Flathead City's new billett heads

[Paul Bennett]

Claims:
100% billet aluminum CNC machined
Water passages are 100% accessible for cleaning.
Heads fit 1939-1953 24 stud Flatheads. Water outlets are in the center of head for all including 49 to 53 flatheads.
Spark plug threads have been raised for Big Cam clearance at valve.
Extra high Fins allow for more air flowing over the Heads.
Heads hold more water for better cooling.
Tests show our heads lower engine temperature considerably.
Better combustion chamber design for maximum airflow. Will add horsepower to your engine.


So, anyone here had experience with these $2350/pr super heads?
Flathead City is a So.Oregon rebuilder who I'm considering.

[RalphM]

For that kind of $ I’d choose a set of Navarro heads and save the leftovers for intake and carbs.

[Paul Bennett]

Many of us don't make performance decisions based on insufficient funds.

[40 Deluxe]

Some questions I have:
1. "Water passages accessible for cleaning". What's to clean? Wouldn't any sediment/whatever settle down into the block, or get pumped into the radiator and stay there(if too large to flow through the core)?
2. Are center outlet heads truly compatible with 49-53 blocks, or might there be hot spots?
3. "our heads lower engine temperature considerably". Is this necessarily a good thing? An engine running too cool does not completely vaporize fuel, which leads to oil dilution, ring/cylinder wear, and poor performance.

[my4dv8]

Yowza , thats a mere $3226 NZ$ with our normal poor exchange rate .Hard decision to make .Ah an affirmative no here. Spending big bucks there wont make it perform noticeably better unless you have deep pockets and other very radical mods. May impress some folk though.
A well built clean flathead does not overheat (down under any way) in any conditions we can throw at them. Heck we have been stuck in barely moving traffic in mid summer in both our flatheads for maybe 7 or 8 miles and no issues, just frustration.

[51 MERC-CT]

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Other than the 'Oooh and Aaaah' factor what can one expect by installing these 'magical' heads.

[Kevin Davis]

I wish you lived closer to me , I would hire you in a Heart beet. KEV

[Kevin Davis]

Can anyone out there help me find freight for a 1934 BB truck pickup in Kansas to NJ. Please ! Thanks so much. KEV

[corvette8n]

Nice looking heads but the billet look water outlets, takes away from the 50's nostalgia feel for me.

[Tod]

I know this isn't on topic, but here's one of my latest aluminum Thomas Model A heads that a guy polished some. With CAD design and CNC cut tooling all metal walls are .25 thick, except the deck and around the chambers. It sold for $400. I don't see the advantage to billet. I was actually planning to offer my own aluminum 24 and 21 stud heads eventually. I could also make them hold more water, so that is not an historic accomplishment. My pricing would be more around the $1200 range. The only advantages from manufacturing perspective in going with billet are -> no cost of tooling, no foundry issues, no heat treat, no impregnation. From a buyer's perspective -> no waiting for castings to get to my shop, cleaner look, slightly better metal, personal satisfaction, and perhaps other reasons.


The billet heads do look pretty nice.


I will delete this post if it is not wanted.


Tod

[34PKUP]

"Tests show our heads lower engine temperature considerably."
And what about the function of the thermostats?

[JWL]

Very poor choice to have center water outlets. This interferes with 4 barrel carbs, alters best water flow characteristics, increases difficulty of maintaining and sealing thermostats, and puts the blower back on the shelf.

[tubman]

"Tod" - In my opinion, your post should be quite welcome here. The pictures of your Thomas head should convince any doubters that may still be out there of the level of your skill and commitment.

Plus, I needed something to divert my attention from a $2350 set of heads that may just be inferior to what's already out there.

[rotorwrench]

Billet two piece heads have been done before. Mostly by folks that don't want to cast any parts. It's another place to leak. Chamber shapes & spark plug placement are important too so I wonder that they look like. The 8BA was specifically designed for better cooling by placing the exits at the front and incorporating thermostats. The larger deck coolant ports at the back are part of that. To change any of that doesn't make much sense. To add any of it to the earlier prewar or post war 59 series heads doesn't make sense either. One type does not necessarily fit all well.

[A bones]

[QUOTE=Paul Bennett;1603588]Claims:
100% billet aluminum CNC machined
Extra high Fins allow for more air flowing over the Heads.
Heads hold more water for better cooling.[QUOTE]

Barney always claimed that more water in the head, simply meant more hot water. The key he said is where the water flows, and carries heat away from the chambers.

Higher fins, of course should increase cooling. Given the style and weight of your ride, I can see where you might want to 'stack the deck' for a better ride.

Someone with Flathead City personal experience is bound show up.

Good Luck

[flatheadmurre]

To me a 2 piece bolted togetter design is always more flexible then a solid cast head...
So making a 2 piece head to avoid pattern making and casting cutting costs ended up being more expensive then the real deal...as i see it.

[philipswanson]

Somebody is going to lose tons of money on this venture. I would go Navarro or Edelbrock for sure but for now the stock heads are fine.

[Ol' Ron]

Mike Davason already makes a very good set of heads at half the price. In my quest to find the "Holy Grail" of port flow. I find the cylinder head is part of the intake port with a valve in it. I made many different combustion chambers in old alum heads and wooden "Planks" To find the best flow. Unfortunately the best flowing heads have low compression.One shape is a wedge chamber and piston like the old 409 Chebbys. The location of the spark plug is another issue. Originality it was placed in the exhaust flow area to keep clean and has never changed except for the Edmonds heads and some special heads. Right now I think the best location is in the transfer area and at the same angle. This would create a shorter flame front and with a power tip plug more complete combustion for better r fuel mileage. Just about everything you do to these engines is a comprise, but you should be able to have good performance and economy as well

[Pilot31135]

$2350.... adding a turbo to a flat motor would be better/probably cheaper too.


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[19Fordy]

Here's an 8BA with a Holley 390 with original MCF heads that were made for running without a thermostat. Holley is bolted on backwards and sitting on a 1 in. spacer so original 40 linkage can work. Running fine since '99.