ferguson aluminum flathead block

Tony Baron says French blocks can be bored 0.250-over (1/4 inch). And, of course, they also give you four rather than three exhaust ports for a more contemporary, balanced look.. We are always coming up with new products including Navarro air cleaners, Navarro 471 Blower Kits, V8 60 adjustable lifters, and the NEW S.Co.T. The new Sharp V8 60 flathead cylinder heads with front water neck. Ratios are 1.375 on the intake side, 1.2 on the exhaust. While exact ignition timing will vary per combination, in general flatheads running gasoline like about 23 degrees total advance normally aspirated and just 19 degrees with a blower. These are the only 337 high compression cylinder heads on the market. Keeping three sets, he sold the remaining 27 and then sold the tooling, dies, and plans to Don Ferguson Jr. You can find out more at Don's Web site, www.ardun.com. Don has also raised the floor of the intake and exhaust ports to better move the air. The fastest guys both naturally aspirated and blown run high-dome pistons. With no rocker arms, a flathead's total lift must be generated entirely by the cam lobe. He apprenticed as a pattern makers helper when the war broke out. You need lots of timing to make a flathead run. The coupe is no stranger to awards, having won the Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year in 2019 and three Goodguys Pros Picks as well as a Best Rod at the Grand National Roadster Show. From help designing the runners of his manifold to enter the block at a 45 degree angle to act as an extension of the ports to making his manifold have a 180 degree pattern to distribute the fuel equally. For reasons known only to the crazy French, flatheads were used in French Army trucks through the early '90s. In the old days the hot ticket was dropping a '49-'53 Mercury 4-inch-stroke crank in place of the Ford 3.75-inch-stroke unit. For this group-whether building a rat rod, yanking a Chevy that just doesnt look right in that old Deuce, or building a brand-new car-the outlook couldnt be rosier, even better than the flatheads heyday so long as the bucks hold out. Ken Austin grew up on a farm in Newberg, Oregon where his interest in cars started when he got his permit to drive to school. Ultimately, you can move up to one of Cornhusker Engineerings custom front cover and late-model water-pump setups. This improves airflow, but the resultant effective combustion-chamber-volume increase lowers the compression ratio, in turn decreasing horsepower and fuel economy. On the street, flatheads are happy on today's crappy gas, because that's the only kind of gas there was back in the '30s. French blocks are about 30 pounds heavier than a standard flathead, which is a good indication of better metal and thicker walls. With modern aftermarket cranks and rods using modern insert bearings, 5,500 rpm normally aspirated is not a problem, even with only three main bearings. Different top-halves are available for mounting a variety of induction setups. Fortunately, a wide variety of adapters are available to mate the venerable motor to todays automatic and manual transmissions. It must have a stock style front for the pumps and front cover or my water pump kits wouldn't work. The aluminum blocks used on the various all-aluminum Ardun builds are from Don Ferguson and are Ardun-only items. ", Among this herd of sheep, a few original hot rods were brought out of retirement, complete with gennie flatheads as the powerplant. French blocks are about 30 pounds heavier than a standard flathead, which is a good indication of better metal and thicker walls. High-compression is the way to go. By the time the 60s arrived, engine coolant replaced gasoline as a method of providing heat probably a wise choice. Dressed with up to four carbs and that unique flathead sound accentuated by glasspacks, the old codgers were suddenly the rage again. According to Baron Racing, the limiting factor is not piston-to-head interference, nor even valvespring coil-bind-it is running out of cam bearing clearance for the lobes. Keep it under 8.0:1. What kind of power are these Arduns putting out? Baron also offers a modern version of the famous Tattersfield/Baron four-carb race intake in more civilized street form. TBI injection through billet Stromberg 97 carb-like throttle-bodies is available from Flathead Engineering. Before he joined General Motors, Zora Arkus-Duntov, with his brother Yura, operated Ardun Mechanical Corporation in New York. All new design for 2019 is based on one of our favorite builds the blown, Ardun flathead. A recent test of a prototype set of Hammerhead's castings bolted on a 427ci small-block stroker produced over 600 hp with a streetable hydraulic roller camshaft and 600 lb-ft of torque. Trying to gain back compression ratio by using popup pistons may improve airflow provided proper attention is paid to the transfer area and overall piston-to-combustion chamber interface. Flathead gurus like Don Ferguson and Tony Baron strongly urge that hot rod engines run a harmonic damper. There was a time when Ardun overhead-valve cylinder heads were incredibly rare. What am I missing here? He also made many improvements to his cylinder heads as well. It becomes an evolution,and makes the sport better, and everybody gains. The fastest guys both naturally aspirated and blown run high-dome pistons. Copper head gaskets are sold by SCE. The only drawback with the Ardun heads is cost. Flat-O Products sells well-designed, complete kits to install the Ford C4 automatic and T5 manual behind either 8BA or 59A engines. Remember, this Flathead is brought to life through an Autotrend EFI system requiring the use of modern electronics and a means of control. Top Secret Aluminum Flathead V8! - Coker Tire Dressed with up to four carbs and that unique flathead sound accentuated by glasspacks, the old codgers were suddenly the rage again. Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2016 6:17 am Post subject: Re: Chrysler 6 cyl flathead. The Ferguson ARDUN project (picked up where the late Don Orosco of Monterey Speed & Sport had progressed) is based on an aluminum Flathead block (with enhanced main caps and deep skirts, for those wishing Flathead numbing power) and enhanced ARDUN heads (significant design modifications); ARP hardware is used throughout the engine. Also mounted to the column is an original knee-knocker Stewart-Warner mechanical tach run off the back of the alternator; another one-off piece by RR&C. Provided you have an original bellhousing, you can use available Trans-Dapt adapters to install Ford passenger-car transmissions from the mid 60s to the late 70s behind the 49-53 flatties. Tony Baron runs 10 degrees of base timing and 23 degrees max at full advance. He started The Hot Rod Shop in 1945 where he fixed and customized cars. Somewhere in the middle is the largest group: Potential street rodders who just want reasonably fast hot rods without having a cookie-cutter, 1-800-car. With a 4.5-inch-stroke aftermarket crank, that yields 334 cubic inches. Next to the heater you will see a panel thats held in position by a pair of clips but its what rests behind the panel thats of interest. Chrisman, Rathman and others had Al build custom parts for their cars. We have continually grown and expanded our engine services. With a 4.5-inch-stroke aftermarket crank, that yields 334 cubic inches. La Crescenta, CA 91214 The Sharp 32 triple carburetor intake is one of the few that accepts Holley 94s and Stromberg 97s. Turn-Key Engines - H&H Flatheads He improved everything he touched. At the other extreme are dry-lakes, Bonneville, and nostalgia drag racers who have applied modern technology to the point where in some instances it is questionable whether the engine still remains a true flathead: Once-85hp engines now produce over 400 hp on gas and have exceeded 700 hp on fuel-all this on an engine with only three main bearings. Its everything you need to make the conversion. There's a fine juggling act between compression and promoting proper transfer from the offset valves across the piston top. Open flathead | Bob's 4 Cycle Karting Available with center water neck. A look inside gives you the sensation of an open air concept that could easily be seen in many of todays homes. Not all flathead water pumps are created equal, though. The exhaust is by way of RR&C headers featuring 1-1/8-inch tubes that link with a custom RR&C stainless steel exhaust system. Original 50-plus-year-old blocks without cracks are getting scarce. The 270-F, Tatoms best all-around cam, is said to work well on normally aspirated or blown, stick, or automatic cars, with good idle quality and 18-19 inches of vacuum. It was in the 40s that the Stewart-Warner Southwind used them in Fords. On the following pages, well take a look at some of the stuff available for the flathead and also cover the lineage, interchangeability, and secrets of this proud forebear of modern hot rodding. The king of adapters is undoubtedly Wilcap. A new player is Gemini Electronic Fuel Injection, a complete bolt-on flathead conversion kit based on the self-programming Prodigious fuel injection system. The search lasted about two years before Amie found the right car. They fit original '39-'53 blocks, French blocks, and (perhaps the ultimate evolution) Ferguson's new aluminum block. Now its 2005, and the flatheads resurgence shows no sign of diminishing. Amies Flathead is moving in the direction of 400 hp and for a street Flathead that should provide plenty of excitement. Tom Roberts' new two-piece crossflow utilizes the latest in airflow technology. The old cam grinders-including Isky, Schneider, Elgin, and others-have both old and new cam grinds. He decided to drive the coupe down to Daytona Beach, Florida for the Turkey Rod Run, and enlisted Phil Goller of Gollers Hot Rods to ride shotgun. Recommended bottom-line street-gas-friendly compression ratios are between 7.5-8:1 on naturally aspirated engines and 6.5-7.0:1 with a blower. Most flattie builders modify factory pans. Great info ! The third-design 8BA 49-53 engines have a bolt-on bellhousing, the distributor was moved to the top-right of the engine, and modern insert-style bearings are used on both the mains and rods. Are you saying that theres a FLATHEAD in there ? The Southwind isnt a heater anymore but rather the housing for the fuse panel based on a Haywire system and wired to work by the RR&C crew. Edelbrock, Wilcap (Sharp), and Offenhauser continue to market a wide variety of intakes. While Orosco wanted the heads to be as exact a replica as possible"He would be at the foundry getting the shade of the aluminum in the valve covers just right," Don saysFerguson was less interested in the cosmetics and more concerned with re-engineering the heads for maximum performance. Currently the most popular approach is running a big popup piston, but with a scallop on the side adjacent to the valves to keep the transfer area clear between the valves and the cylinder bore. Also check out Speedway Engineering's offerings. Speedway Motors offers pumps with sealed bearings that do an even better job in both early and late configurations. TCMP #538: Pro-Touring Update with Larry Callahan: How To Create a Garage Studio and Upcoming Pro-Touring Events! There is also an ugly governor mounting boss on the left-rear of the block that many rodders prefer to machine off. One flathead builder, Dave Tatom, offers a unique line of custom grinds with wide 114-degree LSA for naturally aspirated engines, and 116-118 LSAs for blown motors. There are kits to install Weiand and Magnuson superchargers, or even one or two GMC 71-series blowers. Available in black t-shirt or white t-shirt. Tom Roberts starts with the Speedway pump, modifies it for even more flow, and also redoes the snout to accept modern, bolt-on, serpentine-belt pulleys. (Yes, gasoline!) "These engines look cool, run cool, and are reliable," he says. Although a shade darker than stock, the Cloud Mist Gray comes from the color charts of PPG. Strombergs were the favorites, but Chandler-Grove/Holley, Zenith, and Rochester two-barrels were also in use. It was at this point in the journey when Ben York, of Roseville Rod & Custom (RR&C) in Roseville, California, entered and he and Amie linked up. Not many of the heads were madebest guesstimates put the number at 200 to 250 sets, with another dozen or so made for the smaller V-8/60 enginesand a few more were built in England during a short association Duntov had with Sydney Allard and his J2 sports car. Guys who once dreamed of owning a flattie back in the 50s but who had neither the time nor the money were now in their 50s, with lots of disposable income. Reserve these early blocks for collector cars due to their inferior head-retention and bearing design; speed equipment availability for them is also severely limited. The Ultimate Source Guide for Flathead Ford V8 Performance - MotorTrend Tony Baron says that a good-running flathead should have no less than 0.400 lift and about 250 degrees duration at 0.050-inch tappet lift. The current incarnation is 3 inches taller than the originals and has smaller 1 1/2-inch ports (vintage versions had 1 3/4 ports, but the new casting is thick enough to hog 'em out). Too high a compression ratio and the engine peaks early due to restricted top-end breathing. Then the real work began on figuring out how to update and advance the original Flathead design, as well as how to cast the new parts. The Ford flathead V8 is a V8 engine of the valve-in-block type designed by the Ford Motor. Ford Flathead V8 The engine that gave birth to Hot Rodding is back!! It was only at the very end of the flatheads reign that the first small four-barrel carbs appeared; back then everyone used multiple-carb setups. He bought the entire French stock, and at last count still has at least 500 blocks, 120 complete engines, and over 2,000 rods. Original 50-plus-year-old blocks without cracks are getting scarce. Correct-length flathead 1.800 intake/1.600 exhaust valves are available from flathead specialists like Baron Racing. There is also an Australian outfit, Flatattack Engineering, offering plenum-style, TPI-like systems controlled by either GM Delco or MoTeC computers. Whatever, originals are rare, which explains why a select few individuals have looked into reproducing them. Blower Kits. Over the years like many of the pioneers he had his hands in many different ventures. Keep it under 8.0:1. Scat offers affordable cast Pro Stock cranks through 4.375-inch stroke, with either 2.00- or 2.138-inch rod journals. "Look, if you're going to spend upwards of $30,000 on a motor, why wouldn't you get the best components?" If theres one thing that we all have in common its the miles we travel and the time we invest in finding the right project. Mooneyes also offers throttle-bodies that resemble Strombergs. The Thickstun two-carb high-rise intake (today marketed by Baron) is an excellent street setup and it even provides clearance for the stock generator. H&H started in 1972 with rebuilding all early Ford Flathead engines from Model A, B's, T's and V8 Ford Flatheads from 1932-36, LB's, 59A's, 8BA's,V8 60's, Lincoln 337, Lincoln V12's and Y Block Ford and Mercury. small block chryslers (head approx 23" ) will be 201, 217/218, and 230 cu in, the 230 is the only of the 3 that has a 8 bolt crank flange. His greatest impact was at the salt lakes where he is a legend. Powered by vBulletin Because the French version was used in trucks, the intake- and exhaust-port throats are choked down under the valve pockets, so extensive port-work is required for racing. There are several techniques; the accompanying photos show the method preferred by Baron Racing. A wide variety of headers are available for flathead engines, which certainly should not retain the restrictive stock exhaust manifolds. The new valve springs facilitate increased valve lift, plus the lifters are an improved design over the originals. Yeah, maybe in the thirties when Ford was considering powering airplanes with their V8's, but not these days. Guys who once dreamed of owning a flattie back in the '50s but who had neither the time nor the money were now in their 50s, with lots of disposable income. The flatheads compression ratio is well suited to supercharging, and besides, what could be more hot rod than a blower poking through the hood? Whats right for your engine differs per application. For even more protection, install a crossflow radiator and increase coolant system pressure to 17-21 pounds. Adjustable, Change a front-mount distributor cam to vertical drive with this Baron adapter. The pinnacle of flathead tech, this Dick Landy-built 700-plus-horsepower motor powered Ron, The 38-48 59A block (right) has an integral cast-in bellhousing. Cams like this with good aftermarket heads are capable of producing 200 hp and 240 lb-ft naturally aspirated, and over 300 hp and 350 lb-ft with a blower. supercharger. And there are always billet caps and girdles available. Four carbs on a properly designed intake manifold offer the best distribution short of today's dry EFI systems. There are builders on the left and right coasts and all points in-between who assemble reliable, powerful, 150-200hp engines, or you can buy new parts and build one yourself. In 1947, long before Zora Arkus-Duntov became famous for his work developing the Corvette and performance Chevrolet parts, he and his brother Yura designed what has been considered the ultimate flathead performance mod-turning the engine into an overhead-valve hemi. Since taking on the cylinder heads, Don's fabrication business has grown to encompass much more than just the Ardun conversions. If it boils, steam pockets form, and when you have steam, you'll get cracks. Centerforce offers clutches and flywheels. Trust Speedway Motors for best in class Cylinder Heads for Ford Flathead - delivered quickly, efficiently and without any hassles. Aluminum Flathead engine? | Page 2 | The H.A.M.B. Sure, it's not cheap (really not cheap), but when was pushing the envelope ever inexpensive? They're machining the first block castings right now. . This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. HOME | Mysite That first 50 G's supplied a blueprint -more or less- And that was all. The man behind it all is Mark Kirby of Motor City Speed Equipment, out of Dundee, Michigan. Some builders also recommend installing exhaust-port dividers to split the siamesed center exhaust ports. French blocks already h, Before the SCTA banned French blocks, Ron Main was treating this one to his valve-reversal, Piston evolution, from left: Not a cartoon caricature, the modern 50s-cast Hi-duty Ford O, Chamber evolution, from left: The early 32-36-style chamber worked with flat-top pistons, The 7/16 popup piston is at 23 degrees BTDC, the point where its 60-degree chamfer starts. I wish I could have stuck around for the next couple of years. Edelbrock, Wilcap (Sharp), and Offenhauser continue to market a wide variety of intakes. Why not let us all see? The Chrisman coupe ran three engines at Bonneville that year, but only one, Harry Duncan's 258-inch Ardun-Mercury, held together with any success. The downside was, as Flathead Engineering's Charlie Clark puts it, street rods "began to look about as exciting as a belly-button-everyone had one. TractorData.com Ford 2N tractor information Flatheads are old, ancient, obsolete technology. Relieving a Flathead, which is the process of removing material from the block between the valves and the cylinder for better breathing, is a subject unto itself. Seal the heads to the block using slick new graphite-impregnated head gaskets available from Best Gasket, Red's Headers, and Tatom. 226: Big News for The Custom Car Revival! Most in this group will accept a modified flathead as long as it is period-correct, with no obvious modern technology visible. The 2-inch rod journals are very popular because their diameter and width permits the use of readily available 215-inch-style Buick/Olds/Rover V-8 bearings. The new old cars got a lot of attention. This encouraged the old-time flathead parts guys (or their sons) to start repopping the old parts. Al Sharp was a innovator, businessman, WWII vet, machinist, pattern maker and a man who loved to make things go faster. Ultimately, there are equal-length race headers available from Tatom Custom Engines. Reliefs between the valves and bores are much less pronounced than the old days, only about 0.080-inch deep instead of the old-school 31/416 inch. Imagine all the programming that went into this. superchargers, which, like the heads, look period-correct and the case is filled with todays technology and outfitted with 4-71 helical-cut rotors. High-compression is the way to go. Of course, this modern stuff requires a 12-volt electrical system. Valves are 1.875 inches in diameter on the intake side, 1.5 on the exhaust. The foundation for this 1936 Ford three-window coupe is based on a Roadster Shop 1935-1940 Ford REVO chassis engineered for optimal street ride and handling performance. It spawned the modern aftermarket speed-equipment industry and became a favorite of bootleggers, dry-lakes racers, dirt trackers, street racers, and a whole generation that just wanted a fast car. The first-design 32 through early 38 engines had only 21 cylinder-head studs and until mid 1936 even used poured babbit main bearings. MCF's born-again flatty will come standard with a 3 1/2-inch bore and 1/8-inch-thick cylinder walls, thanks to special insert sleeves. In the end we should be so lucky to drive our end result as many miles as we traveled in our quest. There is also an ugly governor mounting boss on the left-rear of the block that many rodders prefer to machine off. "This year's Nationals saw the mass use of overhead valves," said the magazine. A truck oil pickup tube assembly (PN 8RT-6615) is required to use the M-15 as well as the standard volume Melling M-19 in 48-and-earlier engines; 49-and-up engines can use the stock pickup. A good supply of new French (really) blocks exist and outfits like Scat make new H-beam rods and sell cranks with up to a 4.5-inch stroke. The 2-inch rod journals are very popular because their diameter and width permits the use of readily available 215-inch-style Buick/Olds/Rover V-8 bearings. "I can make whatever you want, but 350 horsepower in a hot rod will smoke the tires all day long.". With his knowledge of welding, painting and engine work it kept him busy until he attended Oregon State College in 1949. Flathead gurus like Don Ferguson and Tony Baron strongly urge that hot rod engines run a harmonic damper. And there are always billet caps and girdles available. After 1953, flathead production continued in other countries, most notably in Europe, where the engine continued to be used in French military vehicles through the '90s. Baron, Edelbrock, Sharp (Wilcap), Navarro, and Offenhauser make both old-style heads as well as improved new configurations. H&H Top Dead Center T-shirt is printed on 100% cotton. He also makes a pan for his block that is supposed to work on a stock block? For improved cooling efficiency, original '49-'53 pumps have more impeller vanes than earlier models. A new player is Gemini Electronic Fuel Injection, a complete bolt-on flathead conversion kit based on the self-programming Prodigious fuel injection system. The brothers, working with designer George Kudasch, greatly enhanced the breathing and combustion efficiency of the flathead by developing an overhead-valve cylinder head with hemispherical combustion chambers. The Ford 2N was a variation on the 9N introduced due to World War II. Among Flathead builders there is . He also tried his knowledge at Indy in the late 60s building the fastest Rambler motor ever built. There are several techniques; the accompanying photos show the method preferred by Baron Racing. The Chevy's crank diameter is only 0.060-inch smaller than the flathead's. The new block is capable of much more horsepower because of additional webbing and four-bolt mains. Does it use a Ford style crank and rods? If it boils, steam pockets form, and when you have steam, youll get cracks. Instead, air wants to go over the front of the valve and hit the chamber roof. He bought the entire French stock, and at last count still has at least 500 blocks, 120 complete engines, and over 2,000 rods. Stewart-Warner 2-3/8-inch-diameter gauges mounted into the stock dashboard with a clock mounted in the glovebox door. This is an amazing process. After reading this article, you'll be capable of . Combining the Likes of Old Time Nostalgia with Todays Technology and Durability. You need the right amount of plenum volume and runner length to complement the engine size, camshaft, cylinder-head flow, and operating range. Box 205 Wilmington, CA 90744 (310) 872-9286 D2DFerguson@gmail.com A high-pressure system will run fine with no boiling, even at 190-210-degree gauge temps. Flatheads began to come back, and prices of swap-meet stuff skyrocketed. The body has an assortment of mild changes but we feel they are well measured as the coupe has a great stance and the appropriate hot rod look. Available in center and front water neck. I once asked him if he'd considered aluminum and I think he replied that they'd be on the market now. Don asks. Research has shown there's relatively little air movement over the base of the block. It was not your Dad's engine-it was your grandfather's. The best balance has been the subject of debate for over 60 years. Around 1998 Ken began making Ardun intake manifolds for a friend. Although new aftermarket iron blocks are reputedly under development, right now a real-world solution to finding a good core for your flathead is to start with a brand-new French block. It will use a new oil pan and special bolt-on universal bellhousing that accepts most modern transmissions.

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