He traveled from home to New Mexico then to Los Angeles and onto Sacramento where he located the perfect foundation for his new build. Keep it under 8.0:1. No detail has escaped Don's attention. French blocks are about 30 pounds heavier than a standard flathead, which is a good indication of better metal and thicker walls. The new Arduns have lighter 11/32-inch-stem stainless steel valves and accept modern 12mm, Save another 70 pounds with Arduns new aluminum block. Coolant needs to remain in liquid form when it circulates through the motor. You can now build a brand-new flathead. One solution is adopting a small-block Chevy damper. Baron Racing offers this hub that adapts the 6 1/4-inch-od, Dont want to do any machining and need to retain the stock pulleys and beltdrives? But thanks to the efforts of several hot rodders and land speed racers, especially Don, the coveted conversion kits are readily available and much improved over those first heads built in the '40s and '50s. $1,120. He was basing his calculations on the assumption that a coefficient of friction of over 1.0 could not be achieved. Flathead gurus like Don Ferguson and Tony Baron strongly urge that hot rod engines run a harmonic damper. They did a lot of work for different companies around L.A., including some of the early speed equipment makers. You may lose as much as 30 hp above 4,500 rpm. TMCP #537: Ask Rick Lessons Learned to Promote (or Dismiss) Employees; Plus an Easter Project Car Review Blowout! His greatest impact was at the salt lakes where he is a legend. He was a pioneer in the evolution of the flathead. In 1947, they were commissioned by Ford to improve the output of its truck engines. Finally, there are brand-new aluminum blocks and Ardun OHV conversion heads and valvetrains. Centerforce offers clutches and flywheels. Don has also raised the floor of the intake and exhaust ports to better move the air. There is also an old article here on Hot Rod Network, I also found a video on YouTube from 2012 showing Mark discussing the project. Ford Flathead V8 The engine that gave birth to Hot Rodding is back!! Flatheads are old, ancient, obsolete technology. However, there are some significant differences in French blocks compared to the originals. Still not enough? Younger guys yearned for a simpler, back to basics approach. Flatheads need high compression because they dont breathe. 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. "Flat-Heads Battle Rocker-Arms for All-Out Supremacy" blared the Nov. '53 HOT ROD. TBI injection through billet Stromberg 97 carb-like throttle-bodies is available from Flathead Engineering. The battery and alternator were eliminated, and replaced with a magneto and . Relieved blocks must have the reliefs filled to use Ardun heads. Sure, it's not cheap (really not cheap), but when was pushing the envelope ever inexpensive? Sharp 32 Super Dual Early Intake Manifold can accept either Holley 94s or Stromberg 97s. Automotive American Classic Vintage & Modern, Flathead Myths courtesy of Tony Baron All new design for 2019 is based on one of our favorite builds the blown, Ardun flathead. What would you save, 100-150 lbs? 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. 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. 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. For reasons known only to the crazy French, flatheads were used in French Army trucks through the early 90s. At first everyone was dumping modern engines into old metal, but eventually the supply of stock bodies dried up and reproduction glass bodies took over. His manifolds and valve covers graced the of the famous Hurst Hairy Olds twin engine car and he helped Craig Breedlove with the Spirirt of America record setting run. He works with a couple different cam grinders and will help spec the stick to deliver the poweror the lopedesired. Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Jimmy2car, Apr 26, 2010. With such a small difference; its relatively easy to take a little off the Ford snout then slightly hone the inside of a Chevy balancer so it slips over the Ford crank. The mixture must follow a tortuous U-turn path out the block-mounted intake valve, over to the main part of the chamber above the piston, and then back out the exhaust valve. Other appointments include the Autotrend EFI with a Holley HP ECU, an electronic ignition housed to look like a vintage magneto (possibly a Vertex), an MSD coil, cloth braided spark plug wires, while the juice is derived from the trunk-mounted Optima RedTop battery. Sometimes it takes just a better idea. Austin Lincoln 337 32 Barrel Intake Manifold, Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 3:00pm Copper head gaskets are sold by SCE. Remember, this Flathead is brought to life through an Autotrend EFI system requiring the use of modern electronics and a means of control. Chrisman, Rathman and others had Al build custom parts for their cars. They also produced the unique luggage rack that resides within the trunk. There are several techniques; the accompanying photos show the method preferred by Baron Racing. Opens in a new window or tab. 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. When I think about it, an aluminum flathead block makes no sense, economic or otherwise. Those streamliners we mentioned earlier in the story are among the Ferguson's current stable of salt-assault vehicles. Get yours today. Most flattie builders modify factory pans. ", Among this herd of sheep, a few original hot rods were brought out of retirement, complete with gennie flatheads as the powerplant. 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. 217 and 201 are only 4 bolt which you can see if the lower cover is off the bell housing. Two things to watch out for are an extra water hole in the block and the lack of a breather standpipe in the block. The home of the Ford Flathead rebuilding specialist from mild to wild. 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. There are several reasons for developing a new aluminum block for the Flathead. -Shadow Rods original cost of reverse engineering the Ford Flathead block was almost $50,000. 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. 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. The street motors, on the other hand, typically put out "about 1 horsepower per cubic inch, unblown," he says. Speedway Motors offers pumps with sealed bearings that do an even better job in both early and late configurations. He and Gene Mooneyham built and sold some of the first aluminum heads for the Chrysler Hemi. At present, the only aftermarket custom oil pan available is from Ardun Engineering. The old cam grinders-including Isky, Schneider, Elgin, and others-have both old and new cam grinds. It comes with the standard REVO IFS with drop spindles, splined sway bar, upgraded to Penske double-adjustable coilover shocks. 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. No one runs the old weak stock ignitions anymore. 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). Stay tuned for further updates on this project. Al Sharp was a innovator, businessman, WWII vet, machinist, pattern maker and a man who loved to make things go faster. The company they formed to produce these heads was named "Ardun," an acronym derived from their last name. Baron also offers a modern version of the famous Tattersfield/Baron four-carb race intake in more civilized street form. He was the first to run a roots style 371 blower on a destroked 24 stud motor 176c.i. Click below to preview or download the complete catalog. 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. Modern 12mm spark plugs seat flush with the hemispherical chamber, meaning they'll work better with modern ignitions. Since taking on the cylinder heads, Don's fabrication business has grown to encompass much more than just the Ardun conversions. He bought the entire French stock, and at last count still has at least 500 blocks, 120 complete engines, and over 2,000 rods. The company they formed to produce these heads was named Ardun, an acronym derived from their last name. And there are always billet caps and girdles available. We have continually grown and expanded our engine services. Apparently, the old boys network doesnt want any youngbloods crashing their exclusive country club. The bell housing mount is Chevrolet and I believe the water pump has a revision. There are over 50 different flathead intake manifolds, but they arent all created equal. At one end there are restorers who insist on putting everything back to exact original condition. "Of 17 new records established at this meet, 12 of them were set with overhead valve engines." 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? He also makes a pan for his block that is supposed to work on a stock block? The best balance has been the subject of debate for over 60 years. The high-tech engineered design has a runne, A unique feature of Magnusons Eaton blower is the bypass valve (arrow) that opens under c, The improved 49-53 pump (left) can be used in place of the early pump (right) by pluggin, Typical water pumps, from left: a 38-48 passenger-car pump modified for a bolt-on pulley, This is MSDs 8BA billet flathead distributor (PN 8574) that works with all the trick MSD. Learn how your comment data is processed. Here you can find some details and specifcations for the newly engineered flathead block, not sure how old this information is? York and his staff used their substantial talents and blended a Roadster Shop chassis, an ARDUN Enterprises V-8, and a beautifully massaged 1936 Ford coupe with just the right number of modifications to bring this hot rod to life. Valves are 1.875 inches in diameter on the intake side, 1.5 on the exhaust. The man behind it all is Mark Kirby of Motor City Speed Equipment, out of Dundee, Michigan. Just where did this engine come from? For even more protection, install a crossflow radiator and increase coolant system pressure to 17-21 pounds. French blocks have some unique features and are covered separately. Maybe they are only for dragsters. Scat offers affordable cast Pro Stock cranks through 4.375-inch stroke, with either 2.00- or 2.138-inch rod journals. For even more protection, install a crossflow radiator and increase coolant system pressure to 17-21 pounds. Available in black t-shirt or white t-shirt. 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). o'hare snow totals 2022, overactive immune system and covid vaccine reactions, best reforge for accessories hypixel skyblock reforge update,
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