Re: FLATHEADS

[farna@xxxxxxx]

"Radically rebuilt" really says it all! With a billet crank (crank strength is there with stock since all pre 63 or so cranks are forged, but no counterweights would be rough!) and main caps, and definitely pressurized (probably a roots type blower, but could be one or more turbos). There are ways to get around the combustion chamber/compression problem I mentioned -- the easiest is with pressure. Built like that it might take a diesel conversion, but the costs would far outseigh any benefit. Even the low compression diesel would require an engine driven compressor (centrifugal or roots) to work because of the compression limitations of a flat head. For AMC content, that includes ALL flat heads, even the 172.6/184/195.6 Nash/AMC models. 

The flat-head Ford V-8 was THE engine of choice for rodders before the SBC. Overhead valves and larger sizes eventually put the SBC ahead, but it took a while! A popular method of hot-rodding a tri-5 (55/6/7) Chevys was to drop in a bigger OHV mill, usually a Cadillac or Buick. It took until the early to mid 60s for the SBC to become the engine of choice. By then Chevy had made so many of them, and the aftermarket was making so many parts. The flat-head V-8s main limitation was the size -- I think a 331 (Mercury) was the biggest from the factory, and it had a rather long stroke. 


On November 30, 2005 Pat Whiteside wrote:

> Don't sell flatheads short without knowing all the facts. Sure they are old technology, but some very radical flathead engines have been built. An original Ford production, 1946, 85 h.p., flathead engine was radically rebuilt to produce 653 h.p., placed in a streamliner body and set a Land Speed Record of 300+ mph @ Bonneville. As far as I know, so far, no AMC engine has achieved a speed over 200 mph. See the facts at www.flatfire.com. PS- in addition to my AMC's, I have a 37 flathead Ford and a 38 flathead Ford, as well as half a dozen spare flathead engines. Here's a link  http://www.flatfire.com/index.htm
> 
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