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why did ford never have a 8 in a row?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 59flatbedford, Aug 5, 2010.

  1. 59flatbedford
    Joined: Apr 24, 2007
    Posts: 97

    59flatbedford
    Member

    ok so i was at the junkyard the other day and they had this old buick with a straight 8 and that got me thinking. Im a big ford fan and well the ford Flathead v-8 is one of the most famous motors and seems to set ford apart from all the other makers of the time because ford went straight to the v configuration and never looked back while a lot of other companies (certain divisions of gm, hudson, etc) stuck with the inline configuration for decades before finally switching fully to the v-8 designs. So anybody got any insight as to why this was so or any opionons on v-8 vs l-8. Was ford just forward thinking and knew that v-8 was the way forward or did they decide it took less materials to build a compact motor vs the huge inliners cutting their bottom line? the one at the junkyard the other day was the first inline 8 i have ever seen in person so i don't know much about them and i wasn't around back then to see them in action (im only 19) so anybody with some history on the two designs that could educate me some would be appreciated. and as always pictures of both motors decked out would be welcome too because the are both sexy looking motors.
     
  2. eaglebeak
    Joined: Sep 17, 2007
    Posts: 1,301

    eaglebeak
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    Henry Ford was cheap. Fords were a working man's car and were built as cheap as possible. The straight eights were found in higher priced cars. V8 engines were around long before Henry built his.
     
  3. BOWTIE BROWN
    Joined: Mar 30, 2010
    Posts: 3,251

    BOWTIE BROWN
    Member

    because henry had a better idea.....buy a chevy.
    ME & THAT FLATHEAD FORD WERE RUNNIN SIDE BY SIDE.
     
  4. what eaglebeak said and plus ford was smarter :p
     
  5. texasred
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Posts: 1,221

    texasred
    Member
    from Houston

    You will really shit when you see a V12 OR V16
     
  6. Long question.

    Short answer: because they didn't need to.

    Actually GM had a valve in head V-8 way back when.
     
  7. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 26,619

    Deuces

    Ford thought the V-8 was the better choice... He was right! :D
     
  8. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 26,619

    Deuces

    1918
     
  9. JOECOOL
    Joined: Jan 13, 2004
    Posts: 2,769

    JOECOOL
    Member

    My guess was ford cars were not as big as what would have been required for a straight 8,just my opinion.
     
  10. why would they? history played out which was a better choice.
     
  11. T-Time
    Joined: Jan 5, 2007
    Posts: 1,627

    T-Time
    Member
    from USA

    Not exactly correct. V8's were found in cars even more expensive than those with straight eights. A V8 was more expensive to build than a straight 8, until Henry Ford's engineers came up with a "better idea". They worked hard to find a way to inexpensively make a V8, which is a much better engine than a straight 8. The Ford V8 was the first V8 that could be sold at a price the "working man" could afford.
     
  12. olskool34
    Joined: Jun 28, 2006
    Posts: 2,630

    olskool34
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    Henry did not want 6 or 8 cylinders in a row because he felt that was too long of a rotating mass for a crank to handle. He liked 4's or 8 with 4 on each side to save the crank from unwanted strain.
     
  13. oldtin
    Joined: Dec 22, 2001
    Posts: 482

    oldtin
    Member

    I have read that Henry didn't like straight sixes, mainly because of the stresses on the long crankshaft.
    If he didn't like the lenght of the six crank, no way he would consider an inline 8.



    olskool34 types faster than i do!
     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2010
  14. T-Time
    Joined: Jan 5, 2007
    Posts: 1,627

    T-Time
    Member
    from USA


    True. Plus, a V8 design has inherent harmonic vibration damping characteristics, particularly when its a 90 degree V.

    Henry actually preferred the X-8, but could not develop one that worked for the application.
     
  15. 59flatbedford
    Joined: Apr 24, 2007
    Posts: 97

    59flatbedford
    Member

    so basically it was just a personal preference of good ole Henry Ford.
     
  16. brad chevy
    Joined: Nov 22, 2009
    Posts: 2,627

    brad chevy
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    just take a look at the long front ends on the straight 8 cars,Fords were all basicaly short front ends better body lines .all the straight 8 cars were big,bulky tanks.even back in the day looks sold cars not like todays crap.
     
  17. 39 All Ford
    Joined: Sep 15, 2008
    Posts: 1,530

    39 All Ford
    Member
    from Benton AR

    Henry Ford LOVED his bangers, so much so that he stuck with his little 4 cylinder engines when GM & others had moved on to at least 6 cylinders.

    Mr. Ford insisted that 4 cylinders were better than 6s even though his sales were slipping, his answer was the V-8, in his mind a V-8 was essentially two 4 cylinder engines. Indeed look at his early designs, split distributor, dual water pumps, etc.

    The V-8 allowed Henry to "be right" about 4 cylinders and to also have a means of "one upping" his competition.

    Henry was brilliant but stubborn, this is why we have flathead Ford V-8s.
     
  18. T-Time
    Joined: Jan 5, 2007
    Posts: 1,627

    T-Time
    Member
    from USA

    Also true. In fact, the earliest prototypes of the V-8 actually used two Model T blocks mounted in a V formation. The Henry Ford museum used to have one of them on display.
     
  19. T-Time
    Joined: Jan 5, 2007
    Posts: 1,627

    T-Time
    Member
    from USA

    No. Not at all. It was an informed scientific decision by Henry Ford. It was about physics, power, and price. It was about a better engine design/type, for less money.
     
  20. Straight 8's are waaay too heavy, usually twice as much as a V8, and their smaller size makes for better packaging. Also, they are cheaper to produce.
     
  21. T-Time
    Joined: Jan 5, 2007
    Posts: 1,627

    T-Time
    Member
    from USA

    Not until Henry Ford's engineers made them that way. That was one of the great innovations of the Ford V8.
     
  22. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 26,619

    Deuces

    Your right about ol' Henry being a grouch... But he got rich!
     
  23. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,697

    theHIGHLANDER
    Member

    And still nobody has mentioned...uh...Lincoln?

    Lincoln was part of Ford by then. Lincoln was a V8 before it was a V12. So, "in house" already was a V8 to build down from. As a disclaimer this idea is GROSSLY over-simplified.
     
  24. GreasyDave
    Joined: Jan 25, 2009
    Posts: 26

    GreasyDave
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  25. hudsy-wudsy
    Joined: Aug 2, 2008
    Posts: 50

    hudsy-wudsy
    Member
    from MN

    I sometimes think that Henry Ford receives somewhat more credit for engineering than is appropriate. My recollection is that Henry bought Lincoln from Henry M Leland expressly to acquire the V8. Henry M Leland was a brillant engineer who early on supplied engines to R E Olds (later, Oldsmobile) and went on to found Cadillac. Both marques were later bought by GM. Later, Leland went on to found Lincoln, which Henry would eventually buy. Pre-Ford Lincoln cars are prized for their outstanding engineerling. Also, If I recall right, that rugged little engine that was the heart of the Model T was a Dodge Brothers design. Henry's V8 was simply great balance of performance and cost. It was the perfect choice for a popular low cost car. Just please don't take away from this discussion that straight sixes or eights were inherintly flawed by nature. Any ' 33 Hudson Terraplane straight eight could leave an early Ford V8 in the dust. Greyhound busses were powered by Buick straight eights and criss-crossed this continent millions of times. Straight sixes were the backbone of the auto industry for decades. Also, the flathead six powered Hudson Hornet set speed and endurance records that stood for decades.
     
  26. HOTRODPRIMER
    Joined: Jan 3, 2003
    Posts: 64,593

    HOTRODPRIMER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    All the statements above have merit,,

    Several other makes tried the V8 much earlier with less than stellar success it took a determined Henry Ford to prefect the V8 engine and bring it in production.HRP
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2010
  27. 39 All Ford
    Joined: Sep 15, 2008
    Posts: 1,530

    39 All Ford
    Member
    from Benton AR

    Indeed, the casting alone on Henrys V8 block seems to me to be a real accomplishment for it's day, I want to think that casting one of those blocks even today would be "challenging"...

    The casting in the early production runs in 32 had it's problems, seemingly only going forward because of ole Henry's will power.
     
  28. R Pope
    Joined: Jan 23, 2006
    Posts: 3,309

    R Pope
    Member

    The thing is, Henry was a total tyrant at Fomoco. He was the decision maker, no committees, no shareholders. just him. If he said, "do it!" the staff just had to make it work!
     
  29. aaggie
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 2,530

    aaggie
    Member

    In my life I have used and enjoyed all types of engines and really like the sound of a well done Flathead but... the truth is that a Flathead running on the ragged edge of self destruction makes about the same power as a Honda Accord and you don't have to hold your breath if you miss a shift.
     
  30. 39 All Ford
    Joined: Sep 15, 2008
    Posts: 1,530

    39 All Ford
    Member
    from Benton AR

    It is true that everyone is on the HAMB in an attempt to be as practical as possible in the matter of personal transportation.


    :D
     

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