The Early Ford V8 - As Henry Built it

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Flathead Cams

Flathead Performance Cams

Here we discuss aftermarket performance cams for the Ford Flathead engines, but have included a few of the stock cams for comparison. Performance cams arrived soon after the first Model Ts rolled off the assembly line. New performance cams followed the production of each new model, so Model A/B performance cams and flathead V8 cams followed soon after those engines arrived. Below is a preliminary table with the numbers for a combination of antique and currently available cams. Unfortunately, we're not into Model As, so we don't know much about those. For Model A cams, I refer you to Bill Stipe at Specialty Motor Cams. The information in the table comes from books, catalogs and websites.
In order to evaluate performance cams (see Cam Performance), it is important to have detailed information on the stock cams. Ford listed only seat-to-seat numbers in their manuals (see Cam Design History). Throughout the flathead era, Ford cams employed opening and closing ramps that ended at a lift of 0.015 inches and the timing numbers were taken at this lift. The only exceptions were the Model T and Model B (exhaust), which had no ramps, and the 1949-51 V8 (8BA). The 8BA had greater ramp height (0.018 to 0.020) and correspondingly larger valve lash. In addition to seat-to-seat numbers, the duration at 0.050 lift is very important when evaluating the performance potential of cams. We have calculated the 0.050 numbers from the original Ford drawings and listed them here for the first time.
We have not personally verified the accuracy of all the numbers presented in the table We have checked a few Ford cams and found that they agreed well with the drawings. We can also vouch for the Stipe Model T cams and the TilTech V8 cam (see Degreeing a Cam), since we designed them and have verified their accuracy. We have checked a couple of V8 performance cams and found in both cases that the seat-to-seat duration was greater than the values in the table. This seems to be the most common area where discrepancies occur. On flathead and other cams we typically find that the seat-to-seat duration is greater than specified by ten degrees or more. Some manufacturers list "advertised" or "gross" duration rather than true seat-to-seat numbers. Isky states that their numbers are taken at 0.020 lift. What does 0.020 have to do with anything? So, be careful when using the values listed in the table. Before you buy a cam, make sure you have all the numbers and you know at what lifts they were measured Both the seat-to-seat and 0.050 numbers are important, so do not buy a cam without knowing these values. We recommend that once you purchase a cam you should do a thorough job degreeing it. If it does not meet the specifications return it. If you don't mind a poor idle and poor low end performance, then don't worry about seat-to-seat duration.

	intake	intake	exhaust	exhaust	intake	exhaust	intake	exhaust
	open	close	open	close	adv	adv	0.05	0.05	valve	intake	exhaust	lobe	deg.	intake	exhaust	valve
Cam	BTDC	ABDC	BBDC	ATDC	duration	duration	duration	duration	overlap	center	center	separation	adv.	lift	lift	lash	reference
Model T Cams:
Stipe Improved Stock	-12	52	39	1	220	220	185.2	185.2	-11.0	122.0	109.0	115.5	-6.5	0.250	0.250	0.010	original specs
Stipe 280 grind	-10	54	45	7	224	232	191.8	199.4	-3.0	122.0	109.0	115.5	-6.5	0.280	0.280	0.010	original specs
Laurel-Roof (Stipe)	-10	55	55	10	225	245	196.7	205.2	0.0	122.5	112.5	117.5	-5	0.310	0.310	0.010	original specs
Green Engineering	-10	55	55	10	225	245			0.0	122.5	112.5	117.5	-5	0.300	0.300
Gordon Cam	-5	60	50	5	235	235			0.0	122.5	112.5	117.5	-5	0.300	0.300
Muskegon Cam	-5	50	55	10	225	245			5.0	117.5	112.5	115.0	-2.5	0.313	0.313
Model A/B Cams:
Stock Model B	8	56	56	8	244	244	207.8	214.9	16.0	114.0	114.0	114.0	0	0.334	0.341	.015/.022	original drawing
Early V8/6 Cams:
Stock 37-48 (78-6250)	0	44	48	6	224	234	197.1	201.0	6.0	112.0	111.0	111.5	-0.5	0.307	0.307	.011/.015	original drawing
Stock 49-51 (8BA-6250)	5	44	48	3	229	231	197.9	198.8	8.0	109.5	112.5	111.0	1.5	0.307	0.307	.014/.018	original drawing
Stock 49-50 Merc (8CM)	10	50	50	10	240	240	207.5	207.5	20.0	110.0	110.0	110.0	0	0.338	0.338	.012/.014	original drawing
Stock 46-52 6 cyl 7HA	11	41	48	10	232	238	205.2	211.4	21.0	105.0	109.0	107.0	2	0.350	0.350		original drawing
TilTech 8CM Plus	10	50	50	10	240	240	213.0	213.0	20.0	110.0	110.0	110.0	0	0.350	0.350	.012/.014	proposed
Harmon-Collins Semi	16	54	54	16	250	250			32.0	109.0	109.0	109.0	0	0.320	0.320	.011/.013	Huntington
Winfield Semi	14	58	58	14	252	252	217.5	217.5	28.0	112.0	112.0	112.0	0	0.295	0.295	.012/.014	Huntington, Isky
Schneider 248F	16	52	56	12	248	248	220.0	220.0	28.0	108.0	112.0	110.0	2	0.350	0.350	.010/.012	Schneider
TilTech V8_220	14	54	54	14	249	249	220.0	220.0	28.0	110.0	110.0	110.0	0	0.360	0.360	.012/.014	Tilden
Potvin P329	16	60	59	17	256	256			33.0	112.0	111.0	111.5	-0.5	0.329	0.329
Harmon-Collins 3/4	19	59	54	14	258	248			33.0	110.0	110.0	110.0	0	0.320	0.320	.011/.013	Huntington
Winfield 3/4	18	62	58	14	260	252			32.0	112.0	112.0	112.0	0	0.305	0.295	.012/.014	Huntington
Harmon-Collins Full	19	59	59	19	258	258			38.0	110.0	110.0	110.0	0	0.320	0.320	.011/.015	Huntington
Winfield Full	18	62	62	18	260	260			36.0	112.0	112.0	112.0	0	0.305	0.305	.012/.014	Huntington
Schneider 260F -.326	22	58	62	18	260	260	220.0	220.0	40.0	108.0	112.0	110.0	2	0.326	0.326	.010/.012	Schneider
Isky 77-B	19	61	61	19	260	260	220.0	220.0	38.0	111.0	111.0	111.0	0	0.325	0.325	.014/.014	Isky cam card
Crower SPL59A	22	62	62	22	264	264	224.0	224.0	44.0	110.0	110.0	110.0	0	0.322	0.320
Isky 88	21	63	63	21	264	264	224.0	224.0	42.0	111.0	111.0	111.0	0	0.320	0.320	.010/.012	Isky cam card
Isky Max #1	13.5	55.5	55.5	13.5	249	249	226.0	226.0	27.0	111.0	111.0	111.0	0	0.364	0.364	.014/.014	Isky cam card
Schneider 260F - .355	22	58	62	18	260	260	226.0	226.0	40.0	108.0	112.0	110.0	2	0.355	0.355	.010/.012	Schneider
Comp Cams Thumpr	25.5	61.5	75.5	43.5	267	299	227.0	241.0	69.0	108.0	106.0	107.0	-1	0.355	0.355	.010/.012	Schneider
Winfield SU1A	29	71	71	29	280	280	229.0	239.0	58.0	111.0	111.0	111.0	0	0.343	0.365	.012/.012	Isky cam card
Winfield SU1A	28	72	62	22	280	264			50.0	112.0	110.0	111.0	-1	0.350	0.330	.012/.014	Huntington
Schneider 250F	17	53	57	13	250	250	230.0	230.0	30.0	108.0	112.0	110.0	2	0.365	0.365	.010/.012	Schneider
Schneider 270F - .350	27	63	67	23	270	270	234.0	234.0	50.0	108.0	112.0	110.0	2	0.350	0.350	.010/.012	Schneider
Schneider 270F - .425	27	63	67	23	270	270	236.0	236.0	50.0	108.0	112.0	110.0	2	0.425	0.425	.010/.012	Schneider
Isky 400 Jr	18	60	60	18	258	258	244.0	244.0	36.0	111.0	111.0	111.0	0	0.400	0.400	.018/.018	Isky cam card
Potvin P357	23	67	66	24	270	270			47.0	112.0	111.0	111.5	-0.5	0.357	0.357

footnotes:

Angles and duration measured at 0.020 for Isky cams, not seat-to-seat

How would you select a cam from the table above? When talking about performance street cams, Huntington states in his classic book (see References - "How to HopUp Ford and Mercury V8 Engines"):

Obviously what we want is longer valve open periods, greater lift, and quicker opening and closing.

This statement is in perfect harmony with our Cam Design method. At the top of the Cam Performance page is a plot of dyno data for a stock flathead V8 engine with various cams. The data, from Roger Huntington's book, is still valid today. In his excellent new book, "Flathead Facts", John Lawson presents more recent dyno data comparing cams. We have used both sets of data to construct the plot at the left. The graph shows the ratio of power and torque for performance cams relative to a stock cam in the same engine. Lawson used an Isky Max-1 cam, while Huntington did not state which 3/4 and full race cams he used, most likely Winfield or Harmon-Collins (see What's a 3/4 Race Cam?), .
As stated on the Cam Performance page, we first need to consider what we're after in a performance camshaft. When selecting a cam, you must remember not to overdo the duration. This is called overcamming, and it's one of the most common mistakes made when building a motor. As you increase the duration you will increase the peak horsepower, but you will lose some low end torque. The graph at left shows this tradeoff for 3/4 and full race cams. As the duration is increased, this tradeoff become more pronounced. No one wants a street motor with no power below 3000 RPM.
For a street performance motor, we believe that most of the available 3/4 cams lose too much low end torque for good drivability. The Max 1 and 3/4 race cams shown in the graph have intake duration of about 225 degrees. The large majority of stock motors (both the 8BA and 59AB) had about 197 degrees of intake duration. Although this may conflict with popular folklore, we believe the cam in a street motor should not have more than 215 to 220 degrees duration at 0.050. Unfortunately, we are not aware of any performance cams with less than 220 degrees duration. If you can find a Mercury 8CM cam, that would be a good option. We designed the TilTech V8_220 and had one ground for our pickup project, but it may have too much duration. More recently we designed the 8CM Plus cam shown in the table, but one of these has not yet been ground. High compression heads, more cubes, improved carburetion, better flow, and gearing can make up for the loss of low end power, but a low duration cam will always have more torque than a long duration cam, and we all love these engines for their torque.
Now that we've determined the duration needed, what about the greater lift and quicker opening/closing. As discussed on the Performance page, high lift and quick opening are desirable attributes. We believe that most "performance" cams (both antique and current) open and close slower than a stock cam and have less lift than they should. The performance cams are less aggressive than a stock cam (see What Is an Aggressive Cam?). The Mercury 8CM cam had a duration of 208 at 0.050 and 240 at 0.015 (seat-to-seat). We'll use Crane's concept of Intensity as a measure of quick opening, defining it as the seat-to-seat duration minus the 0.050 duration. This use of intensity only works because most of the cams in the table have a similar valve lash (see What's Wrong with 0.050 Duration?). By this definition, the Mercury 8CM had an intensity of 32 degrees. Some of the Ford cams had intensity as low as 27 degrees, which is about the limit for opening the valve quickly. Ford engineers knew what they were doing when they designed the stock cams. They just designed them with low duration for good torque and drivability.
The Mercury 8CM cam had a lift of 0.338, while all of the Ford V8 cams had 0.307 lift. It is easy to get more lift by increasing the duration, and yet, many of the performance cams have less lift than the 8CM. We found detailed cam profile data for a NOS Winfield Semi (or 1/2 Race) cam, and used that to construct an accurate representation of the entire lift curve. The opening half of the Winfield profile is shown (below left) together with the 8CM cam and the TilTech V8 220 cam we designed for our '40 Pickup project. Our design is basically similar to the 8CM, but with 12 degrees more duration. That's why it's lift curve parallels the 8CM curve. The duration at 0.050 is 208, 218 and 220 for the 8CM, Winfield and TilTech cams, respectively. The Winfield cam does not achieve the same velocity and has a much lower deceleration rate at the nose, so it does not reach the same lift. The left graph is a bit cluttered at low lift, so the graph at the right is an expanded view of the opening part of the lift curve, with the 0.015 lift points indicated. The Winfield cam is clearly slower to open. It has a seat-to-seat duration of 260 (252 was advertised, see table), which gives an intensity of 42 degrees, much higher than any of the stock cams. Our cam has an intensity of 29 degrees, which is in line with the stock cams. The conclusion is that the Winfield cam is slower opening and has less lift than a stock cam. We believe this conclusion applies to many of the aftermarket cams. If you believe the numbers in the table above, some cams are quick opening and others are not. We purchased one of the quick opening cams for our pickup project. Based on the specifications, it had an intensity of 28 degrees, which is very good. However, after we took degree measurements, we found that the intensity was 41 degrees. At that point, we sent the cam back and developed the TilTech V8 220 cam. Based on experience, we have become very suspicious of seat-to-seat numbers listed for performance cams. As explained in the Cam Perfomance page, slow opening and closing contributes to poor idle and off idle performance and poor low speed torque. If you want a lumpy idle and poor low end performance, then you should pick a slow opening/closing cam.
In the preceding paragraph, we do not wish to disparage the Winfield cams. In fact, we regard Ed Winfield as one of our personal heroes. Developing cam profiles in the 1950's was a tedious task. We wish that we knew how he developed his cams. Did he use graphical methods? He didn't have the resources of the Ford Motor Co. Our understanding is that he was not highly educated. Given that, some of his accomplishments are truly incredible.
We have no financial interest in the TilTech V8 cams, if you would like one for your project, you should contact Bill Stipe at Specialty Motor Cams. If you would like a different cam designed for your application, you should contact us.
Cam Comparison

Source: http://www.tildentechnologies.com/Cams/FlatheadPerformance.html

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Stewart Warner Gauges

Introduction

Until a few years ago, gauges were something that I had always pretty much taken for granted. Having recently spent four years searching for the narrow Halibrand magnesium wheels for the front of my 1932 Ford roadster project, and not needing another expensive and time-consuming automotive obsession, this was an area of hot rod history that I had deliberately avoided.

After tracking down some very rare old hot rod and race car parts for the roadster, it became clear that in order to stay with the theme of the car, its list of goodies would have to include a set of classic Stewart Warner gauges. Anything less just wouldn't be right.

In September of 2002, I located a Stewart Warner 150-psi oil pressure guage identical to the one shown here. It was made back in 1959, and was still in a sealed bag in its original box. With its crescent moon pointer, curved glass lens, and smooth, brass bezel, this was something that suited the roadster.

It was at that time that I started searching for other Stewart Warner gauges in order to come up with a complete set of them. Thanks to the help of Mike Abbott, Doug Clem, Bob Elston, Ed Norton, Tony St. Clair, and eBay, the set is now complete and many of my questions have been answered.

This Web page is one of the results of my research. Like every page on the site, it grows as I continue to get closer to actually knowing what I'm talking about.

The early days

The Stewart Warner company's roots date back to 1905. The Stewart company's initial offering was an inexpensive magnetic speedometer that outsold those of their main competitor, Warner.

John Stewart's speedometers were first used on original Model T Fords. Shown on the right is a Stewart speedometer from an early-1900s Model T.

Following a legal and marketing battle, the Stewart and Warner companies merged. The Stewart Warner company was founded in 1912, when John Stewart and Edgar Bassick started making vehicle instruments and horns.

In 1926 the company began supplying what would become hundreds of thousands of gauges to hundreds of manufacturers of cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, and boats, as well as to builders of a wide variety of material handling equipment and machinery.

While best-known for their gauges, Stewart Warner's product line also included air washers, bumpers, grease guns, horns, industrial measuring tools, paint spray guns, home movie cameras and projectors, radios, record players, refridgerators, search lights, sirens, television sets, vacuum tanks, and the popular South Wind automotive heaters.

This 1932 Auburn tachometer features a curved glass lens as well as Stewart Warner's distinctive crescent moon pointer.

Unlike most of the other gauges shown on this page, this Auburn tach is commonly known as a rear-mount, meaning that it mounts to the rear of the instrument panel instead of sliding through the front of it.

Gauges of this style were also produced in marine versions, which were commonly used by Chris Craft and many of their competitors. The marine tachometers usually had graduations that increased in a counter-clockwise direction rather than clockwise.

By the 1940s, due to their diverse product line and all-around quality, Stewart Warner gauges became by far most popular choice for hot rodders.

Sizes of S-W gauges

Most Stewart Warner gauges were manufactured in five basic sizes.

The smallest gauges have bezels that measure 2 1/4". The earliest versions of these fit in a 2" hole, which for some reason was later enlarged to 2 1/16".

The second-smallest size gauges have bezels that measure 2 5/8", and mount in a 2 7/16" hole.

Most Stewart Warner speedometers and tachometers have bezels that measure 3 13/16" and mount in a 3 3/8" hole.

Many Stewart Warner speedometers and tachometers that were made for Harley-Davidson motorcycles have bezels that measure 4 3/4" in diameter.

Some Stewart Warner speedometers that were made for early Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles as well as for police cars have bezels that measure 5 1/4".

Industrial and miltary gauges

From 1946 through 1960, Stewart Warner produced thousands of 2 1/4" and 2 5/8" gauges that were used by the United States military as well as in a wide variety of industrial applicatiions.

These military-style gauges show the distinctive smooth bezel and the Art Deco crescent moon pointer that is unique to this series of gauges. The brass bezels on the industrial gauges were chrome-plated, while the military versions were painted dark green. These smooth bezels are almost impossible to remove without damaging them, but the paint can easily be removed so the brass can be polished.

The distinctive Stewart Warner trademark crescent moon pointers inspired dozens of instrument and clock manufacturers to come up with their own versions, but Stewart Warner's copyright continues to prevent anyone from duplicating their design. This pointer was only used in the industrial gauges, and very rarely, on some of their later versions.

The 2 5/8" and larger sizes of industrial gauges also featured curved glass lenses which minimize glare, making them easier to read.

Many of us who build traditional hot rods consider these old gauges to be the ultimate. In a 1940s-style hot rod or race car, nothing else seems appropriate.

As with many neat old parts, the demand for these gauges far exceeds the supply. The fuel gauges, which are among the hardest to find, have changed hands for more than $400.

Another series of similar gauges was made with 2 1/4" bezels.

Unlike the 2 5/8" gauges in this style, the smaller gauges had flat glass lenses.

Both sizes of the industrial gauges have no name on the face, and have the Stewart Warner name stamped into the back of the case.

Wings gauges

Stewart Warner "wings" gauges were made from 1948 through 1954. The original wings gauges are as highly sought-after by hot rodders as the industrial series.

The wings set in the early Stewart Warner panel shown above resides in Bob Elston's 1932 Ford five-window coupe.

Although they lack some of the character that only gauges with crescent moon pointers can have, the curved glass lenses remained. Like the industrial gauges, the wings gauges were made in many types, including air pressure, amps, fuel, fuel pressure, oil pressure, oil temperature, vacuum, volts, and water temperature.

Big logo gauges

Stewart Warner "big logo" or "big block" gauges get their name from having their logo inside a larger block than the later gauges. They were made from 1954 through 1957. The lenses were curved in the big blocks that were produced in 1955 and 1956, and then flat in 1957. The '54-'55 gauges are known as "transition" gauges, and are the more sought-after.

As seen in the picture, big block gauges were made with both small and large lettering.

Small logo gauges

Introduced in the 1960s, this series is by far the most common style of the classic Stewart Warner gauges. Due to their small logo, they are commonly called small logo or small block gauges.

As is the case with most of the earlier gauges, most of the gauges in this series were made in 2 1/4", with the 2 5/8" being roughly ten-percent as common.

Stewart Warner didn't make very many clocks.

This one is NOS, from the 1970s.

It has a white plastic body and a 2 1/4-inch gauge bezel.

Custom series gauges

In 1965, Stewart Warner produced the Custom series of gauges, which feature a green ring around the face and a brushed aluminum center.

These are often called "green line" gauges.

Custom series gauges were used in some Yenko Camaros and Novas.

The Custom gauges were made in both 2 1/4" and 2 5/8" sizes.

Stewart Warner date codes

Year of Manufacture

A - 1933
B - 1934
C - 1935
D - 1936
E - 1937
F - 1938
G - 1939
H - 1940
J - 1941
K - 1942

L - 1943
M - 1944
N - 1945
P - 1946
Q - 1947
R - 1948
S - 1949
T - 1950
U - 1951
V - 1952

W - 1953
X - 1954
Y - 1955
Z - 1956
A - 1957
B - 1958
C - 1959
D - 1960
E - 1961
F - 1962

G - 1963
H - 1964
J - 1965
K - 1966
L - 1967
M - 1968
N - 1969
P - 1970
Q - 1971
R - 1972

S - 1973
T - 1974
U - 1975
V - 1976
W - 1977
X - 1978
Y - 1979
Z - 1980

Month of Manufacture

1 - January
2 - February
3 - March

4 - April
5 - May
6 - June

7 - July
8 - August
9 - September

10 - October
11 - November
12 - December

Stewart Warner panels

Stewart Warner panels were used by many boat builders as well as hot rodders. Shown on the right are the Master (also known as the Hollywood) eight-hole panel, the Ensign five-hole, and the five-hole Navigator.

(http://www.roadsters.com/sw/#dates)

Source: http://www.roadsters.com/sw/

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

no photo

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Fenton Cylinder Heads

Set of Fenton Heads on eBay...

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This is a set of Fenton heads for an early Ford ('39-'48) 59A 24 stud V8 flathead block. They are in truly exceptional condition. Erosion is minimal and so slight that many others wouldn't even mention it. There were 4 of the spark plug threads that I felt were a little on the loose side so they now have inserts in them so all the plug holes are excellent. The big NPT threads for the temperature sending unit and plugs are in perfect condition. They have been cleaned and tested with plugs. The 2 top side NPT water holes are also perfect. The inserts were installed by Dougans Racing Engines of Riverside. Dougans builds high performance racing engines and these are the same inserts they use in racing engines with compression ratios way beyond anything you would ever imagine running. They're in there to stay!

These have just been professionally polished. My polisher was apprenticed in his trade about 68 years ago (Think of it. He was probably a little kid when these heads were cast.), so he has a bit of experience. His work proves it. Even if you find a NOS set of these, they won’t glow like mine. Again, special thanks to Dick of D & L Polishing in Riverside.

Unlike most of the flathead heads that show up on eBay, these heads haven't been surfaced to the point where there's little left of the combustion chamber. The whole chamber is there. These are probably either 8 or 8.5:1 compression ratio parts. One fin had a small piece broken off of it but it has been invisibly repaired. You absolutely won't be able to spot it. As a matter of fact, I'm not 100% sure of where it was. There was also a small casting flaw in one of the combustion chambers. That;s no longer there. A special thanks to Randy of Fortune Fabrication in Riverside for the excellent job he did on this as well as all the other work he's done for me.

Aaron Fenton made speed parts in the early 1950's. As you should know, he made lots of 2x2 manifolds for Ford flathead V8's, and his Chevy 6 manifold sold like crazy. As a matter of fact, his 2x1 Chevy intakes and headers are currently being repopped, but there are no repops of these Ford flathead heads. Fenton went on to buy out Eddie Edmunds machine tools and patterns at a tax auction. Fenton's flathead V8 heads were produced using a pattern he leased from Al Sharp. Is that a gathering of early speed equipment legends? So far as I know this is the only time Al Sharp actually leased one of his own designed head patterns. Sharps heads were considerably heavier and stronger than the rest and had less tendency to warp under heat. Not that flatties heat up............... Fenton was squeezed out of the head, intake and header business by Edelbrock, Weiand, and Offenhauser, but that didn't stop him. He went on to produce shifters and wheels that bring really high prices now. Incidentally, if anybody reading this knows any of Mr. Fenton's children or grandchildren, I'd appreciate your contacting me.

A bit on Al Sharp. Al Sharp was a genius. Before World War 2, he lived in southern California and regularly raced at the lakes. He was a member of the Idlers Car Club. Always a bit short on cash, all he could afford was a 2x2 Eddie Meyers intake for his flathead. The tight budget led to his first attempt at manifold design. He cobbled together a 4x2 built from a flat aluminum plate. When it didn't work out as well as he wanted, he went back to the Meyers 2x2 but became determined to learn how to do it right. He couldn't afford the engineering education he wanted, but he got himself a job as an apprentice pattern maker at a foundry . That job was to be the key to his future. After a stint in the Navy through World War 2, Sharp decided to go into the speed equipment business when he got out. From there, the legend grew. I could probably write 10-20 pages of the incredible accomplishments of this man, but I don't think eBay would be happy with me taking up that much bandwidth on their servers. Here's a few highlights. In 1946, with a little over $175 of his own money and a borrowed $1,000, he founded SP Pattern Service. The “P” was Gordon Pilkington, another pattern maker. Do SP tops for Stromberg 97's sound familiar? He started making patterns for himself as well as outside customers. One of his customers was GRANCOR, a Chicago company founded by the Granatelli Brothers, Andy, Vince and Joe. He made both head and manifold patterns for them. It's commonly stated in threads on forums on the internet that the GRANCOR manifolds and heads were produced by Edelbrock for the Granatelli's as the design is so similar. Only problem is that the pattern SP made for the Granatelli's was made almost 2 years before Edelbrock's Super. Who copied who? In 1948 he produced the first successful and efficient 3x2 for flatheads (I know, but notice I said efficient.). In 1952 He did the same with a 4x2. In an attempt to avoid reinventing the wheel, he bought a pair of patterns for a flathead Ford head from another pattern company, but when the first pair were cast and didn't work as well as hoped, he was forced to completely redesign them. That was a lucky break for us as his heads are the ones that came out of that process, and the majority of those who've used them or tested them feel they're the best flathead heads ever made. Al felt that the key to top performance on flathead heads was exhaust flow, the opposite of the vast majority of other head manufacturers, and designed them accordingly. History has proven him correct. Safety hubs, foot shaped gas pedals? All Al Sharp inventions. The first Aluminum Heads for early Chrysler Hemi's? Yup, Al Sharp! The modern engine stands we all use, Enderlie injector scoops, Moon early Hemi aluminum valve covers, like I said, I could go on for a long, long time. I'll let it go with the fact that it was tragic loss to all of us when Sharp passed away in 2004.

I'm sorry if my ads seem overly long and contain information you may not need to know. I'm 73 years old and feel obligated to pass what information I have along to the next generation of hot rodders. The information is hard to come by and without it being written down, history just disappears with the person who fails to leave it behind. I don't want to be that guy. I would recommend to all the other old timers out there with a wealth of information that they get it out on the internet. It won't do much good trapped in your mind a few years down the road.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

1949 - 8BA (239.4 - Displacement Cubic Inches)

my sunday/funday...i bought a flathead.

1949 - 8BA (239.4 - Displacement Cubic Inches)

3.1875 x 3.750 - Bore Stroke

6.80:1 Compression Ratio

Compression Pressure 110

Spark Plugs - Champion H10 (.030")

Valve - Valve clearances on the flathead V8 are set COLD.

- Exhaust Clearance .014-.016"

- Intake Clearance .010-.012"

Distributor - 7RA-12127C

Timing Mark: Groove on front pulley

Distributor Rotation: Clockwise

Cylinder Numbering (front to rear):

Right Bank: 1-2-3-4 Left Bank: 5-6-7-8 1-5-4-8-6-3-7-2

Condenser Capacity: 0.21 to 0.25 microfarads

Breaker Spring Arm Tension: 17 to 20 oz.

Ignition Timing - 2° BTDC

HP 100

24 Head Bolts

Ford-Holley two barrel carburetor

Late 90-125hp V8:

1949 to 1953 Passenger Cars
1948 to 1953 Trucks

Major changes occurred to the mid size flathead V8 in 1948 for the new Ford trucks and in 1949 for new Ford and Mercury cars. The new engine incorporated several changes, some obvious and some not. The heads are now bolted to the blocks with 24 bolts (rather than studs and nuts) and the water outlet fittings are moved up to the front corner of the head (rather than the middle of the head). Another major change was the use of the new "Load-A-Matic" distributor, which was driven off the front of the engine, but through a shaft mounted vertically at right angle to the axis of the engine. With this new engine, Ford stopped casting the bell housing integral to the cylinder block, and provided it as a separate component which was bolted on. Internal changes include using a straight stem valve with one-piece valve guide. The belts and pulleys for 1948/49 stayed with the 5/8" wide of previous years, but changed from 1950 on to the narrow belts. In general, the latter year flatheads were commonly referred to as the "8BA" type for Ford and "8CM" for Mercury. The truck version was identified as an "8RT". Later 1952 and '53 Fords and Mercurys were known as "EAB" and "EAC" respectively. These markings are generally cast into the cylinder heads. The truck versions often had different oil pans to accommodate the different suspensions, and some truck V8's were factory "relieved". The EAB's and EAC's did not have the hardened valve seat inserts like the earlier engines.


1949


1949


1953


1953

Sunday, May 11, 2014

A Look at Hot Rodding’s Pioneering Powerplant Photos by Huw Evans and courtesy of Richard Willim.

by Huw Evans More from Author

A Look at Hot Rodding’s Pioneering Powerplant

Photos by Huw Evans and courtesy of Richard Willim.

It wasn’t the biggest, the most powerful, or the most glamorous, yet in the world of hot rodding, Ford’s venerable L-head V-8, better known as the “flathead,” helped introduce the concept of low buck performance and parts interchangeability, creating a car culture revolution in the process. In this article, we highlight some features of this venerable V-8 and discover some little known facts as well as a few hot rodding tips.

Genesis Like many great automotive ideas, the Ford L-head V-8 (Ford never officially called it the flathead) had a troubled birth. According to Roy Nacewicz, noted flathead historian, “There were a lot of problems in the early days. That was part of the reason why the 1932 Ford Model B (four-cylinder) was kept in production. Ford didn’t have any V-8s available until April of 1932, which made for a very short model year for the Model 18. With a network of 7,000 dealers in the US, only 700 were able to get V-8 cars – others had to make do with large artwork drapes of them which they hung in the showroom, and even then, there was no guarantee that interested customers would be able to get a car during the model year. As a result, many ended up buying Model Bs, simply because the four-cylinder engines were stockpiled. In fact there were so many four-cylinder engines that Ford stashed them wherever it could, in warehouses, boxcars – some were even placed in the lobby of World Headquarters on Schaffer Road.”

But in the context of the time, perhaps it wasn’t surprising that Ford’s new V-8 had a difficult start – after all, it was a fairly ambitious project. “Rival manufacturers were introducing more in-line six-cylinder engines,” says Nacewicz, “and Henry Ford wasn’t too fond of them. Always looking for a way to one-up the competition, especially Chevrolet, he saw an eight-cylinder engine as the solution. You also have to remember that at that time, cylinders sold, so the more an engine had, the better it was perceived to be. That’s why luxury cars employed straight eights (Buick, Packard), or in some cases even V-16s (like Cadillac).” However, in order to fit an eight-cylinder engine in an existing Ford design, compactness was essential. “That’s basically why Ford went with a V-configuration,” says Nacewicz. But the process of developing such an engine proved rather tricky at first.

“Ford assigned two teams to work on the project – one that was an official group working inside Ford engineering, and the other, which was pretty much a top-secret affair. The former group, which started first, wasn’t very successful. When it came to metallurgy, they simply couldn’t find a way to cast the block in one piece – they tried multiple times and couldn’t make it work.” Ol’ Henry, fed up with the lack of progress, decided to put together a skunk works operation in the old Thomas Edison Fort Myers laboratory that he had purchased and relocated to Dearborn (what is now Greenfield Village). “There were these five guys, who were essentially told to develop this new engine,” says Roy. “The program was so secret that Ford had them collected from their houses in chauffeur-driven cars – they were handpicked by the old man himself and were engineers he trusted. It was these guys who developed what we know today as the flathead V-8.”

Original Features The original 221 cubic-inch L-head V-8 engine was an undersquare design, boasting a 3.16-inch bore and 3.34-inch stroke. The block was essentially the forerunner of most modern, mass-produced V-8 engines, with the bottom of the block creating a parting line for the main bearing caps and the camshaft housed in the top of the Vee with valves inside of each bank. Although it had double the amount of cylinders over the existing four, the new V-8 was heavy – around 122 pounds heavier, fully dressed (a total weight of 571 lbs. dry). Although the block was made from cast iron, due to metallurgy technology at the time, it had some interesting features.

Says Richard Willim, a long time flathead engine builder and hydroplane racer, “Because it took so long to develop a process to effectively cast the block in one piece, Henry Ford wanted to ensure that the engines would last. He was concerned that the relative softness of the iron available would cause premature wear on the cylinder walls, so the early engines had stainless steel sleeves around the bores. It’s a very unique design, and it looks like it’s stitch-welded – uniform all the way around the bore. As for how it was originally installed, that remains a mystery, though the consensus is that it was either rolled or fused together at the same time around each bore.”

In its debut, 221ci configuration, the original L-head V-8 was rated at 65 horsepower at 3500 rpm and 125 lb-ft of torque at 1400 revs. “It really was a high performance engine in its day,” remarks Nacewicz. “To have that kind of torque in a low priced car was quite a revelation back then.” But Henry Ford, as always, was more concerned about cost and mass-production than the flathead’s status as a performance standard bearer. “The engine was designed to be geared for mass production, which meant it broke new ground in several ways,” says Roy. “Many of the parts were interchangeable – part of the reason that it became so popular in later years.” However, there were some issues that surfaced. The early engines (1932-35) featured three main bearing crankshafts with poured Babbit bearings and only on the mains, not the rods. As Richard Willim notes, “It was very difficult to replace the bearings on these early cranks and required the services of skilled machinists, because Babbit was very difficult to pour.”

Another interesting feature was the exhaust design. “The exhaust valves were positioned inside of the V of the block. The flow of the spent gases was therefore drawn downwards and close to the cylinders, which restricted flow.” Also because the hot exhaust gas flowed so close to the water jacket, overheating was a problem, not helped by a central exhaust port for the middle two cylinders (2/3 and 6/7) on each side. “This was something that was never fully addressed,” says Roy, “from the first 221, 65 horsepower version to the ultimate 255 cubic-inch unit found in 1950-53 Ford passenger cars – it was an inherent problem in the design of the engine.”
The valvetrain was also quite unique. “When you look at a flathead,” says Richard Willim, “you’ll notice that the crank and camshaft are not in-line. The center of the crank is actually offset, and the angle of the valves relative to the camshaft are different on both sides, so as a result you have four ports that are shorter and four that are longer. That means you get four cylinders for low-end torque and four for higher-end power.” Back in 1932, that was a huge advantage in the low priced market, especially in a car like a relatively bantamweight Ford Model 18 three-window business coupe.

“Part of the original group of five who worked in secrecy on the L-head V-8 was a guy by the name of Don Sullivan,” says Nacewicz. “He did a lot of experimentation, trying different valve angles and camshaft designs on the engine, but with the flathead, developing a compromise between smooth running and high performance was always a tough balancing act.” Indeed, the early flatheads, although much smoother than contemporary four or even six-cylinder engines, were still gruff in some regards – a rough idle being one of them. “The engines that actually made it into ’32 model year cars featured a single barrel carburetor, built by the Detroit Lubricator company,” mentions Roy. “For the time, it was actually an advanced design – a variable venturi that altered the flow of the air into the intake, but the downside was a rough idle on the factory-built engines. In 1934, Ford adopted a new carburetor – a two-barrel design from the Stromberg Company in Indiana, the model 48. This gave better throttle response and a much smoother idle.” The flathead was on its way to greatness.

Improvements Aside from the fuel system, changes were relatively few to the L-head through 1935, though in 1933, compression was raised to 6.33:1 and Ford revised power output, rating the L-head V-8 at 75 horsepower. However, on reflection, it appears this might have been optimistic, as Roy Nacewicz relates. “Given the technology available at the time, it’s actually quite difficult to believe that this engine could have received a 10 horsepower jump in such a short space of time. One logical explanation is that the ’32 engines were underrated and the ’33 version overrated. There’s probably traction to this argument due to the very late introduction and availability problems with the ’32 engines. You have to remember, it was a daring design at the time, and production delays meant that the public was quite skeptical. For the 1933 model year, many of those problems were overcome, so perhaps Ford could be more confident – hence the significant jump in output.”

In 1935, Ford lowered compression to 6.3:1, but power output was raised again – jumping another 10 horses for a total of 85 hp. However, it was during this year that a significant change took place – one that would turn the flathead into a backyard mechanic’s (and later, hot rodder’s) friend. “It was the bottom end, specifically the crank and bearings,” says Roy. “Ford finally decided to eliminate the Babbit bearings, instead adopting removable inserts for both the crankshaft and rods. This meant that average guys – backyard mechanics – could now easily rebuild these engines at fairly low cost.” A revolution had begun.

Most sources indicate that the new bearing design was introduced on 1936 series production engines, though not all passenger car units received the change until the 1937 model year. An interesting aspect was also the oiling system. “Part of the reason why the flathead was so suited to mass production, “ says Nacewicz, “was the fact that it used high pressure to lube the main and rod bearings, without requiring oil jets in the sump. In this aspect, it was quite ingenious and far ahead of what else was being offered at the time, particularly from arch-rival Chevrolet. In fact, when Chevy finally introduced its own V-8, the overhead-valve 265ci small-block in 1955, it adopted an oiling system very similar to the flathead.”

During 1937, other changes were introduced. “The cooling system was revised,” says Roy. “On the early engines, the water pump was mounted to the front of the heads. Starting in 1937, a new design was used in which the pump mounted to the block and the water passages were moved from the front to the top center of the cylinder heads. This version of the engine, still a 221ci unit, was known as the V8-78 and rated at 85 horsepower, still using a Stromberg 48 two-barrel carburetor. The following year, further changes were instigated, actually resulting in a designation change (V8-81A). “This engine had different pistons and actually lower compression (6.12:1),” says Nacewicz, “but perhaps the most noticeable external difference were the cylinder heads. This engine used 24 externally mounted studs on each head, instead of 21 found on the earlier L-head Ford V-8s.” It was this version of the flathead that became synonymous with hot rodders in the post war period and, for traditionalists, still remains so today.

For the 1939 model year, Ford bumped the compression slightly to 6.15:1, resulting in a slight power hike to 90 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque, where it would remain through 1941. “Ford actually raised compression on this engine to 6.2:1 for 1942,” mentions Nacewicz, “but not that many were built for civilian use, because wartime halted production.” Nevertheless the V-8 21A, as the 1942 version was called, saw use in military vehicles, including landing craft and light armored carriers. The 21A was also the last of the 221ci motors. After the war, Ford adopted a larger 239ci version that was originally introduced for Mercury passenger cars, beginning with the 1939 model year.

Mercury Flatheads “Ford had identified a gap in the market for a mid-priced car,” remarks Nacewicz. “But because it was a larger, more up-market vehicle, it was deemed necessary to fit a bigger, more powerful engine, so Ford took the 221 and enlarged the bore to 3.18 inches, resulting in a 239ci engine. When it was launched, this engine was rated at 95 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque, but horsepower climbed to 100 hp in 1942.” Yet in order to save costs on tooling, a lot of parts were interchangeable with the post-1937 221, which would prove a benefit to hot rodders, especially during the postwar period. The 239 was also remarkably long lived, enduring all the way to the end of flathead production in 1953.

“In the postwar years, it received a number of improvements,” says Roy. “It was significantly redesigned for 1948 with a revised cooling system, with the water inlets and thermostat housings moved from the center to the front of the heads - the studs were also substituted for bolts.” Another change was the distributor. “Earlier flatheads used a ‘crab’ distributor. It was located down on the front of the engine, and it wasn’t easy to get to for servicing. Ford finally addressed this problem by mounting a conventional distributor, 90 degrees to the crankshaft on the right side of the engine. Besides Ford and Mercury passenger cars, this engine was also used in light trucks, including the new-for-’48 F-series pickups and panel vans.”

Perhaps even more significant from a hot rodder’s standpoint was the introduction of a 255ci Mercury flathead in 1948. “This engine used the 239ci block, but it employed a crankshaft with a longer 4-inch stroke,” says Roy, “so although it was rated at 100 hp when installed in the redesigned 1949 ‘bathtub’ Mercury, it produced 200 lb-ft of torque, which was necessary to get these heavy cars moving. Also, by flathead standards, it had a fairly high compression ratio – 6.8:1.” And things would only get better. Power was up to 102 hp and 206 lb-ft by 1951, and when Ford and Mercury passenger cars were re-bodied again for 1952, the 255 received a further hike in compression – up to 7.2:1, resulting in a rather healthy 125 hp and 218 lb-ft of torque.

End of the Line However, by the early 1950s, the flathead’s days (in North America at least) were numbered. “It was a very good engine and had paved the way for performance in low priced vehicles,” notes Roy, “but in 1949 GM introduced the first overhead valve, short stroke V-8s, which were light and powerful. On paper, they appeared everything the flathead wasn’t – even though reality was a little different, at least at first.” However, it didn’t matter. The flathead was perceived as old technology – a throwback to the austere 1930s – and in the brave, rocket ship world that was taking shape, Ford’s veteran L-head V-8 had no place.

“When you think about it, this was quite a shame that it was dumped after ’53. It was still a viable engine,” says Richard Willim, “and guys were really starting to discover its performance potential, but as a passenger car engine it was done.” Nevertheless, a whole new chapter opened up as hot rodders embraced cheap, surplus flatheads for powering their homebuilt speed specials.

Hopping It Up

The flathead’s abundance and interchangeability turned out to be a blessing for many backyard mechanics and aspiring rodders. “The very aspect that enabled it to become the first mass-produced engine meant it was perfect for installing in one-off customized and souped-up cars at a reasonable cost,” says Willim. “There were a lot of significant changes during the flathead’s production run, but there were many parts that could be swapped between earlier and later models, particularly from 1935 onwards with the advent of the shell bearings.”

Parts included intake manifolds, distributors, water pumps, even crankshafts and rods. “One of the most popular modifications in the 1950s was using the longer stroke 4-inch Mercury crank from the 255 and putting it in a standard 239ci flathead. Some guys went even larger with 4.125-inch cranks, to get as much torque out of it as they could,” remarks Willim. But for hot rodders, there were (and still are) a few fundamental problems with the design of the Ford L-Head V-8. One of them is crank durability. “Because Ford only used three main bearings on the crankshaft,” says Willim, “it’s a weak link when you’re trying to make power. If you go beyond 8.0:1 compression and as little as 160 hp on the small [136ci] flathead, you can experience crank walk. I know guys that have put these engines in Hydroplanes and had the cranks let go. To really get some serious power [220 hp or more] you need to reinforce the bottom end with a heavy-duty bearing cap system and a girdle, otherwise it will walk on you, every time.”

Another issue is breathing. “You have to understand that when the flathead was originally designed, it was done primarily for packaging, marketing and ease of production,” remarks Willim. “As a result, air flow was poor (particularly on the intake side), because of the shape and location of the valves and also the routing. Because it also had low compression, many guys (especially after the war, when higher octane gas became more widely available) tried to raise it to boost power.

“The problem was that the stock heads and ignition system weren’t up to handling it. On the V8-60 (the small 136ci version), the coil couldn’t get hot enough to fire the mixture on an 8.0:1 compression, so you needed to go to a Vertex Magneto with a higher voltage. Today, thanks to aftermarket support from companies like Mallory and MSD, spark isn’t a problem.” Another thing was compression versus flow, something Willim has become familiar with, building many flatheads over the years, particularly V-8 60s. “By putting a high compression head on a stock block, you just kill the flow. You need 5/8-inch of transfer from the deck of the block to the highest point of the dome in the head, so on a flathead, a stock head often flows best, but you can’t get any compression out if it. When guys like [Harland] Sharp and [Zora] Arkus-Duntov were working on flow techniques, they discovered that you reach a cross point between compression and flow – if you milled the heads to boost compression, air flow would suffer. Heat was also a big problem.”

One of Duntov’s solutions was to engineer an overhead valve conversion. “A lot of people think that the Ardun heads were done purely for performance,” explains Willim, “but that wasn’t the case. It was done primarily to reduce the risk of the engines overheating, especially in heavier vehicles like commercial trucks. Ardun heads were originally designed for the European market, but hot rodders discovered that the OHV design not only reduced heat, but improved airflow, increasing power.

More recently, Mark Kirby at Motor City Flatheads in Detroit found that playing with air routing on stock heads could reap big rewards. “The trouble with the flathead is that intake and exhaust flow is different because of the angle of the valves. The top of the bore is also square, which impedes flow,” says Willim. “By radiusing the top of the bore by the transfer area using epoxy, you create a smoother routing for the air, which increases the volumetric efficiency and helps improve power, so that’s what Kirby did. Some guys also tried smoothing the ports, but from my experience working on these engines, it’s best to leave them rough, as it helps keep the air/fuel mixture in suspension. On the bigger flatheads (221/239), I also like to install 1 3/8-inch intake valves to help breathing.”

Another source of confusion among flatheads concerns the camshaft. “When you swap the cam in one of these engines, it changes the valve timing by about three or four degrees, which can affect performance,” says Willim. “On the flatheads I build, I have cams ground specifically for the application – some guys will buy off-the-shelf camshafts like Iskendarian 77s, but they don’t work well for some situations, especially if you’re building an engine with an automatic transmission, as more guys are doing for hot rods these days, even traditional style builds. You need to have a camshaft that will provide the right amount of torque at the desired rpm to turn the converter in the trans. It’s a far cry from the old days [1940s and 1950s], when you’d just make do with a belly grind – flattening the lobes to get more duration.”

Acknowledgements The author would like to extend a very big thank you to Roy Nacewicz and Richard Willim for their assistance with this article.

Useful Sources
Willim Vintage Engines - www.willimvintageengines.com

Early Ford V-8 Club
763-420-7829
www.earlyfordv8.org

V-8 60 and the European Connection Besides the 221/239/255 flatheads, Ford developed a larger 377 version for use in Lincolns and medium-duty trucks and also a light-duty version, the V8-60. “The 60 horsepower version was a small, 136 cubic-inch engine originally designed for use in Europe,” says Roy Nacewicz. “It was designed for smaller cars and actually went on to enjoy a long life across the pond – the rights were purchased by French car maker Simca, who used it until 1961.” Closer to home, however, Ford elected to introduce a 60hp L-Head V-8 on its North American cars, primarily as a cost saving measure for the 1938 model year. But it didn’t prove popular. “In 1938, the average Ford passenger car weighed about 3,200 lbs.,” says Richard Willim. “So when you consider that the V-8 60 made about 27 horsepower to the tires, the result was a slow car, especially compared with the 85 hp 221, so it wasn’t well received.”

Ford persisted with the V-8 60 hp through 1940 in the US, but then gave up, choosing instead to replace it with an in-line six in its restyled 1941 models. But the 60hp flathead found another calling. “It proved very suitable for use in midget dirt track cars and also small boats and hydroplanes,” says Willim. “The Ardun heads worked particularly well on the smaller flathead, as did multiple carb intakes. In fact, a lot of what we know today as hot rodding tricks on cars actually came from experience on the water, in hydroplane racers.”

Vic Edelbrock Sr. (who became synonymous with flathead hot rod parts in the 1940s and 1950s) actually gained a lot of his experience and knowledge through hydroplanes. “Back in the early 1950s,” says Willim, “Vic [Edelbrock] developed complete performance flathead engines, which he sold for $1000 a piece. He’d had Ed Iskendarian develop special cams for them – the 620 BS, with special low lobe centers to help provide extra thrust, since what you want to do with a boat primarily is to blow water out the back. It was versions of these cams that helped both midget racers and hot rodders gain that extra torque.” Another interesting aspect is fuel injection. “A lot of people don’t realize how much of an influence hydroplane racing had on hot rodding,” says Willim. “Bud Meyer and some of the original pioneers worked on a Hillborn fuel injection system for the flathead. It wasn’t that successful, because the head and block design makes it very difficult to efficiently introduce fuel into the runners,” says Willim, “but they were still able to set speed records in the water with a fuel injected flathead – one racer set a record by going 121 mph (and that was in the early 1950s).” And here’s an interesting fact – the use of the V-8 60 hp in Marine applications actually helped create the engine that supplanted it as a mainstay in hot rodding – the small-block Chevy. “[That] engine was designed specifically for use in hydroplane racing – that’s why it was sized at 265 cubic inches – to fit within the rules,” remarks Willim. “It just turned out to be good at a lot of other things as well.”

Ford introduced its new L-Head V-8 on the 1932 Model 18, shown here as a 3-window business coupe. Light, cheap and relatively fast, these cars were largely responsible for creating the hot rod movement.

The original 221ci flathead was designed and engineered in secrecy by a hand-picked team. Problems casting the block as one piece delayed production.

Introduction for the new V-8 had been originally slated for January 1932, but engines didn’t start materializing until April. As a result, 221-powered Fords, like this Deluxe convertible, were a rare sight when new.

By 1934, many of the early issues surrounding production and rough idling had been solved. The V-8, now rated at an impressive 75 horsepower, was proving quite the little workhorse and suitable for emergency vehicle use, like this Santa Monica lifeguard pickup.

Ford’s original 221 flathead lasted through 1942, but gained notable improvements throughout its life. Big changes occurred for 1936, with the elimination of Babbit crank bearings, and for 1938, when the cooling system was revised. Post-1938 engines can be identified by the 24 studs on each cylinder head, like this one.

One of the inefficiencies on the flathead concerned the exhaust routing. Gases from the middle two cylinders were fed through a single port to the manifold on each side, which were linked by a crossover tube that then branched off into a pipe system on the right side. Flatheads were noted for their distinctive exhaust tone.

Early Ford L-head V-8s (1932-33) used a single barrel carburetor, but in 1934, two-barrel Strombergs became available. These carburetors helped provided better throttle response and a much smoother idle. Simple, cheap and abundant, they were also embraced by early hot rodders on a large scale, who were soon experimenting with multi-carb setups on flatheads.

One issue that plagued the flathead was a tendency to run hot, not aided by having the thermostats mounted amidships on each side of the engine. On later versions (1948 onwards), they were moved to the front to improve coolant circulation.

This view shows the drive belt, water pump pulleys and distributor. Part of the reason the flathead became so popular with shade-tree mechanics and hot rodders was the parts’ interchangeability throughout the years, on everything from water pumps to intake manifolds, heads and even camshafts.

One of the most unique aspects of pre-1948 flatheads was the “crab”-type distributor mounted on the front of the block. Its location proved to be a bane for many a mechanic and finally, in 1948, Ford introduced a more conventional design mounted on top of the engine.

Another interesting feature was a set of dual water pumps. Pumps were one of the most commonly swapped parts on these engines, but still, overheating remained a problem on many flathead powered cars.

The advent of removable shell bearings in the bottom end beginning in 1935 turned the flathead into the true mechanic’s friend. Still, a tag like this one was a good sign that parts had been serviced or reconditioned properly.

Factory stock flatheads were painted dark green. Compare this restored 21-stud engine to the used one with 24-stud heads shown previously.

Besides cooling, another aspect that plagued the flathead was top end breathing, not helped by small diameter intake valves on the cylinder head. Notice how both the intake and exhaust valves are of equal size, unlike most modern OHV V-8s, which sport larger intake valves for better high rpm flow and power.

By the 1950s, the flathead had become the engine to soup up. Popular upgrades included aftermarket cylinder heads and intakes. One of the most successful peddlers of early speed parts, particularly intakes, was Vic Edelbrock Sr.

Many flathead engine builders struggle with cylinder head flow issues. One modern method is to radius the top of the bore to smooth the flow of air into the cylinders. Combined with angling the valves, some tests have shown a gain of as much as 90 cubic feet per minute in cylinder head flow.

Although the exhaust ports were rather restrictive, hot rodders did what they could to improve flow. By modifying the factory exhaust with dual outlets, like on this 1932 Ford hi-boy roadster, significant gains in power could be realized for relatively low cost.

Besides passenger cars, the venerable L-head V-8 was also a staple in Ford trucks, including the legendary F-1 pickup, introduced for 1948.

Today, it’s hard to imagine just how much of an impact the flathead had on the mechanized vehicle industry. Besides cars and trucks, it also found use in farm equipment. Shown is a restored Ford tractor engine.

Ford developed a 136ci “Junior” flathead, primarily for use in smaller European cars. Although this 60hp engine wasn’t very popular Stateside (it was only offered from 1938-40), it proved highly suitable for use in midget sprint cars.

Perhaps one of the most interesting uses for ol’ Henry’s original V-8 was in World War II midget submarines, even by the Axis powers. This Japanese Navy midget sub was captured by US forces – take a good look at what powered it through the water!

Source: http://www.autotraderclassics.com/car-article/Ford%E2%80%99s+Famous+Flathead-75386.xhtml