ferguson aluminum flathead block ferguson aluminum flathead block

Keep it under 8.0:1. 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. 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. Those streamliners we mentioned earlier in the story are among the Ferguson's current stable of salt-assault vehicles. 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. A wide variety of headers are available for flathead engines, which certainly should not retain the restrictive stock exhaust manifolds. Since taking on the cylinder heads, Don's fabrication business has grown to encompass much more than just the Ardun conversions. Ardun Enterprises (Don Ferguson) Wilmington, CA 323/775-6803 www.ardun.com Ardun OHV cylinder heads and related valvetrain and camshaft parts; aluminum blocks, cast-aluminum oil pan, EFI systems . He apprenticed as a pattern makers helper when the war broke out. If anybody is following Terry Bertz and his five main bearing cast iron Model A block, you'll know the heartaches and headaches he's been dealing with and the only solution to his problems was to go across the Pacific. On the following pages, we'll 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. 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. 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. The new old cars got a lot of attention. They're machining the first block castings right now. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). 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. Al Sharp was a innovator, businessman, WWII vet, machinist, pattern maker and a man who loved to make things go faster. Small-block Chevy valves remain popular, but with reduced-base-circle cams they may be too short to permit proper lash adjustment. Much has been written about the legendary Ardun Flathead conversion over the years-some truth, some myth, and some hearsay. 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). It will use a new oil pan and special bolt-on universal bellhousing that accepts most modern transmissions. Besides, multicarb setups look cool. 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. What would you save, 100-150 lbs? Maybe they are only for dragsters. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Five different intakes are available including 2x2s, 3x2s, 4x2s, a 4 bbl and a blower and they cost $1,000 each. Blower Kits. Yes, you can have a classic flathead with modern fuel injection. 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. Newly Engineered Flathead V8 Block - Motor City Speed Equipment - Automotive American Newly Engineered Flathead V8 Block - Motor City Speed Equipment Advertisements Googling around as you do I initially found the story of Mark Kirby's newly engineered Flathead V8 block on the Coker Tyres website This is a quite old story from back in 2010 Kop Fabled Stromberg 97 carbs are back, but you can also upgrade to modern Holley four-barrels or even electronic-fuel-injection systems. Chrisman, Rathman and others had Al build custom parts for their cars. Now it's 2005, and the flathead's resurgence shows no sign of diminishing. Improved internal components and casting technology make them more reliable and leak-free. But that just leaves these pristine virgin blocks for us normal street guys. 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. And there are always billet caps and girdles available. Like all fads, once started, the process fed itself. With that motor, the Chrismans won the B Comp Coupe class and set a new class record of 160.178 mph. Again, like so many of us, he attended car shows most of his life but life doesnt always present the time necessary to dig in. But the times, theyre a changin and the opportunity wasnt lost on Amie. It was in the 40s that the Stewart-Warner Southwind used them in Fords. 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. krylon32, Apr 26, 2010 SHARE POST #5 gooseta2 Member from on the edge dknlsdknvsl Last edited: Aug 11, 2012 gooseta2, Apr 27, 2010 SHARE POST #6 flatjack Member from Oshkosh, Wi. You can now build a brand-new flathead. The street motors, on the other hand, typically put out "about 1 horsepower per cubic inch, unblown," he says. All tidier and more efficient than original. If it boils, steam pockets form, and when you have steam, youll get cracks. BlockNew 356 high-grade aluminium by Don Ferguson at Ardun Enterprises and polished by The Polishing Shop in Oxnard, California. The bell housing mount is Chevrolet and I believe the water pump has a revision. Centerforce offers clutches and flywheels. There are kits to install Weiand and Magnuson superchargers, or even one or two GMC 71-series blowers. 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. 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. I just got around to reading my Street Rodder magazine and again noticed an ad from Shadow Rods with that Aluminum Flathead engine. Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2016 6:17 am Post subject: Re: Chrysler 6 cyl flathead. Traditional flathead airflow management practices call for relieving the block-removing metal between the valve-seat sides closest to the cylinder bore. The Sharp 32 triple carburetor intake is one of the few that accepts Holley 94s and Stromberg 97s. or Best Offer. Flatheads are old, ancient, obsolete technology. Theres a fine juggling act between compression and promoting proper transfer from the offset valves across the piston top. For even more protection, install a crossflow radiator and increase coolant system pressure to 17-21 pounds. 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. 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. 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. The block also has a number of upgrade internally, in terms of its intake and exhaust ports, as well as its valve guides. The front fenders were then modified to allow for valve cover clearance. They fit original '39-'53 blocks, French blocks, and (perhaps the ultimate evolution) Ferguson's new aluminum block. Mooneyes also offers throttle-bodies that resemble Strombergs. Younger guys yearned for a simpler, back to basics approach. 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? Automotive American Classic Vintage & Modern, Flathead Myths courtesy of Tony Baron 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. Earlier 3 1/16-inch-bore blocks will only go 0.090-over. These second-design 38 1/2-48 blocks (often referred to as 59A castings) retained an integral cast-in bellhousing, used a distributor that mounts flush to the front cover with a horizontal shaft on the front of the engine and had insert-style main bearings but still used full-floating rod bearings (one bearing shell for each rod pair). 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. However, the main caps are beefier than traditional stock flatheads. 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. 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. With no rocker arms, a flathead's total lift must be generated entirely by the cam lobe. The frame was fitted with brackets to accept a blown ARDUN V-8, TREMEC TKO five-speed, clutch pedal, power brake booster and pedal, and plumbing package, which includes stainless steel brake lines. 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. . Tony Baron runs 10 degrees of base timing and 23 degrees max at full advance. He offers spark plug tubes in two diameters: a reproduction of the originals, which will fit the original plugs, and a new style, narrower tube that accepts contemporary plugs and offers a little more room to clear the rockers, should you want to get more radical with the lift. You have to beat him/her at the same game. -Shadow Rods original cost of reverse engineering the Ford Flathead block was almost $50,000. Well, what kind of motor do you want? A look inside gives you the sensation of an open air concept that could easily be seen in many of todays homes. TMCP #537: Ask Rick Lessons Learned to Promote (or Dismiss) Employees; Plus an Easter Project Car Review Blowout! Available in center and front water neck. This is an amazing process. Its a hot rod befitting any road well-traveled. French blocks are about 30 pounds heavier than a standard flathead, which is a good indication of better metal and thicker walls. Enjoyed this Post? Aree the new aluminum flathead locks in production yet? 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. Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Jimmy2car, Apr 26, 2010. You need lots of timing to make a flathead run. Mooneyes also offers throttle-bodies that resemble Strombergs. 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. 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. Only 200 original sets are known to exist, but fortunately, Ardun heads and associated conversion parts are back, reproduced in improved form by Don Ferguson of Ardun Enterprises. They fit original 39-53 blocks, French blocks, and (perhaps the ultimate evolution) Fergusons new aluminum block. Of course, this modern stuff requires a 12-volt electrical system. Starting in July 1938, the blocks went to 24 head-retention studs. "Flat-Heads Battle Rocker-Arms for All-Out Supremacy" blared the Nov. '53 HOT ROD. There are several reasons for developing a new aluminum block for the Flathead. 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. Get yours today. Edelbrock, Wilcap (Sharp), and Offenhauser continue to market a wide variety of intakes. You need the right amount of plenum volume and runner length to complement the engine size, camshaft, cylinder-head flow, and operating range. There are several reasons for developing a new aluminum block for the Flathead. Eventually you could build a whole street rod out of aftermarket commodity parts. Correct-length flathead 1.800 intake/1.600 exhaust valves are available from flathead specialists like Baron Racing. Flathead gurus like Don Ferguson and Tony Baron strongly urge that hot rod engines run a harmonic damper. A wide variety of headers are available for flathead engines, which certainly should not retain the restrictive stock exhaust manifolds. Eventually you could build a whole street rod out of aftermarket commodity parts. 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. In fact, unless you have a badly core-shifted block, most of them can accept a whopping 0.1875-inch overbore (3/16-inch over standard). superchargers, which, like the heads, look period-correct and the case is filled with todays technology and outfitted with 4-71 helical-cut rotors. Most builders convert the stock oil system to a full-flow design with a modern, remote-mounted oil filter. Short of machining the block oversize for custom roller-cam bearings, even with a reduced base circle this limits max cam lift to about 0.460 inch. This lateral flow severely restricts flathead breathing capability, although it does promote what today's high-tech engineers term swirl and tumble, which enhances fuel mixing and combustion. Tony Baron runs 10 degrees of base timing and 23 degrees max at full advance. Most stock flatheads never came with an effective harmonic damper. Trust Speedway Motors for best in class Cylinder Heads for Ford Flathead - delivered quickly, efficiently and without any hassles. A new player is Gemini Electronic Fuel Injection, a complete bolt-on flathead conversion kit based on the self-programming Prodigious fuel injection system. Its only right. 1937 1938 1939 Ford Merc Flathead V8 Block Street Strip Custom Original Crank. 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. ". Many hard-core guys still swear by Isky's 400-JR solid (0.400 lift, 244-degrees at 0.050, 111-degree LSA). They fit original '39-'53 blocks, French blocks, and (perhaps the ultimate evolution) Ferguson's new aluminum block. 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 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? 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. 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. And Don has rimmed the valve cover with an O-ring for leak-free sealing. Flatheads began to come back, and prices of swap-meet stuff skyrocketed. No detail has escaped Don's attention. Also check out Speedway Engineerings offerings. What's the deal with that thing? K&F Show #258: The Masters and Adam Sandlers 74 Duster; Movie Review Revisit Happy Gilmore! Isn't Don Ferguson making an 8BA aluminum Flathead style block? These are the only 337 high compression cylinder heads on the market. At present, the only aftermarket custom oil pan available is from Ardun Engineering. 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. 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. Over the meticulous bodywork performed by RR&C, a 1940 Ford factory color was applied. 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. K&F Show #258: The Masters and Adam Sandlers 74 Duster; Movie Review Revisit Happy Gilmore! 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. You may lose as much as 30 hp above 4,500 rpm.. 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). There are kits to install Weiand and Magnuson superchargers, or even one or two GMC 71-series blowers. The stock flathead oiling system is marginal for performance use.