Hot Rods Why not a 337?

Lots of OHV engines with 337 cubes or more that are lighter and more cost affective.

 

But none made before 1948, are there?

 

Son, you're gonna drive me to drinkin......

 

True, an ls makes a good swap i hear lol

 

Nope!

 

So a FH Ford weighs what, 450 lbs? With 239 ci.
Can a factory 337 at 850 lbs put in the same 2500lb car, out running it in a straight line? Maybe. But I’d think in a 2500 lb car, the extra weight in front would bring up some handling issues with it. I’m not talking about auto cross type stuff, just day to day driving.
Yea I can see the cool factor thing, but I wonder if the extra 300-350 lbs over the front end is worth it?
I’ve no idea on what it cost for engine internal performance parts, cams/pistons, etc. are they available or custom made?
Bringing up the Hemi isn’t a real comparison, I don’t think you get get (but I really don’t know) 700 HP out of a 337 vs a Hemi NA and have it live awhile.
But for something cool and different from the norm, heck yeah. If you have one, want to be different, do it.

 

When you box yourself in it comes at a cost. If you do this ya better build 2 of some of it. It's not like they're everywhere and anywhere, and how many that are strewn about are buildable? Let's look fwd, been done a few years but now you need a substantial repair/parts. Not like a generic flatty that you can get stuff nearly anywhere. If that's a boxing match you're up for then by all means tape the gloves on. This applies to more than an overweight truck motor of course. How come Pontiacs aren't popular? Packard V8s? Flathead Cad/LaSalle? Great engines but other than long legged top speed efforts zippy stoplight to stoplight performance isn't in their repertoire. I'm not being a dick, you asked opinions. Enough has been mentioned above about weight so I didn't bother. Can you? Sure. Should you? Only you and your hairdresser know for sure.

 

To clarify this, I just ran across blueprints of an original Ardun head in another thread. It says they were made of "355-T6 HEAT-TREATED ALCOA ALLOY"

 

HAHAHAHAHAHA, love it

 

The 337 engines were also used in buses, larger Ford trucks, and some industrial applications, along with Lincolns. Muntz Jets also used them right up until Ford/Lincoln came out with overhead valve engines in 1952. I ran a rebuilt 337 along with an extremely heavy Hydramatic behind it in the first Jet that I built, back in the early nineties. It maneuvered like a very underpowered, overweight boat.

 

I am usually a chebby man but as late model motors go the Coyote is a better looking mill.

There actually were a few pretty good sized inline motors built before '48. Then of course there is always the Allison option.

 

I think it's the same reason you don't see a lot of early Cadillac engines although you are more likely to see a Caddy then a Lincoln flathead.

The limited numbers built due to the price a 49 Lincoln new cost 3,186 to $3,948, a 49 Cadillac club Coupe $2,900 and a convertible was about $3,400.

A 49 Ford Tudor Sedan-$1,425 2 Door Wagon, 8 passenger -$2,119

1949 Chevrolet $1,415, the four-door sedan at $1,460, the sport coupe at $1,420, and the business coupe at $1,340

The income of the average family was $3,100.

Lincolns and Cadillacs where expensive cars with a limit demand so there was a limit supply (even used those cars were worth a lot of money), if there was a limited supply when they were new there was going to be even fewer in the junkyards were most hot rodders and racer got their engine cores.

 

I guess old Henry had a few swings and misses in the forties and early fifties. The commercial success of the venerable circa 1932 flathead v8 engine stifled creativity when it became time for engine development. The V12 Lincoln motor was introduced in the late thirties, when other luxury cars still had high cylinder count engines, but the 337 probably would have been a more profitable and reliable alternative, and would have potentially had a longer production run. By the time the 331 was actually produced , the entire industry was moving towards ohv engines.

The 226 from 1941 could have been an ohv. The technology was well established by then, but politics, presumably from the old man himself stifled that possibility.

Similarly, had the internal politics been different, the Y blocks, or a variant of them, could have debuted in the late forties instead of the revised, but obsolete flathead.

Too little, too late.

 

"337", not "331". That displacement worked well for Chrysler and Cadillac, though. Other than that, your post shows imagination and a significant lack of knowledge of the immediate post-war period.

 

Good enough for me! I dig it! Skratch was kind enough to share some extra pics

 

Fixed the typo Mr historian.

I was there, albeit a little young, and, I spent well over thirty years in the engine development industry. Did you?

 

Lincolns can be slow or fast. It’s all in the balancing, porting and relieving. I finished this car in 2005 and never stopped drag racing it until 2022. This car no longer exists in this form. It is now a landspeed car. Back to its roots. Let’s see what a Lincoln can do at El Mirage and Bonneville

 

Such a neat car, hope it holds its own at the salt. I have a feeling it will

 

I was being a smartass with my ls comment. I dig inline engines!

 

Ive seen that one, good video!

 

I am also gonna be building a factory dual quad 312 y block....and i have a 337 cad flatty.... lots of ponys in the stable if the lincoln give me too much guff. I think its cool and will scoot

 

.........and hydraulic seat actuator. And possibly convertible top. Plus they sound great even through giant twin oval mufflers.

 

320 Buick about the same weight and more power same time frame

 

I've always loved old cars, and I recently got into flatheads. I just bought a 1950 Ford F7 with the original 337 that I plan on (lightly) hotrodding the engine in. If you have any more pictures or video of your car, I'd love to see them

 

Is the plan for the truck, or engine in a different vehicle? Just curious!

 

Here4, show us your plans. If it was me, I would do something stupid like replace the 337 flatty with a 6-71 Detroit. Because if 150 Hp from 850 lbs is good, 170 hp from 2100 lbs has to be better, right? Then build a roadster around the 337, just so I can haul it around on the back of the F7.

 

Engine class will be XXO………body class a modified roadster

 

The Lincoln/Ford truck flathead 337 V8 is 635 pounds with aluminum heads and intake. That's not horrible. You could probably get 20 more pounds off the crank with some lathe time. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/weight-of-a-ford-linclon-337-big-block-flathead.832985/

It is basically a scaled up flathead Ford. Just bigger in every dimension. More cubes, bigger, better ports, bigger valves, modern valve guide/spring arrangement, updated cooling passages. It's not for everyone. But if you love the flathead v8, and you want it bigger and more powerful the easy way, the 337 is the ticket.