Aside from his flathead speed equipment, he built parts for almost every engine that ran down the strip. Eventually you could build a whole street rod out of aftermarket commodity parts. 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. 226: Big News for The Custom Car Revival! 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. You need the right amount of plenum volume and runner length to complement the engine size, camshaft, cylinder-head flow, and operating range. K&F Show #259: The Dukes of Star Trek; Dukes Review S2E12 Arrest Jesse Duke. 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. In fact, the growing flathead movement has basically sorted itself out into three distinct groups. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Besides, multicarb setups look cool. The downside was, as Flathead Engineerings Charlie Clark puts it, street rods began to look about as exciting as a belly-button-everyone had one., Among this herd of sheep, a few original hot rods were brought out of retirement, complete with gennie flatheads as the powerplant. The flathead blocks to get are those with a 3 3/16-inch bore. Four-bolt center main cap. 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. Edelbrock, Wilcap (Sharp), and Offenhauser continue to market a wide variety of intakes. Mullins, a leading purveyor of surplus Jeep and other vintage military parts in Texas, accidentally discovered a warehouse full of brand-new French blocks about to be junked during a European trip searching for Jeep stuff. Even stock flatheads can run 6-7 psi boost with no problem. Whatever, originals are rare, which explains why a select few individuals have looked into reproducing them. Here we have botha great car and a great story. 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). $299.00. 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. 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. The block also has a number of upgrade internally, in terms of its intake and exhaust ports, as well as its valve guides. 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. But you will notice a gauge that youve probably never seen and thats the blower pressure gauge that RR&C had made up for this particular blown ARDUN. If it boils, steam pockets form, and when you have steam, you'll get cracks. ARDUN ENTERPRISES Don Ferguson P.O. Keep it under 8.0:1. Back in the day, four-barrel carbs had barely been invented. Welcome to the web site of H&H Flatheads. He started The Hot Rod Shop in 1945 where he fixed and customized cars. Scat offers affordable cast Pro Stock cranks through 4.375-inch stroke, with either 2.00- or 2.138-inch rod journals. He wasn't about to change the iconic Ardun look, and he wanted to ensure his parts would fit the old flat motors, but he saw an opportunity to revamp the workings inside those bulbous covers. Early and late distributor styles can be interchanged by using the corresponding front engine covers and cam drive. With a 4.5-inch-stroke aftermarket crank, that yields 334 cubic inches. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Chattanooga Area Hot Rodder Builds A Time Capsule, Make Plans NOW to Attend the Chattanooga Cruise In Toy Drive, Our Favorite Hot Rods from the 2018 NSRA Street Rod Nationals, Barn Find Report: 1947 ACF Brill Bus, The TenneSEEr. K&F Show #258: The Masters and Adam Sandlers 74 Duster; Movie Review Revisit Happy Gilmore! 1937 1938 1939 Ford Merc Flathead V8 Block Street Strip Custom Original Crank. Flathead Myths courtesy of Tony Baron 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. Not only has Don Ferguson continued to reproduce the heads, but he's taken the baton and run with it, the result being this high-grade 356-T6 aluminum block that now means it's possible to. Although a shade darker than stock, the Cloud Mist Gray comes from the color charts of PPG. I am SO interested in when these will be available. The block, heads, intake manifold and water pumps are made out of aluminum, making this a very light alternative to its cast iron brethren. Thanks ! RR&C achieved this look by removing the divider between the truck and the passenger compartment. The aluminum blocks used on the various all-aluminum Ardun builds are from Don Ferguson and are Ardun-only items. 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. There are kits to install Weiand and Magnuson superchargers, or even one or two GMC 71-series blowers. 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. Doesn't anyone remember the one built by Mark Kirby of Motor City Flatheads 10+ years ago?? Some fuel-injection setups even run distributorless coil-ignition setups. Orosco had 30 sets made, sold all but two (one set is on the So-Cal coupe), and realized the undertaking was more than he wanted to continue. Flat-O Products sells well-designed, complete kits to install the Ford C4 automatic and T5 manual behind either 8BA or 59A engines. Blower Kits. Tom Roberts new two-piece crossflow utilizes the latest in airflow technology. Apparently, the old boys' network doesn't want any youngbloods crashing their exclusive country club. 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. Opens in a new window or tab. All flatheads overheat, then the blocks crack. They will not work for a standard flathead build; they lack both exhaust and intake ports. Flatheads need high compression because they dont breathe. Flathead gurus like Don Ferguson and Tony Baron strongly urge that hot rod engines run a harmonic damper. TCMP #538: Pro-Touring Update with Larry Callahan: How To Create a Garage Studio and Upcoming Pro-Touring Events! Ross, Wiseco, Egge, Arias, and others make pistons in any configuration you desire. As for cylinder heads, Baron, Edelbrock, Navarro, Offenhauser, and Sharp (now sold by Wilcap) all have their adherents. Like all fads, once started, the process fed itself. There are over 50 different flathead intake manifolds, but they arent all created equal. A stock flathead rod (rear) is forged from steel that will bend instead of break outright. A wide variety of headers are available for flathead engines, which certainly should not retain the restrictive stock exhaust manifolds. 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. The story starts around a decade ago with Don Orosco, who after a lot of research and a not-inconsiderable investment, had 30 sets of Ardun heads reproduced for his personal racing efforts. French blocks are about 30 pounds heavier than a standard flathead, which is a good indication of better metal and thicker walls. Don asks. As we go to press, word is just in that Mark Kirby at Motor City Flathead has joined forces with Shadow Rods to develop an all-new, improved 49-53-style aftermarket cast-iron flathead block. Ross, Wiseco, Egge, Arias, and others make pistons in any configuration you desire. Those streamliners we mentioned earlier in the story are among the Ferguson's current stable of salt-assault vehicles. Instead, air wants to go over the front of the valve and hit the chamber roof. The stock flathead oiling system is marginal for performance use. The block is cast from aluminum and features a great number of changes from the original cast iron design. (Yes, gasoline!) Improved internal components and casting technology make them more reliable and leak-free. He also makes a compatible cast-aluminum block. Most in this group will accept a modified flathead as long as it is period-correct, with no obvious modern technology visible. Ultimately, there are equal-length race headers available from Tatom Custom Engines. ", Among this herd of sheep, a few original hot rods were brought out of retirement, complete with gennie flatheads as the powerplant. The heads and valve covers are made from 356 T6 aluminum, far superior to the alloy used back in the day. The flathead blocks to get are those with a 3 3/16-inch bore. Reputedly, they are cast with 10 percent higher nickel content, and the quality of the modern castings is a lot smoother with much less core shift. Seal the heads to the block using slick new graphite-impregnated head gaskets available from Best Gasket, Red's Headers, and Tatom. Most builders convert the stock oil system to a full-flow design with a modern, remote-mounted oil filter. As its name implies, Reds Headers is the place to go for the widest selection of street-style headers. A new player is Gemini Electronic Fuel Injection, a complete bolt-on flathead conversion kit based on the self-programming Prodigious fuel injection system. Edelbrock 1115 Flathead Ford Aluminum Cylinder Head With Script Logo 65cc Pair. Charles Scott was also running an Ardun at the meet, a Hilborn-injected flathead nestled in the back of his Scotty's Muffler Service belly tanker. 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. Original price. 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. The solution is to raise the boiling point by upping coolant-system pressure to 17-21 pounds, using a modern crossflow radiator and higher-pressure cap. 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. The single and twin u, Gemini Electronic Fuel Injection looks like traditional mechanical fuel injection but is a, Roadrunner Engineering offers complete kits including beltdrives for the Weiand 142 and 17, Uncommon Engineering specializes in, well, uncommon setups-modern renditions of the most f, Dont want a front-mount? Custom billets stretch all the way to 4.5-inch stroke. Two things to watch out for are an extra water hole in the block and the lack of a breather standpipe in the block. No signage, not even a number on the front door. 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. 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. The oil, water, fuel, and amp are N.O.S. Privacy Policy. Copyright 2000-2009 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited. Isn't Don Ferguson making an 8BA aluminum Flathead style block? Solve cooling problems by using a modern water pump available through Speedway Motors and other sources. However, the main caps are beefier than traditional stock flatheads. Some builders also recommend installing exhaust-port dividers to split the siamesed center exhaust ports. With just three mains (modern V-8s have five), a flatties bottom-end is marginal for high, Tom Roberts uses a 6-inch-od early 327 Chevy small-journal damper, honed and rebroached wi, Dont want to do any machining? I love your style Corky. Most flattie builders modify factory pans. Mark designed an all-new flathead block that resembles Henry's old boiler, but improves it in every way. Available with center water neck. As the story goes, the owner really didnt want to part with the coupe but six months of perseverance finally netted Amie the decisive weekend of negotiating when a deal was made and the coupe was brought home. What would you save, 100-150 lbs? Ultimately, there are equal-length race headers available from Tatom Custom Engines. A very brief history goes something like this: In 1947, years before his involvement with the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov, along with his brother, Yura, designed an overhead conversion for the Ford Flathead V-8, marketing them as Ardun-an acronym of their second name, originally manufactured in New York and later assembled in England and fitted to many Allard sports cars, hence the confusing differences in the script cast into the valve covers. This block is completely beefed up, with four-bolt caps, reinforced bottom-end and webbing, furnace-brazed sleeves (max bore is 3.5 inches), and new-design head studs that tie into the bottom of the block. Yes, you can have a classic flathead with modern fuel injection. A new player is Gemini Electronic Fuel Injection, a complete bolt-on flathead conversion kit based on the self-programming Prodigious fuel injection system. What's the deal with that thing? He traveled from home to New Mexico then to Los Angeles and onto Sacramento where he located the perfect foundation for his new build. The new block is capable of much more horsepower because of additional webbing and four-bolt mains. We are now the exclusive distributors of Navarro Racing Equipment, Sharp Speed Equipment, Wilson and Woods Cylinder Heads, Dixon Overhead Valve Conversion, and a complete line of Austin Speed Equipment for the Arudn, Lincoln 337, Lincoln V12 and V8 60. Not only has Don Ferguson continued to reproduce the heads, but he's taken the baton and run with it, the result being this high-grade 356-T6 aluminum block that now means it's possible to own a complete, brand-new Ardun engine with no old parts whatsoever. 225: Hooligans In Hot Rods Getting Hamburgers, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. However, there are some significant differences in French blocks compared to the originals. Five different intakes are available including 2x2s, 3x2s, 4x2s, a 4 bbl and a blower and they cost $1,000 each. Tatom believes spreading the centers helps combat overlap-induced reversion with the flatheads siamesed center exhaust ports. Correct-length flathead 1.800 intake/1.600 exhaust valves are available from flathead specialists like Baron Racing. By doing so it gives the interior a more spacious feel as well as allowing room for the positioning of the custom bucket seats utilizing 1956 T-bird seatbelts. Schneider's 278F solid (0.420 lift, 250 degrees at 0.050 duration, 110-degree lobe separation angle) is one grind that falls within these specs. https://www.howacarworks.com/engine-block, https://www.cokertire.com/blog/top-sminum-flathead. Melling still makes a high-volume oil pump (PN M-15). Here you can find some details and specifcations for the newly engineered flathead block, not sure how old this information is? His greatest impact was at the salt lakes where he is a legend. 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). By designating a new model, Ford was able bypass wartime restrictions on price. The company they formed to produce these heads was named "Ardun," an acronym derived from their last name. He is now replicating S.Co.T. ARDUN Enterprises is now replicating S.Co.T. No one runs the old weak stock ignitions anymore. The street motors, on the other hand, typically put out "about 1 horsepower per cubic inch, unblown," he says. Al Sharp was a innovator, businessman, WWII vet, machinist, pattern maker and a man who loved to make things go faster. It was a statement, in effect saying, "I am not a cookie-cutter rod.". The Ford flathead V8 is a V8 engine of the valve-in-block type designed by the Ford Motor. These new aluminum hemi heads will bolt directly to any small-block Ford from a 289/302 all the way up to 351W as well as Cleveland engines. ". About H&H Flatheads: Founded in 2003 by Mike Herman, H&H Flatheads is celebrating its 15th anniversary. The old-timers took what they had and made it work. Maybe they are only for dragsters. 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. H&H Top Dead Center T-shirt is printed on 100% cotton. Isn't Don Ferguson making an 8BA aluminum Flathead block? Its a hot rod befitting any road well-traveled. 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. French blocks are hybrids, essentially a '49-'53 8BA in terms of deck height and front-end, but with the integral cast bellhousing and corresponding oil pan as found on the '38 1/2-'48 59A. The Chrisman brothers competition coupeso handsome it warranted its own "Fantastic Coupe" feature in the magazine as well as a Rex Burnett cutaway drawingused an innovative rear engine-mount cradle that could be uncoupled from the chassis to speed repairs or swaps. Click below to preview or download the complete catalog. They did a lot of work for different companies around L.A., including some of the early speed equipment makers. Both the front and rear are equipped with an enhanced brake package wrapped around Baer discs featuring 11-inch rotors and appropriate calipers. It has a f, Block mods for adjustable lifters: With the windowed solid flat-tappet lifter, drill a sma, Built to Barons specs, this 12-quart pan with integral windage tray fits 59A and French i, Baron Racings full-flow oil system: Plug the existing main-feed lower lateral port at the, Drill a 3/8-inch hole from the bottom of the cam bore to the rear main journal (photo 2, E, Baron Racing intakes include the Thickstun two-carb high-rise (left), shown here with Chan, The original Edelbrock four-barrel carb intakes were designed for small, now-obsolete, Car, Wilcap is reproducing Sharp intake manifolds. 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. Mullins, a leading purveyor of surplus Jeep and other vintage military parts in Texas, accidentally discovered a warehouse full of brand-new French blocks about to be junked during a European trip searching for Jeep stuff. It must have a stock style front for the pumps and front cover or my water pump kits wouldn't work. Baron also offers a modern version of the famous Tattersfield/Baron four-carb race intake in more civilized street form. It becomes an evolution,and makes the sport better, and everybody gains. With no rocker arms, a flathead's total lift must be generated entirely by the cam lobe. Making power with a flathead is a fine balancing act, juggling the higher thermodynamic potential of raising compression against improving airflow through the combustion chamber. 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. Im not sure what has happened to the project since but some chatter on the H.A.M.B suggests that Jon Hall on Shadow Rods may be involved? At one end there are restorers who insist on putting everything back to exact original condition. Most builders convert the stock oil system to a full-flow design with a modern, remote-mounted oil filter. Should you look into the trunk you can see forward to the dash. Also check out Speedway Engineering's offerings. Strombergs were the favorites, but Chandler-Grove/Holley, Zenith, and Rochester two-barrels were also in use. In 1947, they were commissioned by Ford to improve the output of its truck engines. This encouraged the old-time flathead parts guys (or their sons) to start repopping the old parts. The Sharp 32 triple carburetor intake is one of the few that accepts Holley 94s and Stromberg 97s. For even more protection, install a crossflow radiator and increase coolant system pressure to 17-21 pounds. TCMP #538: Pro-Touring Update with Larry Callahan: How To Create a Garage Studio and Upcoming Pro-Touring Events! Wilcap also sells 32-48 Ford mechanical-clutch hardware. Tony Baron runs 10 degrees of base timing and 23 degrees max at full advance. 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. Tony Baron says French blocks can be bored 0.250-over (1/4 inch). He and Gene Mooneyham built and sold some of the first aluminum heads for the Chrysler Hemi. If you look beneath the dash you will spot the makings of a South Wind gasoline heater. These are the only 337 high compression cylinder heads on the market. Built in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. Its been uttered over and over that discovering the how and why someone builds their hot rod is oftentimes more interesting than the car itself. Austin Lincoln 337 32 Barrel Intake Manifold, Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 3:00pm Navarro High Dome Heads are designed for special high performance applications. The headliner is a tan wool while the carpeting and floor mats are a dark brown tight weave pile all from the sewing machine of Putnam. Now it's 2005, and the flathead's resurgence shows no sign of diminishing. The originals still are. Automotive American Classic Vintage & Modern, Flathead Myths courtesy of Tony Baron Tatom believes spreading the centers helps combat overlap-induced reversion with the flathead's siamesed center exhaust ports. They fit original '39-'53 blocks, French blocks, and (perhaps the ultimate evolution) Ferguson's new aluminum block. Correct-length flathead 1.800 intake/1.600 exhaust valves are available from flathead specialists like Baron Racing. The Chevy's crank diameter is only 0.060-inch smaller than the flathead's. For improved cooling efficiency, original 49-53 pumps have more impeller vanes than earlier models. supercharger. The old cam grinders-including Isky, Schneider, Elgin, and others-have both old and new cam grinds. This block is completely beefed up, with four-bolt caps, reinforced bottom-end and webbing, furnace-brazed sleeves (max bore is 3.5 inches), and new-design head studs that tie into the bottom of the block. Although it sounds weird in this modern age of thin-wall castings, the 3 3/16-inch-bore, U.S.-built flatties can be bored 0.125-inch (1/8-inch-over). They're machining the first block castings right now. French blocks have some unique features and are covered separately. Dave Putnam (Orangevale, California) used a dark brown leather to stitch over the custom buckets resting on top of unique seat risers all crafted by the crew at RR&C. Even stock flatheads can run 6-7 psi boost with no problem. The new Sharp V8 60 flathead cylinder heads with front water neck. The bell housing mount is Chevrolet and I believe the water pump has a revision. Sure, it's not cheap (really not cheap), but when was pushing the envelope ever inexpensive? (Tucked away in another barn are future projects, such as a 1940 Suburban and a 1938 Chevy cabriolet.) The flathead's compression ratio is well suited to supercharging, and besides, what could be more hot rod than a blower poking through the hood? While attending college he gained interest in making parts for himself and started making some speed equipment and honed his pattern making skills.In 1964, Ken built an improved air-powered vacuum system known as the Air-Vacuum System which helped found his dental equipment company A-dec. Ken and Joan have grown the company to become the leading manufacture of dental equipment in the world offering a com-plete line of dental equipment.Throughout the years he has been a classic car collector and enthusiast. The 270-F, Tatom's 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.