you are alive, then spread it around to us who care about it now in the present....

In 30 years our fossil fuelled cars will be banned,

All electric.....we will all be dead, and the Model A will be but a memory.

[hardtimes]

Originally Posted by pooch

Typical old farts,

They are worse than top choppers of pristine bodies..

When they die, they THINK their junk will end up in a museum.

In reality, it will go in a skip bin (dumpster to you Yanks) for sure.

If you cannot or will not use when you are alive, then spread it around to us who care about it now in the present....

In 30 years our fossil fuelled cars will be banned,

All electric.....we will all be dead, and the Model A will be but a memory.

Hey pooch,
Dismal painted outlook, but most likely correct.
'30 years'...whoohoo ! That is good news and about all the time that I'll need to get this sickness out of my system
Hey, I do not begrudge any of them hoarders/collectors, what they have accululated thur hard work and love of the 'sport !
I just happen to agree with you about keeping the love for this stuff alive by its continued use. However, I've missed my share of chances of acquiring, for want of more $ !